By Brad Lewis
UFC lightweight contender Michael Johnson has secured the best victory of his career with a knockout of the red hot Dustin Poirier at UFC Fight Night 94 in Texas.
The bout served as the Main Event of a night full of first round finishes, including a crazy 19 second submission win for Chas Skelly over Brazilian Maximo Blanco.
Johnson improves his career record to 17 wins and 10 losses, and puts him right back into top ten contention after a recent loss to Nate Diaz.
Johnson was a slight underdog going in but turned all that on its head with a brutal right-left counter combination on an aggressive Poirier.
Poirier had been riding high on a four fight win streak and a victory would have put him right in the mix of title contention, but the brutal nature of this defeat will no doubt see his title ambitions diminish for the time-being.
Earlier in the night Chas Skelly and Maximo Blanco put on a crazy 19 second fight.
Both came out with flying front-kicks but it was Skelly who landed first, dropped his opponent and preceded to lock in a beautiful Anaconda choke to take home the spoils.
Middleweight Derek Brunson has leaped into the forefront of the division with a first round finish of Uriah Hall.
Brunson dropped Hall with a vicious straight right and swarmed on his opponent with a flurry of punches leaving referee Herb Dean with no option to stop the fight.
The win should catapult Brunson into title contention with his seventh victory in eight fights.
Hall meanwhile drops his second straight and is very much at a career crossroads.
Michael Johnson defeated Dustin Poirier via KO
Derek Brunson defeated Uriah Hall via KO
Evan Dunham defeated Rick Glenn via unanimous decision
Roan Carneiro defeated Kenny Robertson via split decision
Islam Mackachev defeated Chris Wade via unanimous decision
Chas Skelly defeated Maximo Blanco via submission
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