TJ Dillashaw had shots on a second belt, but Henry Cejudo retained his well with panache as he passed a resounding KO to the bantamweight champion in the first round, in a UFC gala presented in Brooklyn on Saturday night
The 125-pound champion pushed his rival back to the ground from the first seconds to the sound of the bell that started hostilities. Cejudo then rushed to his rival and hammered him while he was on the ground.
Dillashaw tried to get up, but another powerful combination of his opponent sent him back to the ground and the official put an end to the fight after only 32 seconds.
“I worked hard all my life and it came against one of the best of all time. What a victory! I knew he was hurt and I then reached him a little bit. The rest is now history,” Cejudo said.
The flyweight champion is currently sailing on a four-game winning streak, while his last setback was recorded on December 3, 2016 ahead of Joseph Benavidez.
Dillashaw was looking to extend his winning streak to five. With a triumph, the American would have become the fourth fighter after Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes to own belts in two separate categories simultaneously.
However, he lost his bet by deciding to drop the category. Cejudo then went on to interview that he was ready to give him a revenge, but this time to 135 pounds.
“This victory was much bigger than just a triumph on my part. I said it was for the flyweight division. We can put it back, but at 135 pounds,” Dillashaw said.
Greg Hardy, meanwhile, may have had the worst possible start in the circumstances when he was disqualified for an illegal knee kick in the second round of his fight against Allen Crowder.
For his debut in the UFC, Hardy had won the semifinal of the gala, but the outcome was unfortunate. After rushing to his rival in the first round, he found himself on the back after a Crowder screening, but the former NFL player was able to turn the tide before the sound of the bell.
The two men exchanged shots in the second assault and after Hardy brought his rival to the ground, Crowder tried to get up, but his opponent sent him a knee directly in the face while he was still kneeling on the ground . The official immediately intervened to end the clash and disqualify Hardy.
