Bahadurzada clobbers Wilkinson in return from layoff at UFC Rotterdam

Even with some extra pudge, a healthy Siyar Bahadurzada is a terrifying Siyar Bahadurzada.

The 33-year-old reintroduced himself in thunderous fashion in his return from an 18-month layoff, wobbling newcomer Rob Wilkinson with a lead uppercut before swarming him with a barrage of punches for the stoppage 3:10 into the second round of the middleweight co-main event at Saturday's UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam.

The bout marked only the fifth of the oft-injured Bahadurzada's UFC stint in as many years, and he made up for lost time with his second consecutive win by stoppage.

Undeterred by Wilkinson's height and reach advantage, the Afghan native went headhunting early, winging haymakers when he wasn't staving off the debutant's efforts to get the fight to the mat. A clubbing kick to the body wilted Wilkinson to the canvas and left him ripe for a D'Arce choke late in Round 1, but the Aussie would live to fight another round.

Bahadurzada's mitts went looking for Wilkinson's chin again in the second - however recklessly - with a lead left uppercut stopping the newcomer dead in his tracks, allowing Bahadurzada to rain hellfire on him until the referee had seen enough.

Wilkinson's 12-fight record sees its first blemish with the stoppage.