Jorge Masvidal set one of the UFC’s most hallowed records with his flying knee knockout of Ben Askren (watch it) on the main card of last night’s (Sat., July 6, 2019) UFC 239 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
‘Gamebred’ was able to shut off Askren’s lights in only five seconds. Leaving him stiff on the canvas, the longtime veteran did the only thing possible to shut the outspoken smack talker’s mouth as well. Some follow-up punches came in as referee Jason Herzog was rushing in to save the out-cold Askren. Some deemed those as unnecessary violence, but Masvidal quickly shut down those inevitable notions.
MMA social media was on fire following the new record for the fastest UFC knockout. One of the reactions came from Masvidal’s American Top Team (ATT) teammate Dustin Poirier. He claimed ‘Gamebred’ and ATT coach Mike Brown had been planning the flying knee all along. It was a good story due to Masvidal already having knocked ‘Funky’ out. But it appears the words were true.
The UFC shared a video on Twitter from Brown’s Instagram that proves the dynamic duo from Florida had indeed been planning the finish all along. That only adds to the backstory of a knockout that could seriously be the greatest of all-time. There’s no recency bias there, either – it was that jaw-dropping.
Check out the their pre-fight plans here:
Ready For A Title Shot
The win was an unbelievable knockout for several historical reasons. Yes, it had the obvious record attached. But it also ended Askren’s unbeaten record in seconds and the rivalry that was arguably the most heated in MMA at the time. The stakes were high. The winner was lined up to face Kamaru Usman for the belt at some point after perceived title challenger Colby Covington agreed to fight Robbie Lawler in August.
There’s nothing more Masvidal could have done to secure a title shot. He’s only 2-2 in his last four fights, but those two Ws are a pair of the most devastating knockout all year. In the current “entertainment” era of MMA, no one has put on a show recently like Masvidal has. We can’t forget to throw in his infamous “three piece and a soda” tagline from his backstage brawl with Leon Edwards.
The sky is the limit for ‘Gamebred’ after he seemingly saw his late-career surge end with two uninspiring decision losses to Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson. And a lot of it is unfolding thanks to game plans like these.
