On a card with five heavyweight bouts, knockouts were always in the offing.
The UFC’s first trip to Croatia put a lot of focus on the big boys and the first heavyweight fight of the evening ended in brutal style.
Cyril Asker’s UFC debut didn’t exactly go to plan as Jared Cannonier earned his first promotional victory in the opening round.
The finish was named as one of four performances of the night as Cannonier, nicknamed ‘The Killa Gorilla,’ dropped Asker with a sumptuous left hook to the jaw.
Wow!!! Now that's a heavyweight KO from ‘Tha Killa Gorilla’ 😳 #UFCZagreb https://t.co/BVN990NXSM
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) April 10, 2016
Cannonier pounced on his wounded prey as he dived into side control and unloaded with a flurry of smashing elbows which went undefended.
Referee Grant Waterman rightly waved the fight off, Cannonier got his deserved win and Asker learned a lesson on just how dangerous the UFC’s heavyweight division is.