Justin Gaethje (20-2) secured his second in a row first round stoppage victory after defeating Edson Barboza (20-7) in the main event of UFC: Philadelphia.
“The Highlight” put Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on its feet at the 2:30 mark of the first round, as he dropped the 33-year-old Brazilian with a nasty right hand right in the face of Barboza.
As expected, both lightweights went straight for their opponent’s legs. Barboza landed a solid high kick in the beginning, but Gaethje took his time and managed to land some heavy punches who was backed against the fence. Kudos to the American for not backing down when he got Barboza all roundup and after one of Edson’s high kicks the Brazilian was demolished with a right hook that sent him straight to the canvas.
what a KO @Justin_Gaethje. back 2 the top 5 of the 155lb division. another bonus by #thehighlight. #UFCPhiladelphia. pic.twitter.com/Y5zNudFROn
— Erik Perez (@BigEPerez) March 31, 2019
Gaethje follows up a first-round knockout of James Vick with another highlight reel win, putting more distance between him and a pair of TKO losses that halted his momentum. Barboza drops to 1-3 in his last four outings.