5 UFC debutants who wasted no time in delivering a knockout

#2. Mark Weir vs. Eugene Jackson – UFC 38

Mark Weir stunned everyone with his rapid knockout of Eugene Jackson in his octagon debut

Modern-day UFC fans have probably never heard the name Mark Weir. To be honest, it’s hardly surprising. After all, ‘The Wizard’ fought just three times in the octagon and has been retired from MMA since 2013.

However, Weir’s debut with the promotion saw him deliver a knockout for the ages. Surprisingly enough, it still ranks as the fastest knockout in the middleweight division nearly 20 years later.

Fighting out of Gloucester, England, Weir was booked as part of the main card on the UFC’s first visit to the UK in the summer of 2002. He was matched with Eugene Jackson, who’d first debuted in the octagon back in 1999.

‘The Wolf’ was naturally considered a clear favorite in the bout, but Weir looked confident. He also owned a sizeable reach advantage, something he intended to use.

Sure enough, when the fight began, ‘The Wizard’ surprised Jackson with a wild axe kick aimed at his head. The kick missed but threw Jackson off enough for Weir to follow with a short right hand to the jaw. It knocked the veteran down and Weir quickly followed up and knocked him senseless.

The knockout took just 10 seconds. While Weir’s subsequent two losses in the octagon soon left him outside the promotion looking in, his debut victory found its way onto the UFC’s highlight reels for years afterwards.

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#1. Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh – UFC 149

Ryan Jimmo needed little time to dispatch of Anthony Perosh in his octagon debut

When the UFC signed Ryan Jimmo to a contract in 2012, many MMA fans let out a sigh of frustration. ‘The Big Deal’ was seen as a hugely talented fighter, but his run of decision wins in Canada’s MFC promotion had also gained him the reputation as someone hugely dull to watch.

That reputation meant few fans expected much from his octagon debut against veteran Anthony Perosh. It came as no surprise to see the fight placed on the preliminary portion of a less-than-stacked pay-per-view card.

However, Jimmo stunned everyone with his performance, as he needed just seven seconds to take out ‘The Hippo’, setting a UFC record in the light heavyweight division in the process.

The fight began with a touch of gloves, but after that, ‘The Big Deal’ wasted no time. He stepped forward, found his range and leveled Perosh with a right hand that knocked him silly before he even hit the deck.

When Jimmo celebrated by performing the viral ‘robot dance’, it seemed like a star had been born in the most unlikely of circumstances. While he was unable to make it to the top of the promotion before his untimely death in 2016, his debut knockout remains one of the best in UFC history.