UFC middleweight Dustin Stoltzfus made Marc-André Barriault pay for charging forward in their UFC Edmonton showcase bout.
Stoltzfus and Barriault battled on the main card of UFC Edmonton. While the middleweight clash wasn’t hyped by many fans, it delivered hugely with a jaw-dropping knockout to steal the show.
It was a back-and-forth first round between Stoltzfus and Barriault, as both middleweights traded big blows early. The Edmonton crowd went nuts as Barriault appeared to put a lot of pressure on Stoltzfus in the closing minute of Round 1.
Stoltzfus, who hadn’t earned a TKO/KO finish in his UFC tenure entering Saturday’s fight, picked a perfect time to add his first. As he and Barriault exchanged blows in the clinch, Stoltzfus threw a wild right hand that sent Barriault collapsing to the canvas.
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Dustin Stoltzfus tallies brutal knockout over Canadian fan favorite Marc-André Barriault
Stoltzfus sealed the deal with a few hammer fists before the referee stepped in to save Barriault. The Edmonton crowd went almost completely silent as Stoltzfus celebrated inside the Octagon.
Stoltzfus entered UFC Edmonton looking to make a statement against Barriault. After the knockout victory, he’s won three of his last five fights, including wins over Dwight Grant and Punahele Soriano.
As for Barriault, he’s lost three consecutive fights after falling short at UFC Edmonton. Before facing Stoltzfus, he suffered another brutal knockout loss to Joe Pyfer at UFC 303.
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Dustin Stoltzfus is a name to watch as 2025 nears
Stoltzfus seems to be finding his stride as 2024 nears its end. The former Dana White’s Contender Series standout is potentially on the cusp of earning himself a Top 15 middleweight ranking.
Stoltzfus’s knockout was one of the few finishes earned at UFC Edmonton. Luckily for Canadian MMA fans, Jasmine Jasudavicius and Charles Jourdain both earned impressive submission wins on home soil.
Stoltzfus could potentially earn another top name for his next UFC booking. After some early UFC career struggles, he seems to be in a groove entering 2025.