UFC 124: Mac Danzig Retains Employment, Knocks Out Joe Stevenson in the First

Mac Danzig needed little time to make sure he kept his job as he knocked out Joe Stevenson in the first round of their UFC 124 bout.

Prior to their Saturday night showdown, the contest between Danzig and Stevenson was massively speculated to be a “win or go home” match between two fighters on the verge of getting cut from the UFC. With the thought of unemployment being a reality, Danzig countered Stevenson’s left uppercut with a precise left hook, sending “Joe Daddy” crashing the the mat.

Moments after his opponent hit the floor, Danzig followed through with a couple of hammerfists to the left side of Stevenson’s head. At that point, the referee stepped in to stop the fight and Danzig celebrated with an extreme show of emotion.

Ecstatic in victory, Danzig stood with Joe Rogan and talked about the counter left hook that sealed the win and continuance of his UFC career.

“I knew he was [going to] come in,” he said. “I studied tape on him. I just knew he was [going to] walk into that. The whole thing is hitting the jaw.

“You hit the jaw, the guy goes out. I’m here to stay!”

With the win, Danzig gets back on a winning track and solidifies his spot with the UFC. Leading into the fight, he was well aware of probability of getting cut, but now, all that is in the past.

For Stevenson, the loss is his second in a row and fourth in his last six outings. Time will tell if Joe Stevenson will remain in the UFC, but with his recent record, it doesn’t look good.

Official call of the fight was Mac Danzig defeats Joe Stevenson via knockout at 1: 54 of the first round.