The UFC lightweight division has a new title contender in Michael Johnson.
It didn’t take long for Johnson to show the world he means business in this division, knocking out Poirier after 95 seconds.
Johnson’s win makes the lightweight division’s outlook even murkier, as the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rafael Dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson, and even Conor McGregor are all in contention for a fight with champion Eddie Alvarez.
While Dos Anjos and Ferguson’s bout on November 5 will eliminate one fighter from immediate contention, the UFC has a lot to think about over the coming months and in particular, what they’re going to do for the UFC 205 card in New York.
Results
Chas Skelly defeated Maximo Blanco via submission (anaconda choke) 0:19 of Round 1.
Islam Makhachev defeated Chris Wade via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Roan Carneiro defeated Kenny Robertson by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28).
Evan Dunham defeated Rick Glenn by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Derek Brunson defeated Uriah Hall by TKO (strikes) 1:41 of Round 1.
Michael Johnson defeated Dustin Poirier by KO 1:35 of Round 1.
Chas Skelly makes history
Skelly and Blanco both came out their respective corners looking for a flying kick, but it was Skelly who connected with Blanco’s stomach, knocking him to the floor and immediately taking his back.
In what was the fastest finish via submission in the UFC Featherweight Division’s history, Skelly has proven himself to be a better fighter than he showed the last step he stepped into the Octagon in a loss against Darren Elkins in UFC 196.
With the finish, Skelly improves to 16-2 (5-2, UFC) and may be in the position to command a Top 15 fight by the end of the year.
Evan Dunham welcomes Rick Glenn to the UFC
There wasn’t a spectacular knockout or submission in this bout, but it was a fight to the bell between Dunham and Glenn.
It was the first time in Glenn’s career that he made the walk to the Octagon on Saturday night, and he certainly earned himself more fights in the foreseeable future with the way he stood up and took shots.
For Dunham, it was a solid win against a well-respected opponent and it will be interesting to see if he can command a Top 10 fight the next time he signs up to fight. He’s now on a four-fight win streak since his knockout loss to Edson Barboza back in 2014.
The Brunson hype train will not stop
While the stoppage may have come a little early, it was clear Brunson had the edge on Hall and the finish was inevitable.
Hall seemed aware and able to fight once referee Herb Dean separated them, but Brunson was still landing bombs on Hall and had him in mounted position on the ground. With the victory, Brunson is now on a four-fight win streak that has seen the 32-year-old fighter knock out his last four opponents in the first round.
While Brunson was calling for a title shot after the fight, there are a lot of other fighters in the middleweight division in front of him, so he may have to wait his turn and fight a Top Five opponent to solidify his claim to the title.
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