Ilia Topuria dethroned featherweight great Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on Saturday, knocking the Australian out cold in round two.
Volkanovski’s reign at 145lbs has been a storied one, and the 35-year-old was seeking a sixth straight successful title defence as he fought Topuria in Anaheim.
The champion started well, but Topuria’s knockout threat was a key narrative in the build-up to this main event, and the Georgian-Spaniard delivered on that threat.
Midway through the second round, Topuria, 27, landed a picture-perfect fight hook with Volkanovski against the cage, and the Australian collapsed to the canvas at once. With that, Volkanovski’s four-year title reign came to an end, as the unbeaten Topuria became the first UFC champion to represent Georgia or Spain.
Re-live updates and results from the UFC 298 main card and prelims, below.