UFC on FOX 7 results/photos: Yoel Romero KOs Clifford Starks with flying knee

SAN JOSE, Calif. – We’ll have to assume that Yoel Romero didn’t experience any ring rust or octagon jitters.

Just 92 seconds into his UFC debut, Romero returned from a 19-month layoff and knocked out Clifford Starks with a vicious flying knee.

The middleweight bout opened up the preliminary card of today’s UFC on FOX 7 event at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. It streamed on Facebook ahead of additional prelims on FX and a main card on FOX.

Romero looked to land a variety of striking attacks early, not showing any signs of wanting to shoot in and use his Olympic-level wrestling background. Sneaking inside with low leg kicks, side kicks, head kicks and body punches, Romero consistently kept on the outside of any early offense Starks had designs on.

As Starks came forward, Romero timed a left flying knee perfectly and landed it right on Starks’ chin. Starks immediately fell backward. He tried to prop himself up, instinctively, but Romero was on him quickly with several punches until referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight after several big punches on the ground.

“It feels so good to finally be in the UFC,” Romero said. “It was my dream to be here someday, so I’m glad that I finally get to prove that I’ve deserved to be here all along. After I had neck surgery last year, it was a very difficult time. I had to talk to my family and refocus to get where I am now. God was telling me that this was what is next. I’m 100 percent and healthy, so I’m ready to go whenever Dana White and the UFC want me to get back in there.”

Romero (5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is back in the win column in his first fight since a September 2011 Strikeforce loss to Rafael Cavalcante. Starks (8-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC), fighting for the first time cine a February 2012 loss to Ed Herman, now has lost two straight.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FOX 7 results include:

• Yoel Romero def. Clifford Starks via KO (flying knee, punches) – Round 1, 1:32

For complete coverage of UFC on FOX 7, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan and Ben Fowlkes contributed to this report on-site in San Jose.