You don’t see that every day.
Charlie Ward’s next fight may well take place outside the UFC after he failed get a win with his second opportunity in the Octagon.
Twice now, the SBG welterweight and close friend of Conor McGregor was knocked unconscious in the first round of a UFC fight, having made his promotional debut last November.
The 36-year-old featured on the preliminary portion of the UFC Glasgow card against flashy striker Galore Bofando and fell victim to one of the strangest knockouts you’re going to see all year.
SBG's @Relentlessward making the walk into #UFCGlasgow now! 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/GymPa1X1R3
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 16, 2017
Keen to close the distance and limit the tricky movement of Bofando, Ward finally got a hold of his opponent and looked to be pursuing a takedown from the clinch.
But Ward hadn’t accounted for the explosive athleticism of Bofando, who used a whizzer into a hip toss to throw the Irishman to the mat.
In bizarre circumstances, Ward landed headfirst on the canvas and the impact knocked him unconscious immediately.
A few follow-up shots for good measure gave the referee no option but to wave the contest off.
Galore Bofando with one of the most unique knockouts you'll ever see. 😵
What a way to make your debut. 💪 #UFCGlasgow pic.twitter.com/iu5serw3bU
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) July 16, 2017
After the fight, Bofando dropped the name of another SBG fighter as a potential opponent.
He said: “There was talk of Artem Lobov before at 155lbs, which could be an interesting fight. I think I beat him.”