Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Middleweight prospect Maki Pitolo captured his first Octagon victory earlier tonight (Sat., June 6, 2020) at UFC 250 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, when he finished Charles Byrd via second-round TKO (punches).
After a back-and-forth first round that saw both middleweights land offense, Pitolo really took over in the second. He started to due serious damage to Byrd with body punches along the cage. Byrd covered up which allowed “Coconut Bombz” to land heavy combinations at will before securing a trip. That’s where Pitolo finished his efforts with furious hammer fists before the referee stepped in.
Check out the stoppage above courtesy of UFC/ESPN:
With this performance, Pitolo totally redeems himself after losing his UFC debut to Callan Potter back in October. The promising Hawaiian finisher looked real good tonight and should continue his rise in the 185-pound class, especially if his hands lead the way.
For complete UFC 250 results and coverage click here.