UFC on FUEL TV 9 results: Conor McGregor lives up to hype, TKOs Marcus Brimage

STOCKHOLM – Conor McGregor’s hype is fully justified, and following a 67-second dismantling of Marcus Brimage, the featherweight division should be on notice.

The Irish UFC newcomer lived up to the lofty expectations, ate a few heavy blows, and then beat down Brimage with a quick and prolific striking display.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC on FUEL TV 9 event at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. It streamed on Facebook ahead of a main card on FUEL TV.

McGregor, a dual-division titleholder with the U.K.’s Cage Warriors promotion, did what he does best: He ended the fight quickly. With no touch of gloves, Brimage, who had an intense staredown with McGregor at Friday’s fighter weigh-ins, immediately unloaded some heavy blows as he continually moved forward.

McGregor, though, shook off the shots and then unloaded a few stinging uppercuts. That put Brimage on shaky legs, and McGregor simply continued the assault until his opponent slowly staggered to the mat and turned his back to the swarm of punches.

The ref halted the action at the 1:07 mark of the opening round.

“I didn’t really have a game plan,” said McGregor, who campaigned for the night’s “Knockout of the Night” bonus. “It was just wherever it went. You cant’ let emotions get in the way, and I think Marcus got a little emotional with the Irish support on his back. … I thought he would overthrow (his punches), and he did.”

McGregor (13-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has now won ninth straight win and has registered 12 knockouts in his 13 career wins. Brimage (6-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), meanwhile, snaps a four-fight win streak, which included three straight in the UFC.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FUEL TV 9 results include:

• Conor McGregor def. Marcus Brimage via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:07
• Ryan LaFlare def. Benny Alloway via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Tom Lawlor def. Michael Kuiper via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:05
• Papy Abedi def. Besam Yousef via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 9, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Conor McGregor)

John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Stockholm.