The hits kept on coming at UFC Vegas 101, as the promotion's first card of the year picked up in intensity on the main card real quick.
Not long after Roman Kopylov scored a controversial, last-second finish of Chris Curtis, Cesar Almeida pulled off an unbelievable performance of his own, coming back from nearly being knocked out to emphatically finish Abdul Razak Alhassan.
Alhassan was dominating Almeida throughout the first round. The Brazilian was dropped, and when he got up, the Ghanaian powerhouse landed rapid-fire shots, troubling Almeida and nearly putting him away.
But while Alhassan was landing a barrage of shots with the two fighters near the fence, Almeida cracked him on the button, dropping Alhassan out cold in the final minute of the opening round to seal off a memorable comeback victory.
Almeida Provides Early KO Of The Year Nominee With One-Shot Finish Of Alhassan At UFC Vegas 101
With the win, the Brazilian rises to 7-1 and improves to 3-1 in the UFC since his appearance on Dana White's Contender Series. His sole loss thus far came against Kopylov.
Alhassan, meanwhile, is without a victory in his last three fights and has just one triumph across his last five.