Abdulrakhman Yakhyaev came desperately close to writing his name in the history books at UFC Baku on Saturday night.
The unbeaten Turkish fighter delivered a blisteringly quick 8-second knockout victory over America’s Julius Walker in a light heavyweight prelim bout in the capital of Azerbaijan.
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Yakhyaev sent a statement to the light heavyweight division
Yakhyaev sent Walker tumbling to the canvas with the first right hand he threw before closing the show with some nasty hammer fists on the ground.
It marked the seventh fastest KO in UFC history and the second at 205lbs by just one second.
Only Ryan Jimmo’s demolition of Anthony Perosh at UFC 149 in 2012 sits above Yakhyaev’s feat at light heavyweight.
“I come here to make records,” Yakhyaev said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.
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“This is not the fastest, but the second.
“We will see in the next fight. More and more I will try.”
Yakhyaev admits he didn’t come into the fight with a first-round knockout in mind.
But when the opening presented itself, he seized the opportunity with brutal precision.
“The plan was to fight smart,” added Yakhyaev. “But when I see the moment, I take it.
“UFC now has to give me the top. I am ready.”
Quick finisher
Yakhyaev improves to 10-0 overall with his latest victory, which will likely see him debut in the light heavyweight top 15 on Monday.
The 25-year-old has a habit of finishing fights, with just one of his bouts going the distance so far.
His Contender Series clash with Alik Lorenz last August was over in just 30 seconds after he connected with an onslaught of knees and punches.
That earned him a contract with the UFC, where he continued to blitz opponents.
In his UFC debut last November, he submitted Raffael Cerqueira with a rear-naked choke after 33 seconds.
He followed that up by tapping out Brendson Ribeiro in 2 minutes and 52 seconds, and has now made it three for three in the first round under the UFC banner by taking out Walker.
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