Oezdemir flattens Walker with devastating 1st-round KO

Volkan Oezdemir sent a message to the rest of the light heavyweight division, knocking out Johnny Walker in violent fashion at the 2:28 mark of the first round at UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Less than 30 seconds after dropping Walker with a left hook, Oezdemir put him on the canvas for good with a left hand and a short right hook. Oezdemir followed up with a devastating uppercut on the ground that rendered Walker unconscious.

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Oezdemir, who rose to contention years ago by scoring lightning-quick finishes, earned his first knockout win since 2019 and his first Round 1 knockout win since 2017. Oezdemir is riding a two-fight winning streak.

The Switzerland native challenged Daniel Cormier for the 205-pound belt in 2018 but has had an up-and-down last six years. He's 5-5 since that fight, which he lost via second-round TKO.

Oezdemir entered Saturday's matchup ranked No. 9 in the division, while Walker was No. 7.

Walker is now riding a two-fight losing streak, both knockouts. Walker is from Brazil but fights out of SBG Ireland in Dublin.