Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Former Olympic wrestler Mark Madsen did what he was supposed to do earlier today (Sat., Sept. 28, 2019) at UFC Fight Night 160 live on ESPN+ from inside Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, when he sliced through co-main event counterpart Danilo Belluardo via first-round TKO (elbows and punches).
Madsen wasted little time using his elite wrestling ability to close the gap and press the action along the cage. Belluardo defended the initial takedown nicely, but Madsen went right back to it and secured top position. From there, “The Olympian” rained down heavy elbows and punches that eventually forced the referee to step in and stop the fight.
Check out the full fight highlights above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.
With this performance, Madsen makes good on his UFC debut and proves that his Olympic pedigree can easily carry over into the Octagon. The 35-year-old may be a late bloomer to the sport of MMA — having competed in seven out of his nine career fights since the start of 2018 — but Madsen looks poised to make a legit run at the lightweight rankings.
For complete UFC Copenhagen results and coverage click here.