Zac Pauga and Bogdan Guskov | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Bogdan Guskov is making sure fans can’t blink when he’s fighting.
In a light heavyweight bout at UFC Vegas 86 on Saturday, Guskov added another first-round finish to his résumé with a blistering combination that left Zac Pauga down and dazed on the canvas.
Watch Guskov’s fiery knockout win below.
Bogdan Guskov KOs Zac Pauga #UFCVegas86
(via @espnmma) pic.twitter.com/5zaeS2qeRJ
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 10, 2024
Though Pauga did his best to mix up his attacks and keep Guskov from finding a rhythm, he couldn’t avoid Guskov’s power shots for long, and the action shifted dramatically when Pauga was caught with a crisp one-two combination. More hard head shots followed, causing Pauga to crumble, and when it was clear he wasn’t going to recover, Guskov let out a loud shout in triumph rather than throw another unnecessary strike.
The official time of the stoppage was 3:38 of Round 1.
This is Guskov’s first UFC win after an unsuccessful debut against Volkan Oezdemir this past September. He was understandably excited after, calling in-cage interviewer Daniel Cormier his “idol” and declaring that the victory “was more good than sex.”
Guskov is now 15-3 as a pro, with his past seven fights all ending inside the opening round. Pauga falls to 1-3 inside the octagon.