Latest news with #Sadykhov
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nikolas Motta: Cyst made 'my jaw weaker' for KO, fractures in double bonus UFC loss
Nikolas Motta is in good spirits after suffering one of the more gruesome and unideal injuries a fighter can have in his epic battle with Nazim Sadykhov at UFC on ABC 8 in June. Motta (15-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) became the first fighter in UFC history to receive a Fight of the Night bonus and a Performance of the Night bonus in a loss when he suffered a second-round knockout defeat to Sadykhov (11-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) in Baku, Azerbaijan. It was a memorable scrap, with Motta putting Sadykhov on the cusp of a stoppage early, then Sadykhov rallying back to finish the fight in dramatic fashion, and inflicting some lasting damage in the process. "I had two fractures on my jaw," Motta told MMA Junkie Radio. "I came back to Vegas and I had the surgery like five days ago. My cheeks are still really swollen. … They put titanium plates because my jaw was broke and they had to put titanium plates." Motta gives Sadykhov full credit for his accuracy and power in finishing the fight, but he said he learned after the fact that the fractures in his jaw were also aided by another issue. According to Motta, 32, his wisdom teeth still hadn't been removed and created a cyst in his jaw that weakened the structure. He paid the price for not addressing that already, and now must deal with the fallout. "The doctor said after the surgery it's supposed to be six to eight weeks of liquid diet – it's like eight weeks," Motta said. "It wasn't only because I got hit hard, but he said because I have wisdom teeth still it created a cyst, and this cyst made my jaw a little weaker. It was still a hard punch, but that cyst made the inside of my jaw weaker. That's why I broke my jaw and I'm going to focus on the recovery." Motta said once his jaw heals, he will get a second surgery to "clean the cyst" and remove his three remaining wisdom teeth. It's an unpleasant recovery, but one that is certainly taken with less agony after he received an extra $100,000 in bonus money. Although he would've liked to get the win and be healthy so he could fight again soon, Motta sees all the silver linings for his overall career. "I always imagined having a war like that, with my shorts covered in blood and fighting a good fight," Motta said. "Before that fight in the locker room I was saying, 'I want to become a rock star tonight.' ... ($100,000) made me really happy, and the respect I earned, sometimes it's more important than a win."
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Watch Nazim Sadykhov overcome with emotion after learning of $100,000 UFC Baku bonus
That double bonus feeling >>>> 🤯[ #UFCBaku | @Naz_MMA ] It's rare that the UFC hands out a double bonus, but Saturday it gave out two. UFC on ABC 8 featured just two finishes in 12 fights. The first of those at Baku Crystal Palace in the UFC's debut in Azerbaijan was from Nazim Sadykhov (11-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC). In a spectacular literal back-and-forth fight with Nikolas Motta (15-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC), he survived a major barrage to rally and finish the fight in the second round. After the event, UFC CEO Dana White announced Sadykhov and Motta were winners of $100,000 for Performance of the Night instead of the customary $50,000. Although there was a second finish on the card that ordinarily could have been a bonus winner, Myktybek Orolbai's lightweight fight was moved to 165 pounds when he had weight-cutting issues. The UFC treated that as a weight miss as far as bonuses are concerned, and Sadykhov and Motta were the beneficiaries. Check out the moment below when Sadykhov found out he was getting a whopper of an extra check.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC on ABC 8 video: Nazim Sadykhov elates Baku crowd with bloody KO of Nikolas Motta
Nazim Sadykhov brought a 13-fight decision streak in the UFC cage to a brutal end at UFC on ABC 8 when he knocked out Nikolas Motta. Azerbaijan's Sadykhov (11-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) sent the Baku crowd into a frenzy when, after a back-and-forth war for nearly two rounds, he blasted and dropped a bloodied Motta (15-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) for the TKO finish at the 4:17 mark of Round 2 at Baku Crystal Hall. Advertisement Check out the replay of the final sequence below (via X): After the fight, an elated Sadykhov, who remained unbeaten in his UFC career, sent a passionate message to his fans. "You're going to have to kill me if you want to put me away in Baku, Azerbaijan," Sadykhov said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. Between UFC on ESPN 69 in Atlanta a week ago and Saturday's event in Baku, the UFC saw 13 straight decision results until Sadykhov brought that dubious streak to an end. Up-to-the-minute UFC Baku results: This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Baku video: Nazim Sadykhov elates crowd with KO of Nikolas Motta
