Nikita Krylov spoiled Alexander Gustafsson’s return to competition with a quick win at UFC Fight Night 208.
Gustafsson (18-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC), a former three-time UFC title challenger, made a comeback from a two-year layoff on Saturday. Krylov (28-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) didn’t allow him the chance to get a feel for the octagon, though, because he blasted the Swede with a haymaker for an early knockdown.
From there, Krylov’s killer instinct kicked in. He relentlessly rushed Gustafsson until he got another knockdown that was followed by some ground shots, bringing the light heavyweight bout at The O2 in London to an end in just 67 seconds.
Check out a replay of the finish below (via Twitter):
After the win, Krylov called for a matchup with Volkan Oezdemir, who won two fights prior to him on the main card against Paul Craig.
“(Beating Gustafsson is the) biggest name in my career,” Krylov told Michael Bisping in his post-fight interview. “Let’s go Volkan (Oezdemir). UFC Abu Dhabi (on Oct. 22). Let’s fight.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 208 results include:
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Nikita Krylov def. Alexander Gustafsson via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:07
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Molly McCann def. Hannah Goldy via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:52
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Volkan Oezdemir def. Paul Craig via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Ludovit Klein def. Mason Jones via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Marc Diakiese def. Damir Hadzovic via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
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Nathaniel Wood def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
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Jonathan Pearce def. Makwan Amirkhani via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:10
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Muhammad Mokaev def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Jai Herbert def. Kyle Nelson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Victoria Leonardo def. Mandy Bohm via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Nicolas Dalby def. Claudio Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)