Francis Ngannou picked up a staple win at UFC on FOX 23, finishing former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in the first round of their fight at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Saturday.
Ngannou blasted Arlovski with a punch combination before finishing his opponent on the ground for the technical knockout at 1:32 of the opening round.
Arlovski stayed at distance, avoiding his opponent’s notable power as the fight began. There was little damage Ngannou caused as Arlovski remained out of danger in the early stages of the bout.
It wasn’t until Arlovski moved forward with a right hand when he got caught with strikes that would begin the ending sequence of the contest. Ngannou avoided the right hand, countering with a left hook and right uppercut that sent Arlovski falling to the Octagon floor.
Ngannou pursued his fallen opponent, who covered up in a turtle position as he took several punches to the head. The referee called a stop to the fight and Ngannou picked up yet another win in his run to the top of the heavyweight division.
With a successful night at UFC on FOX 23, Ngannou improves his record to 10-1 overall, 5-0 in the UFC.
