Prior to Sunday, Cain Velasquez hadn't fought since the week Fightful launched in 2016. He got about as much offense in at UFC Phoenix as he had in those two and a half years prior.
WOW!@Francis_Ngannou gets it done in Arizona! #UFCPhoenix pic.twitter.com/xGF4ziuAZA
— UFC (@ufc) February 18, 2019
Velasquez stepped into the cage with a slaughterhouse in Francis Ngannou, and walked out...slaughtered. He was caught stepping inside on a takedown and hit by the larger Ngannou. The fight was stopped shortly after.
Round One: The round begins with Velasquez kicking Ngannou in the midsection, Ngannou levels Velasquez with a combination and he pounces on him with more strikes until the referee jumps in.
Official Result: #3 Francis Ngannou def. Cain Velasquez by TKO via strikes (0:26, R1)
Velasquez confirmed that his knee buckled in the early exchange, and he's subsequently lost two of his last three fights and only won once in the last five years. Ngannou, on the other hand has picked up back to back wins in under a minute after dropping two fights in a row in 2018.
You can see our full, live coverage of UFC Phoenix at this link. Remember to tune in every Tuesday at 2 PM EST for the Fightful MMA Podcast featuring myself, Showdown Joe and James Lynch.
