Marcio Barbosa had a late-notice opponent change, but that didn’t stop him from putting on a show, as he scored a first-round finish of Ryan Kuse during the UFC Sacramento prelims.
Both men looked to take control in the center of the Octagon, but Kuse nearly fell victim to a guillotine attempt from Barbosa there. Barbosa continued to stuff takedown attempts while working his striking.
Barbosa soon enough landed a left hook that put Kuse out as he fell to the mat, scoring the first-round knockout.
Barbosa, an LFA veteran and Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, moves to 19-2. He made his UFC debut in April, knocking out Dennis Buzujka in 80 seconds.
