Abus Magomedov explains viral UFC 333 flex, eyes Rodrigues

A viral moment, explained in his own words

Five days after UFC 333, Abus Magomedov explained the moment everyone was still sharing. Speaking to MMA Junkie on Thursday, 29 October, he revisited his first-round submission of Cameron Rowston, the flex that followed it, the bonus that did not, and the opponent he wants next.

The interview reframes the finish: not a rehearsed tribute, and not a tap.

How the finish unfolded at UFC 333

Magomedov defeated Rowston by guillotine choke at 1:44 of Round 1 on Saturday, 24 October, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Rowston, known as "The Battle Giraffe," did not tap. MMA Junkie reported that Magomedov choked him completely unconscious, and the referee stepped in after Rowston went limp.

The win made it two in a row for Magomedov, and five victories in six fights. His record now stands at 30-7-1 in MMA, with a 6-3 record in the UFC. Rowston fell to 15-4 overall and 3-1 in the UFC, ending his unbeaten start in the promotion.

The flex was freestyle, not a Diaz tribute

As blood began to return to Rowston's brain after the stoppage, Magomedov flexed. The image travelled quickly because it recalled Nate Diaz flexing while finishing Kurt Pellegrino. Magomedov said he understood the comparison after the fight, but Diaz was not on his mind when he did it.

"After the fight, I understand, too," Magomedov said. "But before I did the move, I didn't think about him, and I didn't know he did it. Of course, maybe I saw the picture, but it was not in my mind. I didn't think about this. But it happened."

He described the flex instead as a gym idea waiting for the right choke and the right moment:

"Sometimes at the gym, when we train, I submit the guys with one arm. I was always talking to the guys, 'Maybe one day if I get the choke deep, when I feel it's done and I feel the second hand is free, I can do some moves.' I was talking back in the day about this, but it was not the goal. It just happened – freestyle."

The celebration, in short, was improvised, not copied.

The bonus that never came

If one piece was missing from a near-perfect night, it was a Performance of the Night bonus. Magomedov did not hide his disappointment, but he did not campaign for the award as he once did. He said experience taught him a lesson after his previous fight in Baku, when he spoke about a bonus into the microphone.

"You know what happened last time after my last fight in Baku?" Magomedov told MMA Junkie on Thursday. "It was also a good performance. I was talking into the microphone after the fight. My coach Mike Brown called me and said, 'Why do you ask for the bonus? When fighters ask about the bonus, they never get it.' Then Ali Abdelaziz called me and said, 'Brother, why do you say this?' Then I said, 'OK, this is my first and last time that I ask for some money.' Then, I didn't say anything and still didn't get it."

He added: "It's better than nothing. But after you know you can get $100,000, $25,000 sounds not so enough. But always Alhamdulillah. Even though I didn't get bonus, I got good money there."

Why Gregory Rodrigues makes sense next

That context makes his callout more than a name dropped into a microphone. Magomedov explained why Gregory Rodrigues, a top middleweight contender and former training partner, is the logical next step in a volatile division.

"He's the guy now who makes sense for me," Magomedov said. "I have a good winning streak now. It's also good for him. Now in our division, every week the champ changes or something. Always something changes. The most hardest weight for now is middleweight, in my opinion. All the guys in the top 15 are tough, strong. I don't really care who I get if my opponent makes sense for me, if it helps me to go in there for the title."

The history adds a layer a ranking cannot. Magomedov said Rodrigues and a couple of other fighters came to his gym after his PFL days and trained there for a few weeks. He has followed Rodrigues ever since, and been happy for him. That goodwill, he made clear, would not survive the walk to the Octagon.

"I know Rodrigues already back in the days, I was fighting in PFL," Magomedov said. "After PFL, they came to our gym, him and a couple more guys who trained together. They stayed for a couple weeks together. I'm happy. I've followed his career to this day. I'm happy always for him. But this is a sport. I think this fight makes more sense. I can beat him. I can finish him. I know it."

What this interview changes

At 37, Magomedov is not looking for a safe next step.

None of this makes the fight official. No booking has been announced, and a callout is not a contract. What it does change is the framing of UFC 333: the flex becomes a long-discussed gym idea, executed when he knew the choke was finished.