Farman Hasanov’s UFC debut was far from perfect, but it was undeniably effective.
At UFC Baku, the undefeated Azerbaijani gave his home fans plenty to cheer about, relying on relentless wrestling to grind out a unanimous decision victory over Eric Nolan and remain unbeaten as a professional.
“The Lion” wasted little time imposing his game plan, securing a takedown less than a minute into the fight and immediately taking control. Although Nolan repeatedly worked back to his feet, “The Lion” stayed attached, dragging him back to the canvas with a series of mat returns and never allowing the American to establish any offensive rhythm.
Farman Hasanov continued to attack the legs and hunt takedowns in the second round, repeatedly grounding Nolan despite showing signs of fatigue. The debutant’s pace began to slow, but his persistence never wavered. Even as “Night Time” started creating scrambles and forcing the action, Hasanov consistently found timely level changes to keep the fight in his world.
Entering the final round visibly exhausted, “The Lion” still had enough left in the tank to secure more crucial takedowns and smother Nolan’s late comeback attempts. While he offered little damage on the ground, his positional control and relentless pressure ensured he remained firmly in command until the final horn.
All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in Farman Hasanov’s favor.
The victory improves the 25-year-old to 6-0 as a professional and gives the hometown prospect a successful start to his UFC career.
