Stunning KO floors Rockhold
A sensational heel kick knockout from Vitor Belfort stopped Luke Rockhold in the first round of his UFC debut at UFC on FX 8.
By Jack Woodfield - Twitter: @JWoodfield365
Last Updated: 20/05/13 12:08pm
A sensational heel kick knockout from Vitor Belfort stopped Luke Rockhold in the first round of his UFC debut at UFC on FX 8.
Rockhold, the last ever Strikeforce middleweight champion, entered the Octagon in confident fashion having won his last nine fights.
However, Belfort has undergone a career resurgence of late and it did not take long for the "Phenom" to secure a sensational win that lifts him back into UFC middleweight title contention.
Within seconds of the fight commencing, Belfort looked for a spinning back kick, but Rockhold evaded contact and landed some jabs in a relatively even opening two minutes.
Suddenly, Belfort connected with a precise kick that floored Rockhold, before following up with straight shots on the ground which saw the fight brought to a halt.
UFC president Dana White had hinted that the winner of this fight would meet the UFC middleweight champion next, whether that be Anderson Silva or Chris Weidman.
The two meet at UFC 162 and Belfort made no secret as to who he will be cheering on, but refused to call out either man in his post-match interview.
"I'm here to fight," Belfort said. "I don't pick fights. I accept fights. The fans and Dana White decide it.
"I'm very happy. I'm going to root for Anderson."
In the night's co-main event, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza made an impressive debut in the Octagon as he submitted Chris Camozzi via an arm-triangle.
Elsewhere, Rafael dos Anjos took home a unanimous decision victory over Evan Dunham, while Rafael Natal dispatched João Zeferino, who was also making his UFC debut.
See all of Sky Bet's UFC betting markets here
