Ibo Aslan had to overcome some adversity in his octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 54, but he ultimately found a way to win against Anton Turkalj.
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aslan (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) got the unique opportunity to debut against the man who handed him his only career loss in Turkalj (8-4 MMA, 0-4 UFC) in a light heavyweight matchup at Boardwalk Hall.
For more than two rounds it looked like history might repeat itself, with Turkalj landing some heavy shots and swelling Aslan’s eye to a close. But then Aslan landed a huge punch in the third round that knocked Turkalj down, and the referee jumped in for the TKO at the 1:32 mark of Round 3.
Check out the replay of the final sequence below (via X):
ONE HITTER QUITTER 😤 #UFCAtlanticCity pic.twitter.com/7chS6twzPk
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 31, 2024
After the win, Aslan proudly stated he’s ready to make waves as the only active UFC fighter from Turkey. He hopes to do big things in the 205-pound division, especially with the lone blemish on his resume now wiped away.
This guy runs for four years from me. I get him in the UFC in my debut. I knocked him out. I am not here to win the fight. I am here to knock people out.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 54 results include:
- Ibo Aslan def. Anton Turkalj via TKO (punch) Round 3, 1:32
- Jacob Malkoun def. Andre Petroski via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:39
- Caolan Loughran def. Angel Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.
