Manoel Sousa wanted a strong impact in his UFC debut, and he got one with his literal last-minute knockout of Bolaji Oki at UFC Vegas 114.
Sousa seemed near a quick finish in the opening round when he landed a solid right hand on Oki to knock him down. Oki survived the Brazilian's ground-and-pound attack and a kimura attempt, however, and he managed to get clinch control during the latter part of the first.
Oki's control continued in the second with sharp striking, as the two had a back-and-forth war, trading shot for shot. Sousa looked to bring pressure in the third. Oki responded with his sharp strikes again, but Sousa was not to be deterred.
Then, in the fight's last minute, Sousa landed a right hand that put Oki out cold to seal a major knockout victory.
Manoel Sousa KOs Bolaji Oki At UFC Vegas 114
Sousa has now won three straight after his undefeated record was snapped at the hands of Archie Colgan. Sousa was making his UFC debut here tonight after defeating Cristian Pérez on Dana White's Contender Series.
Oki is now 2-3 in the Octagon since winning his own contract on DWCS in 2023.