Damir Ismagulov might not be far off from a UFC return.
The veteran lightweight closed the show in style on Saturday at Alash Pride 100 in Aktobe, Kazakhstan, delivering a spinning kick knockout that left opponent Oberdan Tenorio frighteningly still on the canvas.
Watch the highlight-reel KO below.
Tenorio appeared to bite hard on a fake before Ismagulov spun his hips and unleashed the powerful KO strike.
This was Ismagulov’s second win since parting ways with the UFC in 2023. Ismagulov (26-3) ended his UFC run with back-to-back losses to Grant Dawson and Arman Tsarukyan, which dropped his record with the promotion to 5-2.
He began his UFC career with five consecutive victories, including decision nods over Guram Kutateladze, Thiago Moises, and Joel Alvarez. The 33-year-old scored the 13th knockout win of his career and his first since June 2018.
Tenorio (36-16-1) suffered his third loss in his past four fights. The Brazilian veteran stepped in on short notice for former UFC fighter Adriano Martins, who withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
