Rivalries: Magomed Magomedkerimov

Magomed Magomedkerimov already tasted the fruits of his labor once in the Professional Fighters League and undoubtedly has designs on doing so again.

The 2018 champion will return to the stage for the first time in more than eight months when he faces Joao Zeferino in a PFL 6 welterweight feature on Friday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. Magomedkerimov remains one of the organization’s most complete and accomplished competitors, having compiled a stellar 13-1 record across his past 14 appearances. The 32-year-old has delivered 19 of his 28 career victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

As Magomedkerimov makes final preparations for his forthcoming encounter with Zeferino at 170 pounds, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped chart his course to this point:

Vitaly Bigdash

Magomedkerimov submitted to a rear-naked choke from the eventual One Championship middleweight titleholder in the third round of their Professional Fighting Championships 57 pairing on March 29, 2015 at the Sports Palace in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Bigdash drew the curtain 4:20 into Round 3, becoming the first man to finish his fellow Russian in more than three years. All signs initially pointed up for Magomedkerimov. He controlled the majority of the first two rounds with clinches, takedowns and ground-and-pound but appeared to tire at the end of the middle stanza. Bigdash made his move in the third. After bailing on a guillotine choke, he returned to a standing position, battered Magomedkerimov with close-range elbow strikes and then scrambled to his back in the midst of an ill-fated takedown attempt. Bigdash cinched the choke in a flash, flattened out the Absolute Championship Berkut veteran and prompted the tapout with less than a minute remaining in the match.

Bojan Velickovic

A surging Magomedkerimov put away the former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion with punches in the second round of their Professional Fighters League welterweight semifinal at PFL 10 on Oct. 20, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Velickovic succumbed to blows 3:13 into Round 2 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena. Magomedkerimov rattled the Serbian with a right hook and let his hands fly as he gave chase across the cage, the finish clearly within reach. He ultimately pinned Velickovic to the fence, zeroed in with a series of straight right hands and forced the Ultimate Fighting Championship alum to take a seat before the stoppage was called. The decisive win gave Magomedkerimov a 2-0 edge in their head-to-head series, as he had claimed a unanimous decision against the Elevation Fight Team export two months prior.

Chris Curtis

Repeated takedowns, mat returns and a soul-stealing clinch game carried Magomedkerimov to a two-round unanimous decision over the onetime CES MMA titleholder in their Professional Fighters League quarterfinal at PFL 7 on Oct. 11, 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Scores were 20-18, 20-18 and 20-17. Curtis—who had dropped a unanimous verdict to the Russian three months earlier—went nowhere in their rematch. Magomedkerimov set the tone inside the first 30 seconds, as he struck for a takedown, worked his way to the back and piled up points with modest ground-and-pound and the ever-present threat of the submission. Curtis managed to stay upright for much of Round 2 but enjoyed little success there. Magomedkerimov fed him a consistent jab, punched well in combination and troubled him with a few side kicks to the midsection. By the time it was over, the cageside judiciary’s job was easy.

Ray Cooper III

The brick-fisted Hawaiian exacted a measure of revenge when he knocked out Magomedkerimov with third-round punches to win the Professional Fighters League welterweight championship on Oct. 27, 2021 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Cooper—who had submitted to a guillotine choke from the Russian in the 2018 PFL welterweight final—slammed the door in dramatic fashion 3:02 into Round 3. Magomedkerimov seized the reins at the start of their rematch, as he tenderized his rival’s lead leg with punishing kicks before pairing a takedown with top control in a one-sided first round. Cooper shifted the momentum in second with a takedown of his own, backing it up with ground-and-pound and an attempted arm-triangle choke. That set the table for an epic conclusion no one saw coming. Magomedkerimov wobbled “Bradda Boy” with a right cross early in Round 3, followed with a knee strike upstairs and teed off with punches. Cooper was suddenly a man on the brink. With his back against the fence, he countered a lazy uppercut from Magomedkerimov with a devastating overhand right. Cooper then connected with a second overhand that flipped the off switch and sent the American Top Team product crashing to the canvas, where he ate a few more blows before referee Gary Copeland could arrive on the scene. Magomedkerimov has not fought since.