PARIS – Cristian Quinonez’s debut came 11 months after his UFC signing, but his performance was worth the wait.
In a short-notice bout at UFC Fight Night 209, Quinonez (17-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) defeated Khalid Taha (13-5 MMA, 1-4 UFC) via first-round TKO due to punches. The bout served as the second prelim on the promotion’s first card in France, which took place Saturday in Paris.
After some back-and-forth on the feet, Quinonez floored and finished Taha with a series of punches en route to a stoppage at 3:15 of Round 1. It was a counter right hand that floored Taha initially. He fell forward, then adjusted so his back was on the canvas. It didn’t matter though. Quinonez followed him and landed a handful of more punches as Taha covered up.
Referee Rich Mitchell dove in for a stoppage Taha protested thereafter.
THE RIGHT HAND STUNNED HIM 😳 #UFCParis pic.twitter.com/kGaFEjttfv
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 3, 2022
A Dana White’s Contender Series signee, Quinonez extends his winning streak to five. Meanwhile, Taha falls to 0-3 with one no contest (due to a drug test failure) in his most recent four outings.
The latest UFC Fight Night 209 results include:
