The main card of today’s UFC Auckland got started as City Kickboxing crowd favourite Brad ‘Quake’ Riddell defeated tough Dagestani Magomed Mustafaev in the opening bout.

The fight was a back-and-forth brawl, with Riddell’s striking accuracy and hand speed forcing Mustafaev to wrestle.

Most of the damage in the bout was dealt by Riddell, yet one judge must have weighed the grappling more heavily, as Riddell took the split decision victory.

The crowd roared as Riddell entered the Octagon to the ACDC classic – Thunderstruck. His opponent Mustafaev looked about as masculine as a man can get, with beard game strong.

Round 1

They touch gloves with Riddell holding the centre and pawing with his jab. Mustafaev the more heavily muscled man patient on the outside from the southpaw stance.

Mustafaev delivered a hard body kick early, with Riddell’s counterpunch barely missing. Out of nowhere, Riddell landed a huge step-through overhand right which floored Mustafaev against the cage!

As Riddell poured on the pressure from the top, Mustafaev rolled for a heel hook but was unsuccessful as Riddell regained his feet, but Mustafaev grabbed a body lock and kept the fight in grappling distance.

Mustafaev kept the pressure on from the back and landed a glancing knee to the head, before transitioning to a single-leg and put Riddell on his rear end against the cage.

Riddell used the cage well to stand back up, smashing a short elbow to the head of Mustafaev as he circled out. They met in the centre of the Octagon again as the round buzzer went off.

Round 2

Again, Riddell landed the step-through overhand right but it glanced this time, following up with a leg kick which toppled Mustafaev.

Riddell’s accuracy and hand speed were on display as he unloaded a three-piece upstairs which was unanswered by Mustafaev.

The calf kicks of Riddell were starting to do damage. Riddell slipped a right hand and countered with a combination before Mustafaev crashed an overhand right of his own into the guard with huge force.

Half-way through the second round, they met again in the centre, Riddell with the forward pressure landing hard, but Mustafaev into the clinch again with another body-lock against the fence. Riddell defended well and did not take damage but was taken down eventually by a single-leg against the fence.

Riddell kept getting back to his feet, ending the round dropping hammer-fists on Mustafaev’s head as he attempted another takedown.

Round 3

They touched gloves to begin the third, with Riddell again taking the centre. Mustafaev was breathing much harder than Riddell but threw a wild wheel kick but slipping and ending up on his back.

Riddell waved him up, and a wild exchange ensued with Riddell landing a combination of punches on the chin of Mustafaev after the Dagestani whiffed a flying knee, forcing him to initiate the clinch again to boos from the crowd.

In another exchange, Mustafaev slipped on a spinning back fist, the elbow slicing Riddell’s and Riddell followed him down keeping the pressure on with ground-and-pound from the top.

Riddell landed a nasty body kick, the slap of it echoing through the arena. Mustafaev hid it well but he was hurt, initiating the clinch again and going in on a single-leg.

As Riddell sprawled atop him, he saluted the crowd, his face a mask of blood. Raining down blows from the top he ended the fight standing over Mustafaev dropping shots on him as the buzzer sounded.

A close fight, but Riddell takes the split decision.

Riddell at the ceremonial weigh-ins yesterday.