Paddy Pimblett made quite the impression as he claimed a TKO victory over Italy's Luigi Vendramini on his octagon debut at UFC Vegas 36.
Pimblett's UFC bow came at the UFC Apex, where a small but enthralled crowd paid close attention to the maiden appearance of one of the most talked-about British fighters in the sport.
And, after Pimblett's win, there was certainly plenty to discuss.
Pimblett started steadily, but was clipped hard by a thumping left hook by Vendramini that brought gasps from the UFC Apex crowd. But, true to his oft-stated phrase that "Scousers don't get knocked out," Pimblett took the shot without fuss, then set about turning the fight in his favour.
By the end of the first round, he had completely settled and was posing Vendramini problems with his unorthodox striking.
Pimblett then grabbed a single leg and attempted to take Vendramini to the mat, but the Italian did well to avoid the takedown and keep the fight standing.
But then we saw Pimblett's striking as, in the final minute of the round, "Paddy The Baddy" turned up the power as he loaded up and put Vendramini in big trouble.
An upper cut, right hook combination put Vendramini on wobbly legs, as Pimblett closed in, looking for the finish. Two more right hands then forced his man back against the fence, where a blistering barrage of shots sent Vendramini to the canvas as referee Mark Smith stepped in to wave off the contest at the 4:25 mark.
After his win, an elated Pimblett visited with Michael Bisping for his post-fight interview, where he reminded the UFC Hall of Famer of a pre-fight conversation between the pair, where he made "The Count" a promise.
"What did I tell you, Mike?" he said.
"Me and you will be having this conversation after the first-round finish, and what happened?!"
After Bisping highlighted the big left hook Pimblett took in the opening exchanges, the Liverpudlian responded by saying, "You know my saying, lad. I'm a Scouser. We don't get knocked out. I take that s**t all day."
He then predicted that his arrival on the sport's biggest stage will lead to a flurry of callouts as other fighters on the UFC lightweight roster call him out for a future fight.
"I'm here to take over, lad. I'm the new cash cow. I'm the new main man on the UFC roster. I best be in the (video) game next week, lad. It's that simple," he stated.
"I'm the new man, lad. People are going to be calling me out now. You know who the boy is."
Then, rather than suggest a name for his next assignment, Pimblett called for the UFC to head back to his homeland of England, where he promised to deliver an unforgettable atmosphere on his next appearance.
"Dana! Shelby! let's get England back on, lad. Let's get back to the UK!'
"Get your boy in the main event or the co-main and I'll blow the roof off the gaff!"
