Welcome to a very special story about courage, practice, and one of the most amazing moves in the history of sports.

Imagine you are playing a game with your friends, and suddenly, you discover a secret trick that nobody else knows how to do. When you use this trick, everyone claps and cheers because it is so rare and so clever. On Saturday, June 20, 2026, a brave young athlete named Murtazali Magomedov did exactly that in front of the whole world. He stepped into a famous fighting ring called the Octagon, and he used a magical, super-rare move called the "Twister" to win his very first fight in the biggest fighting organization on Earth, the UFC www.ufc.com .

The Stage is Set in Las Vegas

The fight took place in a building called the Meta APEX, which is located in the bright, flashy city of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States www.ufc.com . Las Vegas is famous for its giant hotels, sparkling lights, and shows. The Meta APEX is a special, smaller arena built just for the UFC. It does not have tens of thousands of screaming fans like a giant stadium, but it is packed with people who love combat sports. The lights inside the arena are dim, and a bright spotlight shines down on the eight-sided fence called the Octagon. The canvas on the floor is clean and white, waiting for the athletes to write their history upon it.

When the referee, who is the person in charge of keeping everyone safe, called the fighters to the center, the crowd went completely quiet. You could hear a pin drop. Then, the bell went "DING!" and the first round began.

The Rules of the Octagon: Keeping Everyone Safe

Let us take a moment to understand the rules of this sport, because safety is the most important thing. In the UFC, there is a referee inside the cage with the fighters. The referee is like a teacher on a playground, making sure nobody breaks the rules and nobody gets badly hurt. You are not allowed to bite, you are not allowed to poke fingers in eyes, and you are not allowed to hit someone after the referee says stop. The fighters also wear special, small gloves. These gloves are not there to make their punches harder; they are actually there to protect their hands so they do not break their own bones when they punch. There are also three judges sitting outside the cage. If the fight goes all the way to the end without anyone tapping out, the judges decide who won based on who threw the most punches, who controlled the fight, and who showed the most aggression. But in this story, the fight did not go to the judges, because Murtazali finished it so quickly!

What is the "Twister"?

Now, I need you to use your imagination. Imagine your spine—those bones stacked up the middle of your back that help you stand up straight—is like a flexible drinking straw. Normally, you can bend that straw forward to touch your toes, or you can bend it backward to look at the ceiling. But if you try to twist that straw sideways, like wringing out a wet washcloth, it becomes very uncomfortable and the straw wants to snap back to being straight.

The "Twister" is a wrestling move that does exactly that to a person's body. It is a submission hold. A submission is when one fighter puts the other in a tricky hold, and the trapped fighter taps the floor with their hand to say, "I am stuck, please let go." The referee then jumps in to stop the fight so nobody gets hurt.

To do a Twister, a fighter has to be incredibly flexible and incredibly smart. They have to trap one of their opponent's legs, sit in a very specific way, and then gently but firmly twist the opponent's upper body in one direction while pushing their lower body in the other direction. It bends the spine sideways. It is so difficult to do that in the entire history of the UFC, which has had thousands and thousands of fights over more than 25 years, the Twister has only been successfully used four times! The last time someone did it was many years ago by a famous fighter named Charles Oliveira x.com .

A Look Back at the History of the Twister

To understand how incredibly special this moment was, we have to look back in the history books of the UFC. The very first time someone used the Twister to win a fight was way back in the year 2008. A very famous champion named Jon Jones used it against a fighter named Brandon Vera. At the time, everyone was shocked because they had never seen anyone bend like that in a real fight. Then, in the year 2010, two other fighters managed to do it. Rousimar Palhares used it against Mike Massenzio, and later that same year, a beloved fighter named Charles Oliveira used it against Cub Swanson. After 2010, the move basically disappeared. For sixteen whole years, nobody in the UFC could figure out how to do it! Fighters would try, but they would always get stuck or the other person would escape. It became like a mythical creature in the fighting world—everyone talked about it, but nobody had seen it in a very long time. Until June 20, 2026, when Murtazali Magomedov brought the Twister back to life.

Celebrations and Rewards

The crowd inside the Meta APEX erupted into massive cheers. They could not believe their eyes. They had just witnessed history. Murtazali jumped up, smiling from ear to ear. He hugged his coaches and celebrated with his friends. He had not only won his very first fight in the UFC, but he had done it in the most spectacular, exciting way possible www.instagram.com .

Because his move was so amazing, the judges decided to give him a special bonus. At the end of the night, the UFC gives out "Performance of the Night" awards to the fighters who put on the best shows. Murtazali was given this award, which comes with a giant check for $100,000! x.com . He learned how to do the move just one month before the fight, proving that if you practice hard and learn new things, you can achieve greatness x.com .

Why This Story Matters

This story is not just about two men fighting in a cage. It is a story about dedication. Murtazali spent his whole childhood learning how to wrestle. He moved to a new country, trained in a new gym, and never gave up on his dream of fighting in the UFC. When he finally got his chance, he did not just win; he created a moment that will be shown on television and remembered by fans for the rest of his life.

Combat sports teach us that no matter how big or strong the challenge is, if you stay calm, use your brain, and execute your plan perfectly, you can overcome anything. Murtazali Magomedov showed the world that he is not just a good fighter; he is a martial artist, a true student of the game. And as he walks into the Octagon for his next fight, everyone will be watching, wondering what incredible new trick he has learned.

See the Moment for Yourself

If you want to see the official announcement of this historic moment, the UFC posted about it on their social media. You can see how excited the whole world was by looking at their official post right here:

Murtazali Magomedov just earned the fourth twister submission in UFC history! ???? #UFCVegas119

— UFC (@ufc) June 21, 2026

Thank you for reading this beautifully simple breakdown of a complex and wonderful sporting moment. Keep practicing your own "twisters" in life, and never stop learning!