Lazashvili Upsets Faber In RAF Abu Dhabi Debut

Saba Lazashvili capped a whirlwind week by upsetting former WEC champion Urijah Faber at RAF Abu Dhabi on Saturday, rallying from an early deficit to win 12-7.

The 21-year-old Georgian wrestler, a teammate of Merab Dvalishvili, was thrust into the spotlight Wednesday after backing up the former UFC bantamweight champion in a brawl with Usman Nurmagomedov and his team. According to MMA Fighting, Lazashvili took the bout on short notice after arriving in Abu Dhabi with no plans to compete.

Lazashvili's Third-Period Rally Stuns Faber

Trailing after two periods, Lazashvili turned the match in the third by securing a takedown and flipping Faber repeatedly to pile up points. Faber could not recover enough offense to close the gap.

"I want to say thank you to everybody coming here and supporting," Lazashvili said afterward, per MMA Fighting. "I'm really grateful for everything. [Merab] said I will be champion of the UFC in the future! I'll wrestle everybody here."

The win marked an impressive showing for someone who had not expected to step onto the mat this weekend. His role in Wednesday's altercation — taking out members of Nurmagomedov's team — had made him a sudden draw for the Abu Dhabi crowd.

Lazashvili now has a RAF win on his record and momentum that could lead to more high-profile opportunities in combat sports.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — RAF Abu Dhabi results: Merab Dvalishvili’s teammate Saba Lazashvili pulls off upset win over Urijah Faber