It wasn’t easy, but Baisangur Susurkaev remains undefeated.
On Saturday, Susurkaev took on Djorden Santos in a preliminary bout at UFC 328. Susurkaev was one of the biggest betting favorites on the card, and while he did ultimately score a finish, it came after a tougher-than-expected fight.
A protege of middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, Susurkaev is best known for his lethal grappling skills, but it was his striking that was on display early, chopping Santos’ lead leg out with nasty calf kicks. But Santos was undeterred, standing his ground and bloodying Susurkaev up in the second round. Even Susurkaev seemed impressed by Santos’ effort, talking to him and genuinely having a good time in the cage, despite the hard fight.
In the third round, though, Susurkaev stepped on the gas, scoring a takedown and moving to Santos’ back, where he was able to lock in a rear-naked choke that put Santos to sleep.
The win is the 12th of Susurkaev’s career, and third in the UFC, all coming by finish.
