Aiemann Zahabi gave Canada more to cheer about Saturday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.
On the UFC 289 prelims, Zahabi (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) floored and finished Aori Qileng (24-10 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in a bantamweight bout. The stoppage came 64 seconds into Round 1.
The finishing sequence began when Qileng threw an outside leg kick. Zahabi grabbed Qileng’s leg, thew a right, and landed a massive overhand left that sent his opponent to the canvas.
Zahabi initially considered a walk-off, but Qileng moved and the referee hadn’t stopped it. Zahabi pounced and finished off the job with more punches.
After the stoppage, a woozy Qileng appeared disoriented as he shook off commission and promotion officials, as he seemingly looked to resume the fight.
ZAHABI'S HUGE LEFT LED TO THE FIRST ROUND KO 👊 #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/H2ujHW6B15
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 11, 2023
With the victory, Zahabi has won three fights in a row after a 1-2 start to his UFC tenure. On the flip side of the coin, Qileng has a two-fight winning streak snapped.
The up-to-the-minute UFC 289 results include:
- Aiemman Zahabi def. Aori Qileng via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:04
- Kyle Nelson def. Blake Bilder via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Stephen Erceg def. David Dvorak via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Diana Belbita def. Maria Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.
