UFC on ESPN 19 video: Ilia Topuria enhances prospect status with KO of Damon Jackson

Ilia Topuria continued the perfect start to his career at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 19.

In what his most high-profile win to date, Topuria (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) took out veteran Damon Jackson (18-4-1 MMA, 1-2-1 UFC) with a first-round knockout in their featherweight preliminary bout, courtesy of some devastating hands.

The 23-year-old attacked Jackson to the body, then followed it up with a savage head shot for the highlight-reel finish.

Check out the replay of the stoppage below (via Twitter):

Rips & Clips!

Ilia Topuria ENDS IT in half a round.

[ Tune in on #ESPNPlus & ESPN2 ] pic.twitter.com/pKZEBGGh4B

— UFC (@ufc) December 6, 2020

For Topuria, the fight went exactly as planned. Afterward, he told Jon Anik in his cageside interview that he predicted the early finish.

“I was expecting the first-round knockout,” Topuria said. “In all my interviews that’s what I was saying.”