David Khachatryan Loses to Ibrahim Nikarkho in Hype Armenia Title Fight

Armenian MMA legend David Khachatryan suffered a majority-decision defeat against Ibrahim “Nikarkho” Ismailov in a bare-knuckle championship bout. The fight took place at the Hype Armenia event held in Yerevan on August 1.

The contest went the full five rounds. Nikarkho had an advantage in height and reach, but Khachatryan regularly closed the distance and attempted to turn the contest into a close-range fight, where he appeared more comfortable.

The decisive moment occurred after the end of the fourth round. Khachatryan landed a punch after the bell, prompting the referee to deduct one point from him before the fifth round. The penalty ultimately affected the final result of the fight.

The judges scored the bout 47–46, 47–46 and 47–47 in favor of Ibrahim Nikarkho. He therefore secured a majority-decision victory and claimed the Hype Fighting championship belt.

This was Khachatryan’s third appearance at a Hype event in Armenia. In his previous bouts, David had earned two bare-knuckle victories and one win under MMA rules.