The woes continue for “Mr. Finland.”
Makwan Amirkhani made his first post-UFC fighting appearance Saturday at OKTAGON 54 in Ostrava, Czechia, and was finished by budding welterweight star Mochamed Machaev.
Machaev (14-1) finished a swollen Amirkhani (17-10) in Round 3 as part of the promotion’s $1 million Tipsport Gamechanger tournament opening round.
Amirkhani was likely down two rounds on the cards by the time the fight hit Round 3. Machaev didn’t allow him time for a finish, though, as he drilled Amirkhani with a check left hook. Amirkhani dropped onto all fours and absorbed a pair of follow-up punches that sealed the deal.
⭐️ A star is born ⭐️
Mago Machaev 🇦🇹 delivers the performance of his career to knock out Makwan Amirkhani in the third round.
Is he the favourite in the whole €1 million Tipsport Gamechanger? #OKTAGON54
📺 https://t.co/TVP7NaDRbZ | DAZN | Channel 4 pic.twitter.com/QsDyxjlTaj
— OKTAGON MMA (@OktagonOfficial) March 2, 2024
Machaev, 24, continued to establish himself as one of Europe’s top rising welterweights. Saturday’s fight was his promotional debut.
Amirkhani, 35, fell to 1-6 in his most recent seven fights. He departed the UFC in mid-2023 after a 7-7 stint with the promotion.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
This story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
