The heavyweights were on display in the middle of the pay-per-view portion of UFC 192: Cormier vs. Gustafsson in Houston, Texas. Dagestan talent Ruslan Magomedov looked to remain unbeaten inside the Octagon with a victory over former LSU fullback Shawn Jordan, who himself was coming off a big KO win in his last fight.
Jordan got Magomedov down within the first 2 minutes but couldn't muster up any meaningful offense. Magomedov used a kimura to get back to his feet and separate from the clinch. Ruslan threw a good head kick and stung Jordan with two follow-up punches, but Jordan kept coming forward.
The 2nd round saw early slugging by both men, with Magomedov getting the better of the exchanges initially before Jordan tagged him and they clinched up. Magomedov showed excellent takedown defense when Jordan went in on a double. Jorgan appeared to be affected by a strike which grazed his left eye. Jordan demonstrated a good chin as Magomedov found success with his striking. Another takedown by Jordan was stuffed and Magomedov almost landed a head kick near the end of the 2nd.
Jordan pushed the pace early with a question mark kick and a right hand. Jordan worked hard to get a takedown but Magomedov maintained his balance. Jordan was cut over both eyes and obviously it affected his vision. A combination backed Jordan up. Left high kick and a front kick to the body from Magomedov caught the attention of "The Savage". Jordan just couldn't muster the offense needed to get back into the fight. Magomedov threw more kicks, Jordan missed on a right hand, and the crowd booed at the final horn.
Official result: Ruslan Magomedov (14-1) def. Shawn Jordan (18-7) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Magomedov improves to 3-0 in the UFC but he has yet to get a finish inside the Octagon. Jordan's three-fight winning streak comes to an end.