Murad Kalamov submitted Ruslan Abiltarov with a choke in the second round at ACA 207, snapping a three-fight losing streak to improve to 20-9. Abiltarov, now 25-15-1, suffered his fifth consecutive defeat, with his last two losses coming by submission. Following the bout, Abiltarov left his gloves in the cage and announced his retirement from MMA.
Murad Kalamov delivered a second-round rear-naked choke finish against Ruslan Abiltarov at ACA 207 on September 12, ending a difficult run for both men in starkly different ways — one snapping a skid, the other walking away from the sport entirely.
Kalamov entered the bout having dropped three straight, and the victory moved his professional record to 20-9. The submission finish gave him exactly the kind of statement result he needed to reverse his momentum inside the ACA promotion.
Abiltarov's night, and ultimately his career, ended far more somberly. The finish dropped him to 25-15-1, and it marked his fifth consecutive defeat. Notably, his last two losses have both come by submission, a pattern that proved decisive again on Saturday. After the final horn sounded and the result was announced, Abiltarov left his gloves in the cage — the traditional gesture of retirement in MMA — and confirmed he was stepping away from professional competition.
Why it matters
- Kalamov's win at 20-9 ends a three-fight losing streak and re-establishes him as a relevant presence in the ACA roster.
- Back-to-back submission losses underlined the vulnerability that ultimately defined Abiltarov's final stretch of competition.
- Abiltarov retires with a record of 25-15-1, a career that included enough wins to cement a notable run in regional MMA.
The in-cage retirement gesture gave the moment a weight that went beyond the result itself. Abiltarov's decision, made publicly and immediately after the bout, brought an unambiguous close to a career spanning more than 40 professional fights.
