Jeka Saragih earned his first win in the UFC with a highlight-reel knockout.
The Indonesian fighter scored the finish after blasting Lucas Alexander with a punch during a mat scramble that sent the Brazilian crashing against the cage. Saragih followed up with another punch and then a barrage of shots that knocked Alexander out cold.
Referee Herb Dean rushed in to stop the contest, with the end coming at just 1:31 of the opening round at UFC Vegas 82.
“This is a long journey for me,” Saragih said after his victory. “I spend more time here in the United States than I did with my family this year. I’m going to go back to my village [in Indonesia]. I love you all.”
It was a jaw-dropping performance from Saragih after coming up short in his octagon debut back in February after joining the roster following a pair of appearances on the Road to the UFC series.
Saragih showed no fear in his brief exchanges with Alexander, but it was his perfectly timed right hand as his opponent scrambled away to get back to his feet that led to the emphatic finish. As soon as the punch landed, Alexander fell to the canvas, and then he was just a sitting duck for Saragih to unload a couple of more shots to get the finish.
The victory moves Saragih to 14-3 in his career, but none have been bigger than his knockout on Saturday.