Chris Padilla delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the year at UFC Sacramento, submitting Nasrat Haqparast with an arm-triangle choke at 4:59 of Round 3 — with just one second remaining on the clock. Padilla was ahead on all three scorecards heading into the final moment of the fight but took no chances, dragging Haqparast to the mat and rendering him unconscious before the buzzer. The win keeps Padilla undefeated in the UFC at 18-6-1, while Haqparast falls to 18-7 with back-to-back losses.
Chris Padilla pulled off one of the most stunning finishes of 2026, submitting Nasrat Haqparast with an arm-triangle choke at 4:59 of the third round — with a single second left on the clock — at UFC Sacramento on August 23.
Padilla, known as "Taco," entered the night undefeated inside the UFC and delivered on that billing in emphatic fashion. The 30-year-old American out of California Mixed Martial Arts was ahead on all three judges' scorecards as the final minute ticked away, yet he pushed forward, dragged Haqparast to the canvas, and locked in the choke before the buzzer could bail his opponent out. The finish moved Padilla to 18-6-1 overall. Fighting out of an orthodox stance at five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach, he lands 4.78 significant strikes per minute at a 54 percent accuracy clip — numbers that reflect a fighter comfortable both on the feet and on the mat.
Haqparast, the 31-year-old Moroccan competing out of Tristar Gym, absorbed a painful result and now sits at 18-7, dropping consecutive fights for the first time in his UFC tenure. The southpaw stands five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach and has long been regarded as a dangerous striker, averaging 6.36 significant strikes per minute. However, his takedown defense and grappling credentials were tested in the final seconds, and Padilla found the submission at the worst possible moment for the German-based lightweight. Haqparast carries zero submission attempts per 15 minutes in his statistical profile, underscoring how rarely his bouts travel to the ground.
Why it matters
- Padilla's perfect UFC record and dramatic finish will push him firmly into the lightweight rankings conversation
- Back-to-back losses put Haqparast in a difficult position and may force a rethink of his path through the division
- The grappling-versus-striking dynamic in this matchup proved decisive even against a high-volume striker
Nasrat Haqparast vs Chris Padilla
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