UFC Baku: Awful stoppage mars Tahir Abdullayev knockout win in opener

Tahir Abdullayev secured his UFC debut victory at Saturday's card in Baku, but the welterweight opener was marred by a controversial stoppage that left observers questioning referee Jim Perdios's judgment.

The bout between Abdullayev and Jefferson Nascimento was already unremarkable, with both fighters showing minimal aggression through the first two rounds. Perdios issued a peculiar inactivity warning to Nascimento early on, setting a strange tone for the fight. The real controversy came late in Round 3 when Perdios called a technical knockout while Abdullayev was landing strikes from top position—a sequence in which Nascimento did not appear to be in genuine danger or unable to continue.

Nascimento protested the stoppage, which came at 4:28 of the third round, but the result stood as official. According to the judges' scorecards, the fight was deadlocked on all three cards heading into that final sequence, suggesting Abdullayev would likely have won a decision anyway had the fight been allowed to continue.

Both fighters were making their UFC debut. Abdullayev's record improves to 20-3 with the victory, while Nascimento's previously undefeated record drops to 13-1. The questionable nature of Perdios's stoppage will likely invite scrutiny and discussion among fans and analysts reviewing the footage.