The “Detroit Superstar” dished out a taste of cold, hard steel at UFC on Fox 5 Saturday night.
In the second round of their catchweight battle, Daron Cruickshank landed a high kick on the theretofore unbreakable skull of Henry Martinez to earn the knockout victory.
The fight was originally supposed to be contested at lightweight, but it happened at 158.8 pounds instead after Martinez substantially missed the official 155-pound weight target. As a result, Martinez surrendered 20 percent of his fight purse.
The lanky Cruickshank (12-2) opened a cut on the forehead of Martinez (9-3) in the first round, then later punished Martinez against the fence with kicks, knees and uppercuts. Martinez proved hard-headed, though, and hung in. But when Cruickshank faked a shot to the body and then went upstairs, the lights finally went off.
What we’ll remember about this fight
No brain required on this one—Cruickshank‘s big head kick.
What we learned about Daron Cruickshank
This contestant from The Ultimate Fighter 15 now has a six-fight win streak behind him. He’s still just 27 and looking better each time he fights. It was his seventh win by TKO, but this one proved he can do it and do it well at the UFC level.
What we learned about Henry Martinez
He’s 29 and is now 1-2 in the UFC. He has one heck of a thick beard, but after missing weight and being so fully outclassed, he may want to go back to the drawing board for his next engagement.
What’s next for Cruickshank
How about another exciting, young up-and-comer in Anton Kuivanen?
What’s next for Martinez
A cold compress, then Aaron Riley.
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