Umar Nurmagomedov was never really concerned about getting heel-hooked by Mario Bautista.
The one-time bantamweight title challenger bounced back with a big win at UFC 321, defeating Bautista via unanimous decision as part of the evening’s stacked main card in Abu Dhabi. While it was a fairly dominant performance from Nurmagomedov, the Dagestani faced a bit of adversity when Bautista came dangerously close to locking in a heel hook during one of their many grappling exchanges.
However, according to Nurmagomedov, he was never in any real danger.
“When he went for my heel, I didn’t even worry,” Nurmagomedov said during his post-fight interview.