The woes continue for “Mr. Finland.”
Makwan Amirkhani made his first post-UFC fighting appearance Saturday at OKTAGON 54 in Ostrava, Czechia, and was finished by budding welterweight star Mochamed Machaev.
Machaev (14-1) finished a swollen Amirkhani (17-10) in Round 3 as part of the promotion’s $1 million Tipsport Gamechanger tournament opening round.
Amirkhani was likely down two rounds on the cards by the time the fight hit Round 3. Machaev didn’t allow him time for a finish, though, as he drilled Amirkhani with a check left hook. Amirkhani dropped onto all fours and absorbed a pair of follow-up punches that sealed the deal.
⭐️ A star is born ⭐️
Mago Machaev 🇦🇹 delivers the performance of his career to knock out Makwan Amirkhani in the third round.
Is he the favourite in the whole €1 million Tipsport Gamechanger? #OKTAGON54
📺 https://t.co/TVP7NaDRbZ | DAZN | Channel 4 pic.twitter.com/QsDyxjlTaj
— OKTAGON MMA (@OktagonOfficial) March 2, 2024
Machaev, 24, continued to establish himself as one of Europe’s top rising welterweights. Saturday’s fight was his promotional debut.
Amirkhani, 35, fell to 1-6 in his most recent seven fights. He departed the UFC in mid-2023 after a 7-7 stint with the promotion.