UFC Fight Night 52 results: Mark Hunt becomes first in UFC to KO Roy Nelson
SAITAMA, Japan – In a battle of hulking heavyweights, Mark Hunt (10-8-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) and Roy Nelson (20-10 MMA, 7-6 UFC) went punch for punch, and Mark Hunt’s fists had the last word.
Hunt became the first fighter to knock out Nelson in the UFC, stopping him at the 3:00 mark of the second round with a well-timed uppercut that sent “The Ultimate Fighter 10†winner face-first to the canvas.
The heavyweight bout was the main event of today’s UFC Fight Night 52 card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
Hunt, ranked No. 7 in USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie’s MMA heavyweight rankings., returned to the octagon nine months after a thrilling draw against Antonio Silva. He reportedly cut 19 pounds in a day to make the heavyweight limit and weighed in at 264 pounds.
Looking no worse for the wear despite the precipitous drop, Hunt thanked God and his sponsors after knocking out Nelson, who is ranked No. 9.
“Rematch is always good to me,†Hunt said when asked who he’d like to fight next. “Anyone in the top 10.â€
Nelson looked for a takedown early and slugged it out when Hunt shrugged off his attempts. He flung a trademark right hand at Hunt, who deftly bobbed his head out of the way and worked combinations inside. When Nelson’s right hand landed, Hunt shrugged it off.
Hunt briefly found himself on the mat in the second when Nelson timed a takedown and took back control, but he lost position and continued to trade. Over a minute into the round, Nelson’s mouth hung open, and he shot for another takedown. Meanwhile, Hunt began to lead with his uppercut.
Nelson goes back to the drawing board after a highlight-reel KO of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in April.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 52 results include:
Mark Hunt def. Roy Nelson via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 3:00
Myles Jury def. Takanori Gomi via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:32
Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Miesha Tate def. Rin Nakai via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Kiichi Kunimoto def. Richard Walsh via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Kyoji Horiguchi def. Jon Delos Reyes via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:48
Masanori Kanehara def. Alex Caceres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Katsunori Kikuno def. Sam Sicilia via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:38
Hyun Gyu Lim def. Takenori Sato via TKO (elbows) – Round 1, 1:18
Kyung Ho Kang def. Michinori Tanaka via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Johnny Case def. Kazuki Tokudome via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:34
Maximo Blanco def. Daniel Hooker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