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 8 video: Nazim Sadykhov elates Baku crowd with bloody KO of Nikolas Motta
Nazim Sadykhov brought a 13-fight decision streak in the UFC cage to a brutal end at UFC on ABC 8 when he knocked out Nikolas Motta. Azerbaijan's Sadykhov (11-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC) sent the Baku crowd into a frenzy when, after a back-and-forth war for nearly two rounds, he blasted and dropped a bloodied Motta (15-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) for the TKO finish at the 4:17 mark of Round 2 at Baku Crystal Hall. Check out the replay of the final sequence below (via X): After the fight, an elated Sadykhov, who remained unbeaten in his UFC career, sent a passionate message to his fans. "You're going to have to kill me if you want to put me away in Baku, Azerbaijan," Sadykhov said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. Between UFC on ESPN 69 in Atlanta a week ago and Saturday's event in Baku, the UFC saw 13 straight decision results until Sadykhov brought that dubious streak to an end. Up-to-the-minute UFC Baku results:
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Nikolas Motta vs. Nazim Sadykhov prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ABC 8
Nikolas Motta and Nazim Sadykhov meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ABC 8 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 5-1 UFC main cards, 2025: 57-44-1 Nikolas Motta vs. Nazim Sadykhov UFC Baku preview Motta (15-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) enters his first fight of the year on the heels of back-to-back wins in 2024. Last January, he finished Tom Nolan in the first round, followed by a unanimous decision over Hayisaer Maheshate. The hard-hitting lightweight has finished 10 of his 15 victories by KO or TKO. ... Sadykhov (10-1-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) has only suffered one defeat in his career, which came in 2018. Since then, he's gone unbeaten, winning 10 and drawing once – the only time he's reached the scorecards in the UFC. In his last outing in February, Sadykhov won a doctor's stoppage TKO over Ismael Bonfim. Nikolas Motta vs. Nazim Sadykhov UFC Baku expert pick, prediction Serving as a solid action fight at lightweight is a battle between Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta. Sadykhov, a savvy southpaw who has long been hailed as a prospect by the legendary Serra-Longo camp, has followed his stablemate Merab Dvalishvili to Las Vegas to train with coach John Wood and the Syndicate MMA crew. This change hasn't appeared to be drastic for Sadykhov, but the Azerbaijani native is one of many fighters on this card with a more deceptive resume than meets the eye. Aside from the fact that Sadykhov lost two rounds to Evan Elder and Viacheslav Borschev without having to suffer a single loss, the 31-year-old tends to find himself in deceptively close fights where either cuts or scorecards have arguably bailed him out. Motta, on the other hand, had a handful of bad performances early on in his UFC career that came amid a slew of camp changes and short-notice bookings that subsequently caused everyone from the bookmakers to the gamblers to continually disrespect his chances despite his recent results. Motta is still a kill-or-be-killed fighter for the most part, but the Brazilian has made some measurable improvements to his overall game since splitting his time between his home bases of Xtreme Couture MMA and Bangtao Muay Thai. Now, Motta appears to be in the best shape of his life, showing more tools at range and improved pacing and grappling. Motta also shows the style of leg kicks and shoveling body shots that previous Sadykhov opponents have found success with. Don't get me wrong: Sadykhov is the deserved favorite and no one should be shocked if he replicates the murder scenes that Manual Torres and Jim Miller made before him. That said, we can't ignore the fact that power is a potent two-way street, and Motta has way too much of it for Sadykhov to be this heavily favored with his fast-and-loose style. For that reason, I suspect that the southpaw killer that is Motta's left hook will be live for as long as this fight lasts. A decision win isn't totally out of the question, but I'll take an unpopular flier on Motta to shock the world by catching Sadykhov cold in round 1. Nikolas Motta vs. Nazim Sadykhov UFC Baku odds The oddsmakers and the public heavily favor the hometown fighter, listing Sadykhov -430 and Motta +320 via FanDuel. Nikolas Motta vs. Nazim Sadykhov UFC Baku start time, how to watch Motta and Sadykhov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 3:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.
