In a recent show of skills, Canadian bantamweight Aiemann Zahabi knocked out Drako (The Great Drakolini) Rodriguez in the first round on the undercard of a UFC Fight Night show.
According to reporters who monitored the duel, Rodriguez had been pushing the early pace but Zahabi felled him with a right to the jaw and then finished him off with a couple of blows on the ground.
It was stated that the fight was stopped after three minutes five seconds with Rodriguez still receiving treatment on his stool when Zahabi’s arm was raised.
Official records have it that the knockout earned Zahabi a US$50,000 performance bonus from the UFC.
It would be recalled that the two were originally slated to meet in December. But Zahabi, a 33-year-old from Laval, Que., who is the younger brother of renowned trainer Firas Zahabi, had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19.
Speaking after the fight, Zabai said “I feel fantastic. I used to think winning in the UFC was great. But you know what feels even better? Breaking a two-fight losing streak, winning in the UFC with a knockout.”
It would be recalled that the bantamweight talisman (8-2-0) had lost two straight since defeated Reginaldo Vieira by decision in February 2017. He dropped a decision to Vince (Vandetta) Morales in May 2019 and was knocked out by Ricardo (Carcacinha) Ramos at UFC 217 in November 2017.
On the other hand, Rodriguez, 24, (7-2-0) was making his UFC debut after earning a contract with a win over Leomana Martinez in Dana White’s Contender Series last September.
