Jorge Masvidal said it would be quick, but even the UFC lightweight couldn't have predicted a five-second knockout over Ben Askren.
The two title contenders faced off in a key lightweight division feature fight at UFC 239 In Las Vegas on Sunday - the winner likely to receive a future shot at champion Kumaru Usman.
After months of back and forth trash talk, the highly anticipated fight didn't fail to deliver with the fastest finish in UFC history.
Masvidal promised brutality in the pre-fight build up and that's exactly what he dished to Askren, a highly decorated college wrestler.
The number four ranked contender ran across the Octagon and launched a vicious flying knee at an advancing Askren, knocking the previously unbeaten 34-year-old out cold.
The number four ranked contender ran across the Octagon and launched a vicious flying knee at an advancing Askren, knocking the previously unbeaten 34-year-old out cold.
"Nothing personal. It's just business. I'm here to get these cheques and get paid. He's so predictable, he's a scrub," he said.
"I wanted to show him if he did shoot like an idiot then he'd get clipped and that would put the brakes on him, I'd beat him up and execute him. I put my hands behind my back and he fell for it."
When he was criticised for landing the blows on his opponent following the flying knee, Masvidal said: "They were super necessary, why were they not necessary? The referee hadn't pulled me off.
"My job is to hit someone until the referee pulls me off. To those people I would say maybe don't watch MMA, go back to soccer."
