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The No. 1 seed was a curse at the 2018 Professional Fighters League Championships. Read more

The No. 1 seed was a curse at the 2018 Professional Fighters League Championships.

Russia’s Magomed Magomedkerimov, a 2-to-1 underdog and the No. 3 seed in the welterweight tournament, capped the year-end event with a submission victory over Pearl City’s Ray Cooper III in the second round of the main event at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden on New Year’s Eve.

Magomedkerimov (23-5, 5-0 PFL) handed Cooper (17-6) his first loss in five fights with the organization when he tapped out to a guillotine choke at 2 minutes, 18 seconds.

Cooper was one of five No. 1 seeds to advance to the tournament finals in a total of six weight classes. Only one of the five was victorious on Monday night.

“I feel very good after the fight,” Magomedkerimov said in the cage when it was over. “Everything went well and I finished it (in the second round).”

Cooper had knocked out each of his first four opponents but had trouble hitting Magomedkerimov, who was crowned the PFL welterweight champion and earned $1 million for the win.

Cooper, a three-time state wrestling champion at Pearl City, exploded out of the corner as soon as the bell sounded to start the fight and threw a couple of wild hooks, but Magomedkerimov took advantage of Cooper’s aggression and scored a single-leg takedown.

Magomedkerimov quickly secured Cooper’s back and nearly ended the fight with a rear-naked choke, but Cooper was able to power his way out.

Cooper had the advantage standing but struggled to hit the 6-foot-1 Magomedkerimov, who successfully avoided any serious damage bobbing in and out of strikes and circling away from the 5-foot-7 Cooper.

Magomedkerimov grappled Cooper against the cage early in the second round and powered Cooper to his knees when he quickly pounced with the guillotine choke to end it.

Magomedkerimov, 28, has won his past eight fights dating back to 2015 and had a 3-inch reach advantage on Cooper, 25, who lost for just the second time in his past nine bouts.