PHOENIX — Cain Velasquez’s highly anticipated return from a 2.5-year layoff proved to be short-lived, as Francis Ngannou knocked out the former two-time champion in just 26 seconds.
Ngannou (13-3) dropped Velasquez with a short right uppercut just moments into Sunday’s UFC Fight Night main event. The heavyweight bout headlined the UFC’s first live event on ESPN, from Talking Stick Arena.
Widely regarded as one of the best heavyweights of all time, Velasquez (14-3) never had a chance to show what he has left in the tank at age 36. Ngannou, who fights out of Cameroon and France, finished him off with a single flurry.
It is the ninth first-round stoppage of Ngannou’s career.
This article was originally published by Espn.com. Read the original article here.