Nursulton Ruziboev chokes Andrey Pulyaev unconscious at UFC Baku

Nursulton Ruziboev put Andrey Pulyaev to sleep with a rear-naked choke Saturday at UFC Baku, securing his third consecutive victory since dropping back to middleweight.

The Uzbek fighter forced the stoppage at 3:58 of the opening round on the preliminary card at National Gymnastics Arena in Azerbaijan, per MMA Fighting. Ruziboev hunted submissions from the opening bell, working through multiple choke attempts on the mat before locking in the fight-ending squeeze that left Pulyaev's eyes rolling back.

Ruziboev's quiet climb in UFC's middleweight ranks

The win pushes Ruziboev to 5-1 inside the octagon and 37-9-2 overall with two no-contests. His current run at 185 pounds includes finishes of Dustin Stoltzfus and Eric McConico, both by submission.

The 32-year-old's lone promotional setback came against Joaquin Buckley at welterweight in May 2024 at UFC St. Louis. Since moving up a weight class, Ruziboev has stopped every opponent he's faced, collecting three straight bonuses for his trouble.

Pulyaev falls to an undisclosed record with the loss. No word yet on when Ruziboev will return to action or who the UFC might match him with next in the middleweight division.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — UFC Baku video: Nursulton Ruziboev sleeps Andrey Pulyaev with vicious choke