UFC 272: Umar Nurmagomedov, cousin of Khabib, scores stunning submission win over Kelleher to remain unbeaten
UMAR NURMAGOMEDOV maintained his undefeated record with a dominant victory over Brian Kelleher in Las Vegas
Nurmagomedov - the cousin of former lightweight champ Khabib - locked horns with 'Boom' on the prelim portion of a stacked UFC 272 card at the T-Mobile Arena.
Umar's clash with veteran bantamweight Kelleher was his first since his demolition of Sergey Morozov on Fight Island last January.
But the Dagestani destroyer showed no signs of ring rust as he mopped the floor with Kelleher - who he submitted with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their 135lb showdown.
Umar showed off his impressive dexterity early doors with effortless high kicks.
And his counter striking was on point early doors as he cracked Kelleher with a nifty straight left as the New Yorker came rushing in.
A beautiful lead head kick slapped off Kelleher's head moments later and echoed throughout the T-Mobile Arena.
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That prompted Keller to close the distance and initiate a clinch - although it was quickly reversed.
Nurmagomedov made the most of the tie-up by landing some good knees before they separated.
The Dagestani destroyer looked to bring the fight to the canvas but saw his first effort stuffed by a dogged Kelleher.
But he was successful at the second time of trying, partially grounding Kelleher against the fence.
And it didn't take long for him to cinch in a rear-naked choke - the same submission he scored in his UFC debut on Fight Island.
Umar, 26, has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the super-stacked bantamweight division.
And head coach Javier Mendez reckons it's only a matter of time before he gets his hands on UFC gold.
He told SunSport last year: "Umar is a different type of fighter than his cousin Khabib.
"But he is still going to do great and I feel he will win the title in three or four years."