Ibo Aslan waited six months to return to the cage, but once in there he only needed 51 seconds.
In the featured prelim Saturday at UFC 308, Aslan (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) stopped Rafael Cerqueira (11-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with punches standing for a first-round TKO stoppage. The light heavyweight bout took place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Aslan clipped Cerqueira with a punch that sent the Brazilian backward. As Cerqueira covered up, Aslan relentless ripped the body and head. Cerqueira was stunned badly with multiple headshots and eventually was saved standing by referee Marc Goddard.
IBO ASLAN WITH THE QUICK FINISH 💥 #UFC308 pic.twitter.com/d3jMguofHZ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 26, 2024
Aslan called his hands “Turkish Power” after the fight, and repeatedly issued a warning to the rest of the light heavyweight division. Saturday’s performance comes six months after he made a scintillating debut in a Fight of the Night knockout win over Anton Turkalj.
Cerqueira loses for the first time as a professional. He was initially scheduled to fight on Dana White’s Contender Series weeks prior, but was bumped into a UFC shot directly.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 308 results include:
- Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:51
- Geoff Neal def. Rafael dos Anjos via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 1:30
- Mateusz Rebecki def. Myktybek Orolbai via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Abus Magomedov def. Brunno Ferreira via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 3:14
- Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Chris Barnett via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:27
- Farid Basharat def. Victor Hugo via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ismail Naurdiev def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.
