A new middleweight champion was crowned in today’s Fight Nights Global 85 headliner when Roman Kopylov upset Abdulsupyan Alikhanov to win the title.

Despite his unbeaten record, Kopylov (6-0) came into the bout as the underdog. He proved he was more than live in that role, beating Alikhanov (9-3) to the point that his corner called for the fight to be stopped in between the fourth and fifth rounds.

The 185-pound title fight concluded the 13-bout Fight Nights Global 85 card, which streamed online from VTB Ice Palace in Moscow.

The fight began with Alikhanov looking every bit the champion he was. He looked comfortable inside the cage and tried to impose his game plan on the less experienced challenger. Kopylov was ready for it, though.

As the bout wore on into the second and third rounds, Kopylov settled into the action and found his range on the feet. He defended takedown attempts and landed a variety of significant strikes and opened a cut on Alikhanov’s forehead. From there, the result seemed imminent.

Alikhanov tried to deliver one last rally in the fourth round, but he couldn’t do enough. Kopylov got through the round, and by the time it was over Alikhanov’s corner wasn’t comfortable letting him come out for the fifth frame, and thus the fight was waved off.

Kopylov was awarded the title and kept his 100 percent career stoppage rate in tact. Moreover, he becomes the Fight Nights Global champion less than two years after making his pro debut.

Khizriev steamrolls Palhares to claim interim belt

Rousimar Palhares (19-9-1) came into the co-headliner more than two pounds overweight for his planned interim welterweight title fight.

It didn’t matter, though. Aliaskhab Khizriev (10-0) didn’t let him get close to the gold.

It was a classic Palhares fight. The Brazilian, who was ineligible for the title due to missing weight, got hurt with a kick early, but as soon as the action hit the mat, he immediately attacked Khizriev’s legs with submission attempts.

Khizriev was more than aware of Palhares’ plans, though. He kept aware of his position and blasted his opponent with strike after strike until the referee finally intervened just 58 seconds after the bout began.

With the loss, Palhares fell to 1-3-1 in his past five fights. The new interim champ Khizriev remains undefeated nearly four years into his career.

Magomedaliev stuns Araujo in 17 seconds

Raimond Magomedaliev (5-0) made his mark in his bout with Valdir Araujo (18-9), ending the welterweight contest with a wild knockout in just 17 seconds.

Magomedaliev said after the fight that his strategy was to make his opponent tired by dragging the bout into deeper waters. That wasn’t neccessary, because he rocked Araujo with a somewhat awkward, off-balance shot to set up the fastest win of his career.

Imadaev, Shchekin and Ciubotaru get first-round KOs

The knockouts were in heavy dosage on the preliminary of the card. Zelim Imadaev (8-0), Maxim Shchekin (5-2) and Andrei Ciubotaru (9-8) knocked out their opponents in the opening round one after another, all in brutal fashion.

23-year-old Imadaev win was the most spectacular of all, because he put Ivan Gluhak (17-8-1) away just 13 seconds into their welterweight fight.

Prior to that, Shchekin scored a one-punch finish of Gabriel Sabo (6-4) in a welterweight affair, and Ciubotaru also used his hands to put away Murat Kazgan (2-3-1) to get the referee stoppage inside the first frame of his featherweight bout.

Vladimir Seliversto wins … twice?

Vladimir Seliversto (3-0) got a big knockout against Alexander Dankov (2-3), but after the fight it was referee Marc Goddard who raised the most eyebrows for his questionable stoppage.

In the final minute of the first round in the light heavyweight bout at Fight Nights Global 85, Seliversto dropped his opponent with a big punch. He followed up with another shot that put Dankov out. It was at that moment Goddard appeared he was going to step in, and Seliversto stopped striking and turned to the referee.

Goddard decided not to end the fight, though, and told Seliversto to keep attacking. Dankov had barely regained his wits, and moments later he was out again due to Seliversto’s ground-and-pound blows.

Sagov blitzes for 10-second KO

Ismail Sagov (1-1) made his first career win a memorable one when he stopped Eradzh Kholov (3-3) with punches just 10 seconds into their heavyweight bout.

The fight was seemingly over before anyone besides Sagov realized it’d begun (in fact, the cameraman and producer were a few seconds late in getting the start of the finishing sequence). The Russian went straight at Kholov and connected with a massive right hand that led to the knockdown. He finished the job with a few follow-up shots before the referee had the chance to step in.

Complete Fight Nights Global 85 results included:

• Roman Kopylov def. Abdulsupyan Alikhanov via TKO (corner stoppage) – Round 4, 5:00 – to win middleweight title
• Aliaskhab Khizriev def. Rousimar Palhares TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:58 – to win vacant interim welterweight title
• Magomed Ismailov def. Ildemar Alcantara via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:03
• Raimond Magomedaliev def. Valdir Araujo via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:17
• Magomed Yunusilau def. Boyd Allen via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)
• Akhmed Balkizov def. Bekhruz Zukhurov via unanimous decision
• Zelim Imadaev def. Ivan Gluhak via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:13
• Maxim Shchekin def. Gabriel Sabo via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:35
• Andrei Ciubotaru def. Murat Kazgan via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:19
• Vladimir Seliversto def. Alexander Dankov via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 4:33
• Julia Borisova def. Liliya Shakirova via unanimous decision
• Ismail Sagov def. Eradzh Kholov via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:10
• Ali Yousefi def. Nikolay Baykin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For more on Fight Nights Global 85, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.