Gabriel Gonzaga was once known as a beast of a striker, but after taking some time off to refocus on his Brazilian jiu-jitsu roots, he returned to the UFC as a fighter who stressed finesse over power.
Call UFC 162 a turn-back-the-clock performance. Recalling his past successes, Gonzaga steamrolled Dave Herman, scoring the fourth-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.
More Coverage: UFC 162 Results | UFC news
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The entire fight lasted just 17 seconds.
The end essentially came on Gonzaga’s first strike of the fight. Herman throw a left inside leg kick, dropping his left hand in the process, and Gonzaga stepped into a right cross that flattened Herman. A few ground strikes later and it was over.
“I train this a lot with my coach but I was also really prepared for a ground game, too,” he said.
Herman had come into the fight in desperate need of a win. He’d lost three in a row, and all by finish. The loss to Gonzaga makes him 21-6 and is likely to lead to his release from the roster.
Gonzaga, who has won three of four fights since returning to the UFC, is now 15-7.