UFC Baku Bonuses: Nazim Sadykhov, Nikolas Motta Bank Extra $100K

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first trip to Azerbaijan was a memorable one as fans were treated to a potential fight of the year at UFC Baku. Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta delivered a barnburner for the ages and were rewarded handsomely for it.

Nazim rallied from certain defeat to stop Motta in the second round (4:17) in a bout so legendary both men were honored with ‘Performance of the Night’ and ‘Fight of the Night’ honors and a $100,000 bonus.

Sadykohv and Motta started trading from the start of the bell, much to the delight of the fans at the Baku Crystal Hall. Motta, a Brazilian slugger with a 67% knockout ratio, threw bombs with reckless abandon. Sadykohv, a proud native of Baku, refused to give ground and gave as good as he got, but his night was nearly finished after eating a picture-perfect left hook to the liver.

Motta moved in like a beast hunting prey and pounded Sadykohv’s body with hooks and uppercuts. Sadykohv dropped to a knee and shelled up, causing referee Lukasz Bosacki to inch closer to the action, but thank the MMA gods that he didn’t intervene.

Bosacki’s patience gave Sadykohv enough time to regain his composure and fight like his life depended on it. You could barely hear the bell because of the way fans were cheering for violence at the end of the first round.

Sadykohv and Motta came out in the second and continued their hellacious display. Motta would land and flurry, then Sadykohv would answer with his own punches. The two traded like roc-em-sock-em robots until Sadykohv had enough. With Motta’s back against the cage, the “Black Wolf” unleashed a flurry of hooks that landed flush on Motta’s chin, crumpling him to his knees with less than a minute in the round (4:17).

With the win, Sadykohv (11-1-1, 4-0-1 UFC) secured his second straight win and put himself in the running for the Fight of the Year. He showed unfathomable grit, but needed the proper dance partner to pull it out, and Motta more than delivered on his end. Fans who watched it live were in awe, and they appreciated the sacrifice from both fighters.