Despite the intense tournament card and a number of famous fighters, most of the fans came to the CSKA Arena for the two main fights of the evening. Zabit Magomedsharipov tried to get the better of Calvin Kattar and gain the right to fight for the featherweight title, and Alexander Volkov to make the long-awaited return to the octagon. After losing to Derrick Lewis, the Russian heavyweight did not have a single fight, but still retained a high place in the ranking. Before the show, he occupied the seventh line and, if successful, had every chance of getting into the top 5.
Initially, it was Volkov who was supposed to lead the Moscow tournament, but unforeseen circumstances intervened in the matter. Former UFC Champion Junior dos Santos was injured and starred, and yesterday's debutant Greg Hardy replaced him. In this regard, the leadership of the promotion decided to put the battle of Zabit and Calvin at the head, and the battle involving Alexander was re-qualified as the second most important on the show.
The change of the opponent did not complicate Volkov’s task, but certainly increased the pressure on him. The Russian was perceived as an indisputable favorite and was denied the right to make a mistake. A defeat from Hardy could seriously hit his prospects and close the road to the title for a long time, while the victory practically did not advance him in the champion race. At the moment, Greg is not among the 15 strongest heavyweights of the planet and is not perceived as a serious threat to the leaders of the division.
The debut was equal. Hardy expectedly forced the fight and went forward. He instantly shortened the distance and threw powerful overheads to the right. Volkov acted much calmer and preferred to designate attacks with a jab. It only became dangerous when he performed multi-pass combinations or connected legs. The American did not have time to retreat and became a target, missing blows to both the head and the body.
However, one cannot say that Greg looked noticeably weaker. He was well prepared and easily overcame most of the problems that his counterparts created. Toward the end of the five-minute period, he slowed down, but still continued to respond with sharp counterattacks. At the end of the round he struck coolly on the left and groped for Alexander's jaw.
The second round began in a more relaxed manner, and the Russian began to actively “feed” the opponent with a left low-kick in the hope that he would open his head. The American understood his intentions and confidently defended himself, and in the third minute he completely answered with a powerful cross to the right. Volkov was more precise and kept the situation under control, but there was no obvious superiority.
For 2019, Hardy entered the octagon for the fifth time, but there was no fatigue. Even in the third five-minute period, he continued to pressure Volkov and did not relax his grip. Alexander took, if not by number, then by hit accuracy. His accented jab hit right on target, and the left hi-kick kicked the scales even more towards him.
As a result, it was precisely the Russian concentration that brought him success. Volkov prevailed by unanimous decision and rehabilitated for the defeat of Derrick Lewis.
As for Magomedsharipov, the victory over Kattar with a high degree of probability could guarantee him a duel for the title. Zabita had 5 consecutive wins in the asset - more than any other representative of the top 5 featherweight. The only exception was Alexander Volkanovsky, who was already preparing for the battle with champion Max Holloway.
Thus, a successful performance in the battle with the American could make Magomedsharipov a virtually uncontested candidate for the belt. To guarantee, he needed not to repeat the mistake of the fight with Jeremy Stevens and to prevail in a spectacular manner.
From the very beginning, the battle began to take place in an intense manner. Both athletes tirelessly beat and pressed the vis-a-vis. Magomedsharipov and Kattar exchanged a series of sharp attacks, most of which reached the target. The goal was more aggressive and managed to hit not only with hands, but also with feet. So, one of his low kicks knocked Kelvin down, but he quickly responded with a powerful hit in the jaw.
The Russian beat very quickly, alternating punches and kicks, but the American practically did not concede. He used any moment to counterattack and looked impressive. But closer to the equator, Zabita’s ingenuity began to confuse him more and more often. Kattar was not ready for unexpected and sweeping spinning kicks (kick from a turn) and gradually began to give more initiative. The knee in the jump was a desperate attempt to attract the attention of the judges.
The final five-minute period again gave occasion to discuss the endurance of Magomedsharipov. By the second minute, he noticeably sat down physically and looked much slower than Kattar. He instantly felt the opponent’s weakness and rushed forward, noting a series of dangerous hits. At one point, it might seem that Zabit might not have enough strength for the ending, but he still withstood. Kelvin continued to fight fiercely and, even lying on his back, inflicted powerful blows to the head of the Russian.
According to the results of three rounds, Magomedsharipov was the winner on the cards of all three judges. However, they all gave the third round to Cattar, noting his advantage in the end. Nevertheless, Zabit extended his unbeaten run to six fights and designated himself as the main applicant for the championship title.