Watch: 46-year-old UFC heavyweight vet knocks out opponent in bare-knuckle debut at Jorge Masvidal's promotion

Former UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson recently marked his return to combat sports with a highlight-reel-worthy first-round knockout win against Dillon Cleckler at the Gamebred Bare Knuckle 4 event in Florida. This was also the 46-year-old's first victory since 2017.

Nelson and Cleckler went head-to-head in the headlining fight of Jorge Masvidal's promotion, and while the bout didn't last long, the two heavyweights were certainly committed to doing some damage to each other.

The fight began with Roy Nelson and Dillon Cleckler exchanging some heavy shots, with Cleckler demonstrating superior speed and striking skills that even staggered 'Big Country' at one point. However, the two heavyweights were soon noticeably tired and started throwing sloppy punches.

Late into the opening round, Nelson's right hand cracked Cleckler during an exchange and sent him straight to the canvas. The 46-year-old went in for a follow-up shot before the referee decided he'd seen enough and called the fight at the 3:42 mark.

Roy Nelson's victory at the bare-knuckle fighting event stopped his five-fight losing slide, last tasting victory over Jay Ayala at Bellator 183 in September 2017. The MMA veteran, who turns 47 this June, was released from his Bellator contract in October 2020.

Watch the full fight below (1:49:45):

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Former UFC heavyweight champion calls out Francis Ngannou for mega-fight

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum has called out fellow former champion Francis Ngannou for a mega-fight in Brazil.

'The Predator' shockingly left the UFC earlier this year in January, and his future in combat sports has since been a hot topic of discussion among fans. While he's made no secret of wanting to box a high-profile pugilist next, Ngannou never dismissed the idea of returning to MMA at a different promotion.

It was recently revealed that Ngannou's contract talks with ONE Championship were unsuccessful as the promotion failed to come to terms with the Cameroonian's demands. However, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen recently claimed that Francis Ngannou has reached an agreement with the PFL and will fight in the SmartCage soon.

While there's no official confirmation on 'The Predator' joining the PFL yet, many have begun speculating potential opponents for the hard-hitting heavyweight fighter. 'Vai Cavalo' recently threw his name into the hat.

Werdum took to Twitter to call Ngannou out and wrote:

"Hi @francis_ngannou I shock the world when I beat Fedor also when I beat Cain And I become undisputed UFC heavyweight champion you have a lot of holes in your game let’s go @PFLMMA @DonnDavisPFL @PeteMurrayPFL only one way to find out PFL smart cage."