Artem Lobov made it back-to-back victories last night at UFC Belfast as he overcame opponent Teruto Ishihara via unanimous decision.
With teammate Conor McGregor in attendance - who subsequently entered the Octagon to celebrate the victory - the featherweight came through three gruelling rounds against the Japanese fighter to build on his victory over Chris Avila at UFC 202.
"I didn't get to celebrate with him when he won the two belts," Lobov told BT Sport after the bout. "I embraced him and congratulated him on the two belts and he congratulated me on my win. It was a great moment."
Judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 in favour of the Russian, who dominated the opening two rounds, and used a variety of striking and leg kicks to slowly break down Ishihara.
Even into the final seconds of the final round, Lobov looked to secure a submission or even TKO with an onslaught of late striking.
What. A. Fight! What. A. Slam! @RusHammerMMA and @teruto_ko go the distance in an all-out war! ðŸ‘ðŸ‘👠#UFCBelfast https://t.co/KRFx1e9m3R
— BT Sport UFC (@btsportufc) November 19, 2016
After the fight, the two-weight champion entered the ring to congratulate his teammate and raise his hand in front of a packed SSE Arena.
Moment of the night! @TheNotoriousMMA and @RusHammerMMA embrace in the Octagon. 🇮🇪🇷🇺👊 #UFCBelfast https://t.co/bRRwQ3ckE6
— BT Sport UFC (@btsportufc) November 20, 2016
Meanwhile, there was less good news for UFC debutant Charlie Ward. The SBG fighter was stopped in the first round by Razak Alhassan after a 55 second flurry of punches.
The pair traded strikes, which seemed to impact more heavily on Ward who struggled to remain steady on his feet.
Well, that didn't take long. HUGE shots from Razak Alhassan and it's over just like that!! #UFCBelfast https://t.co/fVypdC57m5
— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2016
