Islam Dulatov wrapped up the UFC 318 early prelims with a sensational knockout win.
Hometown favorite Carli Judice got things started with a brutal knee KO that made the New Orleans crowd go wild.
Next up, Brunno Ferreira almost snapped his opponent’s arm to get UFC 318 off to a flying start.
After the first four fights ended inside the distance, Islam Dulatov had his work cut out to stand out during his UFC debut.
Islam Dulatov shines in destructive UFC debut
Dulatov was one of the biggest favorites on the card against 10-5 welterweight Adam Fugitt.
The underdog tried to make the fight ugly by initiating grappling exchanges, but they were easily shrugged off by Dulatov, who put his lights out inside five minutes.
A short left hook dropped Fugitt hard before Dulatov followed him to the floor and closed the show.
Fugitt went out cold and woke back up as Dulatov drilled his head off the floor with nasty ground strikes.
The German ‘Ripper’ improved his record to 12-1 and won a ton of new fans during his UFC 318 debut.
Islam Dulatov is a fashion model
Before he was a professional fighter in the UFC, Dulatov was a model for various fashion designers.
The 26-year-old walked for the likes of Gucci and Hugo Boss, and was named as one of the top 10 male models of 2018 by British Vogue.
Dulatov eventually signed an exclusive contract with Versace, but ultimately chose a career in MMA to chase his real dream.
“(I worked for) every brand which is like a big name,” Dulatov said after earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. “I did a lot of fashion weeks and all that stuff, but to be honest, I prefer fighting more than modeling.”
“We had some problems with money and everything. This time, modeling was really helping me with my situation. I remember when I canceled a shooting for $5,000. At this time, that was a lot of money for me.
“To be honest, I love to be a fighter and that’s what I do.”
Although MMA is his priority, Dulatov hasn’t totally given up his career in front of the camera.
A photoshoot with GQ is set to take place in two days’ time, so Dulatov will just be thankful he was able to make it out of UFC 318 ‘still pretty’, in the eyes of UFC commentators Paul Felder and Daniel Cormier.