Adriano Moraes pulled off a dramatic last-second submission over Phumi Nkuta on Saturday, securing a rear-naked choke at the final bell in their 130-pound catchweight bout at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif.
Moraes was ultimately awarded a submission victory at the 4:59 mark of Round 3 after the California State Athletic Commission deliberated on whether the finish should count.
"The fight was really tough," Moraes said afterward. "In the last seconds I was really fortunate to get the finish. When I let go, he was sleeping already. It was really good."
Nkuta, who went the brink with the former champion, took pride in his performance and immediately called for another shot.
"They used to say I was boring and I wasn't good enough," Nkuta said. "I showed up and gave him his toughest fight ever. I would love to do it again, Moraes. Do I look out to you?"
