UFC lightweight Nasrat Haqparast reacted to his submission loss to Chris Padilla on the preliminary card at UFC Sacramento.
After losing the first two rounds of the fight on the judges’ scorecards after Padilla outstruck him, “Taco” scored a last-second finish when he choked Haqparast out cold with an arm-triangle choke with just one second left in the third and final round.
It was an incredible finish by Padilla, who upped his unbeaten UFC streak to six straight fights, while for Haqparast, it was his second straight stoppage loss, putting him at a crossroads in his MMA career.
Nasrat Haqparast Reacts to Loss
Taking to his social media after the fight, Haqparast shared his reaction to the loss against Padilla, suggesting that the fight should have gone to the scorecards instead.
“Alhamdullilah for everything. Last night I felt great and confident we will get the win… but unfortunately we lost the fight in the last seconds, the ending was a bit confusing with the bell ring and it should’ve gone to the scorecards decision. But this is the reality of the highest level in the world and I know Allah is the best planner,” Haqparast wrote on his Instagram.
What’s Next for Nasrat Haqparast?
With the loss to Padilla, the 31-year-old Haqparast’s UFC record dropped to 10-6. While he is still a solid fighter in the UFC lightweight division and unlikely to be cut despite having lost his last two fights, it has to be concerning to see him getting finished in such vicious fashion in two straight bouts, first against Salkilld when he got head-kicked, and now against Padilla, getting choked out cold.
For his next bout, look for the UFC matchmakers to give Haqparast a big downgrade in his level of opposition after fighting two very good fighters in Salkilld and Padilla in his last two bouts. He could potentially even fight someone who is coming off Dana White’s Contender Series as the UFC matchmakers try to build up a younger talent against someone like Haqparast, who appears to be on a decline at this stage in his career.
Nasrat Haqparast Reacts to Submission Loss at UFC Sacramento