Damir Ismagulov’s post-UFC tenure is off to a strong start.
After already winning his first fight outside the UFC earlier this year, Ismagulov took on Oberdan Tenório at Alash Pride 100.
Just a couple of minutes into the contest, Ismagulov landed a devastating spinning kick right on the button, dropping Tenório out cold for the win.
Damir Ismagulov Improves To 2-0 Since Departing UFC With Jaw-Dropping Kick
After a 19-1 run to start his career, which included winning the Alash Pride Lightweight Tournament in 2016 and the M-1 Global lightweight championship in 2017, Ismagulov signed with the UFC.
The Kazakh lightweight made his UFC debut in Australia in December 2018, defeating Alex Gorgees. He won his first five Octagon bouts, which also included wins against Joel Álvarez, Thiago Moisés, and Rafael Alves.
Ismagulov, however, lost to Arman Tsarukyan in December 2022. He initially announced his retirement on January 1, 2023, but later fought out his UFC contract with a loss to Grant Dawson that July.
The former ranked UFC contender returned to competition in July of this year, scoring a decision over Dimitry Klimov.
