UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum produced a career best performance in the demolition of one of MMA's greatest of all-time.
The American knocked out Brazilian legend Vitor Belfort in brutal fashion at UFC Fight Night 106 in Fortaleza Brazil.
The 39-year-old Belfort had his first professional fight when Gastelum was only five-years-old, and has fought and beaten some of the sports best including Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Luke Rockhold and UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, but it now appears that the sport has passed him by.
It marks a third straight loss for the former light heavyweight champion and the UFC 12 heavyweight tournament winner, and his career with the UFC is likely at the end having won only one of his last five-fights.
Meanwhile Gastelum has now won five of his last seven , with the last two coming at his newly found weight of 185 pounds, and in his post-fight interview the 25-year-old called out the man regarded as the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time; Anderson Silva.
In the evenings co-feature, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua won his third-fight on the bounce with a knockout win over American Gian Villante.
Rua, who had been on a career down-slide since dropping the title to Jon Jones in 2011, with a 3-win-5 loss record, is in somewhat of a resurgence with wins over young contenders in Corey Anderson and Villante, as well as a decision win over his Brazilian countryman Antonio Nogueira.
Rua and Villante exchanged strikes throughout the first two-rounds with both gaining moments of success, but the Brazilian seemed to be landing the heavier blows, dropping his foe late in the second.
It took a beautiful uppercut early in the third and final frame for 'Shogun' to finally put the result in no-doubt as he stunned an aggressive Villante, Rua followed up with a barrage of strikes, including a big head-kick, before the referee stepped in and stopped the fight.
The 35-year-old is now riding his best win-streak since 2007, and has earned his way back into the brink of title contention with the stoppage victory.
The highlight of the night though belonged to Brazilian lightweight contender Edson Barboza who thrilled his home crowd with a vicious knockout win over American Baneil Dariush.
In a very even fight, Dariush pushed the pace by walking forward and frustrating one of the best kickboxing exponents in the UFC, by denying him the space he likes to unleash his much vaunted offence.
However, midway through the second round, that aggression proved the ultimate downfall for Dariush, who was hit by a picture-perfect flying-knee to send his fellow countryman into complete pandemonium.
The win should see Barboza vault into the top three in the division and a potential fight with champion Conor McGregor.
Newshub.
