Bellator San Diego: Usman Nurmagomedov defends lightweight title by defeating Alexander Shabliy

Usman Nurmagomedov defended his Bellator lightweight title with a unanimous decision victory against Alexander Shabliy in California.

The 26-year-old returned to the cage after being banned for six months by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) in October 2023 for failing a doping test.

Despite the failed test, Nurmagomedov was not stripped of his lightweight title and 31-year-old Shabliy proved to be a difficult opponent in the second defense of his title.

Shabliy defended well and gave Nurmagomedov no easy chances in this fight, which turned out to be tactical, if unspectacular.

Nurmagomedov secured a takedown in the fourth round when he caught Shabliy with a kick to the head.

Shabily fell behind in the judges' scores and his restraint in fighting ultimately earned him the win, with the judges scoring 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46 in Nurmagomedov's favor.

With this victory, Nurmagomedov is now 18 fights undefeated and has no losses and one no contest.

“To be honest, this guy is so tough,” Nurmagomedov said in his post-fight interview.

“I think Alexander Shabliy is one of the best lightweights in the world right now. It was a very tough fight for me.”

The loss ended Shabliy's nine-fight winning streak and was his first defeat since 2016.