Nicolas Dalby beat Muslim Salikhov by a unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 75. Salikhov and Dalby kicked off the UFC Vegas 75 main card with their welterweight bout. Dalby took over the fight after turning things around at the end of the first round and earned a 29-28 scorecard from all three judges.
Official decision – Nicolas Dalby by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
4-1 in his last five, 39-year-old Salikhov does not look his age in the octagon. A prolific striker with an impressive 19-3 record, Salikhov has only 2 losses in his eight UFC fights. Dubbed the ‘King of Kung Fu‘, the Russian was looking to keep his momentum going in the 170 lbs division with a statement win at UFC Vegas 75.
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Only a year younger than his opponent, Nicolas Dalby boasted a 21-4 record with a 5-3-1 UFC record. ‘The Danish Dynamite’ came to Vegas hoping to extend his two-fight winning streak to three. Despite being in their late thirties, neither veteran showed any lack of competitiveness.
What happened in Salikhov vs. Dalby?
The welterweights started off strong, both of them landing heavy kicks in the first round. Salikhov looked slicker early in the round, until Dalby caught him with a head kick and stunned the Dagestani, and forced him to change levels.
It was more of the same in the second round. While Dalby invested in heavy leg kicks, Salikhov’s spinning back kicks were on the button almost every time. The 39-year-old took the fight to the ground, but Dalby took over the fight later and hunted for submissions. Dalby ended the round in dominant fashion over Salikhov.
Dalby did not take his foot off the pedal and controlled the pace in the third round as well. The Danish star used his size effectively to dominate Salikhov against the fence in the clinch. Dalby ended the fight in mount position over Salikhov, establishing his dominance at the end of the night.
Fans react to Salikhov vs. Dalby at UFC Vegas 75
The absolute slugfest between the aging welterweight stars invited a lot of reactions from the fans and pros on social media.
Make that 2-0 in 2023 for Danish Dynamite!
🇩🇰🧨 @DalbyMMA got stronger as the fight went on to get the decision! #UFCVegas75 pic.twitter.com/ED53C0pkqo
— UFC (@ufc) June 18, 2023
Good fight, but Muslim needs to work on his cardio. That shit was over halfway into the second.
— Rahl Reviews (@RahlReviews) June 18, 2023
dalby would make colby covington look like an amateur
— Ben🔜🌕 (@butze_) June 18, 2023
I never see one good fight of this Guy, why he is still in the UFC? What the funny to see he fighting?
— Maldonado Pepey (@Maldonadopepey) June 18, 2023
Walmart khabib
— Tyler.m (@TylerDu94567150) June 18, 2023
Walmart khabib
— Tyler.m (@TylerDu94567150) June 18, 2023
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Back to back weeks losing betting in Dagestan fighters.
— Mitch (@HTX_Mitch) June 18, 2023
As is obvious from the reactions, a lot of fans found it surprising that a Dagestani could be dominated in such a fashion.
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What are your reactions to Dalby vs Salikhov? What do you think is next for these veterans? Let us know in the comments below.