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Undefeated heavyweight makes statement in UFC debut with stunning one-punch KO

There's a new fighter to watch in the UFC heavyweight division.
Drew Beaupre|
(Zuffa LLC)

The first finish at UFC Vegas 103 was worth waiting for.

Decision-Heavy Prelims In Las Vegas

Headlined by top flyweight contenders Manel Kape and Asua Almabayev, fans noted ahead of UFC Vegas 103 that the event was low on big names but did feature a number of intriguing matchups throughout the card.

UFC Fight Night live results & highlights for Manel Kape vs. Asu Almabayev

The only other ranked fighter outside of the headlining fight was #12-ranked flyweight Charles Johnson, who suffered a decision loss to Ramazan Temirov in the card's opening bout to kick off a four-fight run of decisions on the prelims.

The card's featured prelim was a heavyweight tilt between Austen Lane and UFC newcomer Mario Pinto, who closed out the first half of UFC Vegas 103 in sensational fashion.

Pinto Scores Jaw-Dropping Knockout In Debut

Entering his UFC debut as a sizeable favorite, Pinto was able to land a few significant shots in the opening round against Lane but struggled to get any real rhythm going in his first five minutes in the Octagon.

UFC newcomer snaps Charles Johnson’s win streak, earns ranking in second fight

The two heavyweights opened the second round by trading some massive punches, and after the pair took a brief moment to rest it was Pinto who slept Lane with a big shot that left the five-fight UFC veteran flat on the canvas.

Now 10-0 as a professional, the highlight-reel finish was a fantastic way for Pinto to introduce himself to UFC fans after he earned a contract with the promotion on Dana White's Contender Series in October.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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