UFC Fight Night 81 results: Ilir Latifi stuns Sean O'Connell with quick knockout

Ilir Latifi

BOSTON – One right hand from Ilir Latifi was all it took to make Sean O’Connell’s legs go wobbly.

As Latifi (11-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) moved in to finish, referee Kevin MacDonald waved it off, a stoppage that O’Connell (17-7 MMA, 2-3 UFC) immediately objected to, but which nonetheless brought a halt to the bout just 30 seconds into the first round.

The light heavyweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC Fight Night 81 event at TD Garden in Boston. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of additional prelims and a main card on FOX Sports 1.

The overhand right from Latifi was among the first few punches thrown in this one, and it caught O’Connell just right. As O’Connell claimed the center of the cage and pursued a circling Latifi, it was Latifi who lunged forward with the right, which landed just below O’Connell’s left ear.

The punch sent O’Connell rocking back on unsteady legs, which quickly failed him as he collapsed to the canvas. Latifi landed another glancing right as O’Connell was on his way down, but O’Connell rolled to defend and seemed to have his wits about him as the referee MacDonald stopped the bout.

That stoppage did not make O’Connell happy, but by then it didn’t matter. Latifi was already celebrating atop the cage, while all O’Connell could do was plead his case to deaf ears.

The victory makes it two in a row for Latifi, who hasn’t lost since October 2014. O’Connell’s loss snaps a two-fight winning streak.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 81 results include:

• Ilar Latifi def. Sean O’Connell via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:30
• Charles Rosa def. Kyle Bochniak via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Rob Font def. Joey Gomez via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:13
• Francimar Barroso def. Elvis Mutapcic via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 81, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Boston.)