Sport returned to our screens for the first time in what feels like years this evening thanks to UFC 249.Of course, this event was meant to take place on April 18, with Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov FINALLY sharing the Octagon.However, with The Eagle stuck in Russia due to travel restrictions and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, that fight was cancelled for a staggering FIFTH time.Then, Justin Gaethje agreed to replace Khabib last minute, until Dana White was forced to scrap the entire event altogether.But the night was postponed, not cancelled, and it took centre stage behind closed doors.Although all the talk was of course about Ferguson and Gaethje, it was Calvin Katter who stole the headlines early on with a simply stunning knockout of Jeremy Stephens.Catching his opponent flush in the face with an elbow, that was all she wrote for the fight, ending it in round two.Unsurprisingly, during the aftermath of the knockout, the elbow strike got the slow-mo treatment, and it truly is a thing of beauty.Watch it below.
My. Goodness. Me.
Thanks to the impressive knockout, Katter now has a professional record of 21 wins and four losses. As for his UFC record, that now stands at five wins and two losses.
For Stephens, who is probably still seeing stars after receiving that elbow, he now has a professional record of 28 wins and 18 losses. The 33-year-old has now lost four of his last five fights, with the other one being ruled a no contest due to an accidental eye poke.
Elsewhere on the night, Anthony Pettis defeated Donald Cerrone, whose bad run of form inside the cage continues, Francis Ngannou picked up a 20-second victory, Henry Cejudo retained his title and then retired, and Justin Gaethje stunned Ferguson.
Sport has returned with a bang, and we mean that quite literally.