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Sport

17th Sep 2017

Sometimes fighters get hit so hard they just have to do an involuntary somersault

It happens

Darragh Murphy

Sergio Moraes would make a great gymnast, as long as he would be allowed to knock himself out for every competition.

The Brazilian welterweight was on the wrong end of one of the most vicious knockouts in recent memory as he saw a five-year undefeated streak come to an end at the terrifying hands of Kamaru Usman.

Usman moved to 11-1 with his first knockout victory in the UFC and it was definitely worth waiting for.

‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ put Moraes’ lights out against the fence on the main card of UFC Pittsburgh on Saturday night, forcing his opponent to somersault unconscious to the mat before the referee saved him from further damage.

Usman needed just 200 seconds to earn the most spectacular stoppage of his career to date and after slamming the UFC rankings panel for placing him at 13th place in the 170lbs division, the 29-year-old called out former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.

“They keep lining up anybody and I’ll keep taking them out,” Usman said. “RDA, you want to come into my division and want to talk about you going for the title. Are you serious? Line em up. Line em up and let me send him back down and cut weight again. Line them up.”

Dos Anjos is 2-0 at welterweight and proved himself a real threat in the division by steamrolling Neil Magny just last week so this is a bout we most definitely approve of.