Vitaliy Boev managed to avoid the judge’s scorecards by the slimmest of margins with a rear-naked choke finish just moments before the final bell at MMA Series 51.
Matched up with the debuting Maxim Kostrov, Boev was able to lock up a body triangle and choke his Russian compatriot unconscious in the waning seconds of the fight.
The referee was keeping a close eye on the action to break the fighters up once the final bell sounded but ended up stepping in as he saw Kostrov go limp from Boev’s choke.
The finish was officially listed as being at 4:58 of the third and final round.
According to the fight stats, Boev had out struck Kostrov by about a 2-1 margin and landed three takedowns at the time of the stoppage. While the Russian featherweight likely would have walked away with the decision had the fight gone the distance, earning a finish like this is certainly a good way for a young fighter to attract attention.
This was the third victory of the 26-year-old Boev’s MMA career. He was stopped by strikes in the third round of his last fight against Mukambet Kadyrali Uulu but is 3-1 overall as a pro. All three of Boev’s career wins have come via submission.
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