Zhalgas Zhumagulov nixed a height and reach advantage by tagging Jerome Rivera and then trapping him in a submission, earning a finish at the 2:02 mark of the first round with a guillotine choke in the UFC 264 opener.
Hanging sideways on his feet, Rivera had little option to give up as he sat trapped against his opponent’s chest in a position that resembled a D’Arce choke were it not for Zhumagulov’s positioning.
Check out the finish below.
Zhumagulov, a native of Kazakhstan, tagged Rivera with a right hand after taking several body kicks early in the round. When Rivera dove for a leg, he exposed his neck, leading to the finishing sequence.
Zhumagulov picked up his first UFC win after losses to Raulian Paiva and Amir Albazi in his first two outings. Rivera, who earned his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, likely is headed back to the minors after going winless in four outings.
