UFC Vegas 70 proved to be a night full of action-packed events, but the opening bout of the night between Nurullo Aliev and Rafael Alves was one that got people talking. The lightweight bout was not without controversy, but in the end, it was Nurullo Aliev who emerged victorious.
The first round saw Rafael Alves appealing to referee Mark Smith, accusing Aliev of biting him. Despite denying the accusation, Aliev was penalized with a point deduction. However, the Tajikistani did not let this faze him.
Was there a bite? https://t.co/PzwfKcj7ud
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) February 26, 2023
Nurullo Aliev showcased his grappling skills and dominated the Brazilian on the ground. Despite the point deduction, he managed to secure a majority decision victory with the judges scoring the event 29-27, 29-27, and 28-28 in his favor.
With this win, Nurullo Aliev extends his undefeated MMA record to 9-0. The 23-year-old from Tajikistan has a massive following in his home country and Dana White shared a video of a stadium full of fans supporting Aliev on his UFC debut.
Aliev is one to watch in the lightweight division, and with his impressive debut, he has certainly made a statement.
This is how many people showed up in a stadium in Tajikistan to watch UNDEFEATED @NurulloAliev first fight in the @ufc. How BADASS is this?!?! pic.twitter.com/2WVY0ebZQk
— danawhite (@danawhite) February 26, 2023