Brunno Ferreira collected another knockout to add to his resume with a devastating first-round finish over Phil Hawes at UFC Vegas 84.
It was the beginning of the end after Ferreira uncorked a perfectly timed flying knee that clipped Hawes and put him on wobbly legs. Ferreira seized on the opening by pressing forward and he connected with a left hand that bounced off Hawes’ temple to send him crashing to the ground.
Ferreira then unleashed a single hammer fist that knocked Hawes unconscious as the referee rushed in to stop the contest with the end coming at 4:55 in the first round.
“This game was mapped,” Ferreira said following the win. “We had it all planned out. To finish this fight, we know we had the fire power to knock him down. The secret to this is I am the Hulk. I have a lot more to show for you.”
Both middleweights were throwing with power from the very first exchange with Ferreira gauging his distance before really throwing his combinations. Hawes looked comfortable in the pocket but it’s a dangerous game to play with Ferreira coming right back at him at every turn.
It wasn’t until late in the opening round that Ferreira really started to find a home for his best strikes including the flying knee that completely shifted the momentum in his favor. Once that landed, Hawes was stunned and just trying to survive with Ferreira seeking the finish.
The punch that put Hawes down nearly ended the fight but Ferreira connected with one more on the ground for good measure and that brought the action to a dramatic conclusion.
Following a disappointing loss in his last outing, Ferreira bounced back effectively with his win on Saturday as he moves to 2-1 in the UFC with a pair of knockouts on his record.
This story originally appeared on MMA fighting