Nasrat Haqparast vs. Chris PadillaW
UFC Fight Night · August 22, 2026 · Golden 1 Center · Prelims 5:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Chris Padilla by Submission (arm-triangle choke), R3
- What kind of fight
- High-volume striking battle
- Finish likelihood
- High
- The line
- Haqparast -120 · Padilla +100DraftKings
- The stakes
- Lightweight · Prelims
The result
Chris Padilla def. Nasrat Haqparast — Submission (arm-triangle choke), R3 4:59
Chris Padilla snatched a shocking finish at the buzzer.
He dropped Nasrat Haqparast with a right hand in the closing minute of round three, then locked in a standing arm-triangle choke that carried to the mat as the horn sounded, leaving Haqparast out cold for the stoppage.
It's Padilla's fifth straight fight without a loss and comes on the same card as former opponent MarQuel Mederos.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
Neither man is hard to find in the pocket, and both have double-digit finishing power at 155, so this has fireworks written all over it.
Haqparast's chin has shown cracks recently, and Padilla just knocked out a slick striker in Ismael Bonfim. On the flip side, Haqparast's power is the biggest Padilla has faced in the UFC.
Someone's durability gives out more often than not in matchups with these numbers, and a knockout inside three rounds is a live outcome either way.
The matchup
Two of the highest-output strikers on the card share the cage here, combining for more than 12.5 significant strikes landed per minute.
Haqparast has the cleaner southpaw technique and more one-punch power, but he absorbs six strikes a minute, and Padilla's 49 percent striking defense means he gets hit plenty too. Padilla brings the grappling wrinkle with five career submissions, while Haqparast has never won by submission and rarely shoots.
The Californian rides an eight-fight unbeaten run against a veteran who badly needs a rebound after being knocked out in his last fight.
Tale of the tape
| 18-6 | Record | 17-6-1 |
| 31 | Age | 30 |
| 5'10" | Height | 5'9" |
| 72" | Reach | 74" |
| Southpaw | Stance | Orthodox |
| Germany | Country | United States |
| Tristar Gym | Team | California MMA |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Nasrat Haqparast 18-6
Nasrat Haqparast was born in Hamburg, Germany to Afghan refugee parents and has been a UFC lightweight fixture since 2017. He is a heavy-handed southpaw with a Muay Thai base who now trains at the famed Tristar Gym in Montreal. Ten of his eighteen wins have come by knockout, and he throws serious volume, though he also absorbs a lot in return. He is looking to bounce back from a first-round knockout loss to Quillan Salkilld last October, and there is a storyline bonus: fight night falls on his 31st birthday.
- LQuillan Salkilld · KO/TKOUFC 321 · October 25, 2025
- WEsteban Ribovics · Decision (split)UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Almabayev · March 1, 2025
- WJared Gordon · Decision (split)UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov · June 22, 2024
Chris Padilla 17-6-1
“Taco”
Chris 'Taco' Padilla is a Lynwood, California native who grinded through more than a decade on the regional scene before getting a short-notice UFC call in 2024 and never looking back. He is unbeaten in five UFC appearances (4-0-1) and unbeaten in his last eight fights overall. Padilla is a relentless pressure fighter with real finishing ability, owning nine knockouts and five submissions among his seventeen wins. Fighting in Sacramento gives the Californian something close to a home crowd, and a win over a veteran like Haqparast would be the biggest name on his resume.
- DMarQuel Mederos · Draw (majority)UFC 327 · April 11, 2026
- WIsmael Bonfim · KO/TKOUFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown · November 8, 2025
- WJai Herbert · Decision (split)UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady · March 22, 2025