Bellator 125 highlights: Melvin Manhoef's can't-miss KO of Doug Marshall

The matchup for Friday’s Bellator 125 headliner all but promised a high-power slugfest, and middleweight veterans Melvin Manhoef and Doug Marshall clearly obliged.

In the bout, which aired on Spike TV from Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., Manhoef (29-11-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) made a successful promotional debut (and earned himself a title shot) with a violent first-round knockout of Marshall (18-8 MMA, 4-2 BMMA).

Check out the highlights above.

The package also includes Rafael Carvalho (10-1 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) scoring an awing comeback win over middleweight Brian Rogers (11-6 MMA, 4-5 BMMA) in the co-headliner.

Additionally, Javy Ayala (8-3 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) choked out heavyweight Raphael Butler (8-1-1 MMA, 3-1-1 BMMA), and Goiti Yamauchi (18-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) made things look easy against featherweight Martin Stapleton (13-4 MMA, 0-3 BMMA).

For more on Bellator 125, including a a full event recap, check out the MMA Events section of the site.