ATLANTA – After a disappointing UFC debut, Khalid Taha (13-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) picked up his first octagon victory in mere seconds, scoring a quick win over Boston Salmon (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC).
The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 236 event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. It aired on ESPN following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+ and ahead of the main card on pay-per-view.
Salmon took the center to start the night, though Taha was lively as he moved on the outside. Bouncing in and out of range, Taha looked ready to unleash, and it didn’t take long. After a big right just missed the mark, a devastating left hand came directly behind it, landing clean and sending Salmon stumbling to the canvas. A few big punches on the floor landed flush, as well, prompting referee Blake Grice to intervene just 25 seconds after the bout started.
Salmon did his best to return to his feet and protest the decision, but he was clearly in trouble before the intervention.
“It does not get much better than this to get a quick first-round knockout,” Taha said. “If you have a long fight, you get the experience, but I was so well prepared for tonight. A 25-second knockout – but I was preparing for a 15-minute war. I prepared so well over three months, training in Germany, Morocco, Canada and Las Vegas, and we trained for that combination and finish especially for a counter-striker opponent. Next month is the holy month of Ramadan. I will want to fight again after that.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC 236 results include:
- Khalid Taha def. Boston Salmon via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:25
- Belal Muhammad def. Curtis Millender via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26)
- Montel Jackson def. Andre Soukhamthath via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
- Poliana Botelho def. Lauren Mueller via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Brandon Davis def. Randy Costa via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:12
For complete coverage of UFC 236, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
