Ibo Aslan turned in the biggest victory of his career earlier today (Sat., Oct. 26, 2024) at UFC 308 live on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, stopping Octagon newcomer Raffael Cerqueira with a brutal 51-second standing TKO (punches).
This light heavyweight fight was moved to the “Prelims” headliner and for good reason. Aslan has a 100% finish rate with all knockouts and Cerqueira came into his UFC debut undefeated and with a lot of hype. The betting odds were nearly even so fight fans figured this 205-pound clash would produce memorable fireworks.
Luckily, Aslan played his part and didn’t disappoint. He landed a counter left hook in the early going that badly stunned Cerqueira. Aslan moved in for a barrage of head and body shots along the cage. Cerqueira tried to defend, but he wasn’t countering with any punches of his own. The referee followed the action closely and eventually stepped in with just 51 seconds off the clock.
Check out the final moments below:
IBO ASLAN WITH THE QUICK FINISH #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/d3jMguofHZ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 26, 2024
Aslan, 28, made good on his UFC debut with a third-round TKO stoppage over Anton Turkalj this past March. This was another opportunity for the powerful light heavyweight to score a finish and shine on a massive fight card close to his home country of Turkey, and shine he did. Don’t be surprised if the surging prospect gets a top 15 opponent his next time out.
For complete UFC 308 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.