Tahir Abdullayev wins at UFC Baku amid stoppage controversy

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Tahir Abdullayev is a winner after his debut at UFC Baku, but not without controversy. The opening welterweight bout of Saturday’s show in Azerbaijan was already shaping up to be a forgettable debacle, with Abdullayev and opponent Jefferson Nascimento showing little aggression through the first two rounds and Nascimento receiving a strange warning from referee Jim Perdios for inactivity. But Perdios saved his most questionable call for last as he called for a technical knockout stoppage late in Round 3 during a sequence where Abdullayev was throwing strikes from top position but did not appear to have Nascimento in serious danger. Watch the clip below and judge for yourself. Agree with the stoppage here at #UFCBaku? pic.twitter.com/hUg4Gk5MQj — MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 27, 2026 Afterwards, there was some protest from Nascimento, but the official result announcement was otherwise made without incident. Based on Abdullayev’s work in Round 3, he likely would have won a decision as the official scores had the fighters tied on all three judges’ cards. The official time of the stoppage was 4:28 into Round 3. Abdullayev and Nascimento were both competing in the UFC for the first time. The win improves Abdullayev’s pro record to 20-3, while Nascimento loses his undefeated record after going 13-0 to begin his pro career.

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Over the weekend (Sat., June 27, 2026), Azerbaijani newcomer Tahir Abdullayev picked up his first UFC win in a third-round TKO stoppage over Brazil’s Jefferson Nascimento (watch highlights here) at UFC Baku. The win was not without controversy, however. The first two rounds were largely uneventful and unimpressive, hardly looking the part of UFC-level competition. […]