‘The Lazy King’ Abdoul Abdoruaguimov pulls off shocking Hail May kneebar for instant comeback
Things looked grim for “The Lazy King” Abdoul Abdouraguimov As the clock ticked down, he saw that there was less than one minute left in his ARES 11 main event title challenge at middleweight.
Abdouraguimov (16-1), a welterweight, was unable to match the strength of the larger fighters for the majority of five rounds. Rafal Haratyk (16-5-1) – until an absolute Hail Mary kneebar attempt from the bottom ended the bout at 4:35 of Round 5.
The Dome de Paris was in a frenzy as the finish occurred. Spectators tried to grasp what just happened. Abdouraguimov is now the double champion of the top French mixed martial arts promotion.
Abdouraguimov, already the ARES welterweight champion was deemed by many as UFC-ready after a successful June title defense. But when the UFC call still didn’t come, Abdouraguimov decided to elevate to middleweight.
The decision looked miscalculated for much of the bout, as Haratyk muscled his way out of many of Abdouraguimov’s unusual tricks and traps. Abdouraguimov looked tired throughout the championship rounds, even though he was mounted on several occasions. Abdouraguimov found a second wind after Round 5, when he attempted multiple submissions.
The fifth round guillotine choke seemed to be Abdouraguimov’s last (and best) chance at winning the fight. But after Haratyk popped his head out and eventually landed on top, Abdouraguimov’s chances to win seemed slim.
Haratyk leaning against the cage, Abdouraguimov pulled to a leg submission. This was an attack that he attempted multiple times during the fight. But this fight was different. He got what he wanted.
The win Friday certainly lived up to Abdouraguimov’s pre-fight prediction In an interview with MMA Junkie.
“Even in my fights, I don’t know how it’s going to be finished,” Abdouraguimov said. “I, myself, in one of my last fights, was surprised I hit an inverted triangle choke. It was something I’d never attempted before. I’m very creative and you can expect the unexpected. I’ll put on a ‘Lazy King’ show.”
Abdouraguimov (27), extends his winning streak up to six, with wins over prominent veterans Godofredo Py and Karl Amoussou, among others.