Francis Ngannou beat Cain Velasquez in just 26 seconds, but what is the quickest finish ever in UFC history?
Velasquez's return to the Octagon was cut short in dramatic fashion
Cain Velasquez's return to the Octagon ended in the worst way possible when he was stopped by Francis Ngannou after just 26 seconds in the headline bout at UFC Fight Night in Phoenix.
The former two-time heavyweight champion, who had not fought since 2016, was caught by two-right hands before his left knee gave way.
While his defeat was swift, it is by no means the quickest in UFC history. Here are a select few which have ended before the seats were filled.
B.J. Penn vs Caol Uno – UFC 34 | 11 seconds - 2001
After catching the eye with his performances in the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Penn was signed to the UFC in 2001 and quickly made his mark, with two first-round knockouts over Joey Gilbert and Din Thomas.
His third fight of that year ended with the quickest win of his legendary career. Uno ran at Penn and launched a high kick which was easily avoided, before Penn landed an uppercut and a succession of right-hands as his opponent lay motionless against the cage.
Gray Maynard vs Joe Veres – UFC Fight Night 11 | 9 seconds - 2007
An All-American wrestler, Maynard was not particularly known for his stand up offence, but that quickly changed when he took on Veres in Las Vegas. Faking a takedown attempt, Veres dropped his hands and as a result, took a left hook on the chin, before his grounded body was hit with a three-punch combination.
Don Frye vs Thomas Ramirez – UFC 8 | 8 seconds - 1996
Having tried his hand at both kickboxing and boxing, Frye soon made the move into MMA after helping to train his friend Dan Sevren. Frye was one of eight competitors participating in the open weight tournament.
While this would never be allowed today, UFC was in its infancy meaning this was considered the norm. A chiselled 206 pounds, Moustache enthusiast Frye dropped the out-of-shape 410lb Thomas Ramirez and advanced to the semi-finals.
James Irvin vs Houston Alexander – UFC Fight Night 13 | 8 seconds - 2008
Alexander had made quite the impact upon entering the UFC. Consecutive first-round finishes over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara totalled a combined 109 seconds. In his third fight with the company, he was matched against Irvin in April 2008. The pair touched gloves and a lazy jab from Alexander was met with a thunderous superman punch from Irvin, dropping Alexander, before two brutal right hands meant an immediate stoppage.
Todd Duffee vs Tim Hague – UFC 102 | 7 seconds - 2009
If you want to make a statement on your debut in the biggest martial arts organisation in the world, you do it like this. Duffee was 5-0 before making his first appearance in the UFC and quickly made it six in brutal fashion.
The 251-pound heavyweight crushed Hague with a left jab and then proceeded to hammer fist him, before knocking him out with a left hand to leave the Canadian unconscious.