Mamed Khalidov was successful in his first Kontrontacja Sztuk Walki middleweight title defense, but it was hardly a vintage performance.
Khalidov (32-4-2) defeated Aziz Karaoglu (9-7) via majority decision in the KSW 35 headliner at the Ergo Arena in Gdansk, Poland, on Friday, extending his winning streak to 12 straight fights. Two judges scored the bout 29-28 for the 35-year-old champion, while a third submitted a 28-28 scorecard. However, he barely resembled the fighter regarded by many as one of the top talents outside the UFC.
It was a bout that saw referee Marc Goddard warn Khalidov for timidity in the third round after the champion spent much of the contest flopping to his back in hopes of drawing his opponent into his guard.