UFC on ESPN 56 was a decision-heavy affair until Esteban Ribovics showed up.
On the prelims at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Ribovics (13-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) knocked out Terrance McKinney (15-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) with a heavy right high kick. The stoppage came 37 seconds into the first round.
For as short as it was, the fight was wild from the opening bell. Ribovics nearly caught McKinney with a knee in a previous exchange. The kick did the trick, however, as McKinney was sent into a seated position against the fence, reminiscent of Kevin Lee’s all-time knockout of Gregor Gillespie.
HE ONLY NEEDED 35 SECONDS ‼️
Esteban Ribovics gets the early KO! #UFCStLouis pic.twitter.com/17Ta7sl7Qz
— UFC (@ufc) May 11, 2024
With the win, Ribovics extends his winning streak to two after a debut loss to Loik Radzhabov. On the flip side, McKinney has his two-fight winning streak snapped.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 56 results include:
- Esteban Ribovics def. Terrance McKinney via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 0:37
- Tabatha Ricci def. Tecia Pennington via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Trey Waters def. Billy Goff via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Charles Johnson def. Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Veronica Hardy def. JJ Aldrich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 56.
