Cejudo KOs Dillashaw in 32 seconds to keep belt

8:02 pm | January 19, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:

12:48 AM ET

NEW YORK — Henry Cejudo might have just saved the UFC’s flyweight division.

Cejudo (14-2) defended his flyweight championship for the first time at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, in a stunning 32-second finish of bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, who agreed to move down in weight in pursuit of a second title.

It’s the fifth-fastest knockout or TKO in a title fight in UFC history.

The 125-pound headlined the UFC’s first event on ESPN+ inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and it was over before it started.

Cejudo clipped Dillashaw (16-4) with a right hand to the temple and never let him recover. As Dillashaw grabbed Cejudo’s leg to slow things down, Cejudo threw a barrage of left hands to force the finish.

It was a remarkable result for a fight that might have affected an entire division. The UFC considered closing the 125-pound division after Cejudo won the title in August against all-time great Demetrious Johnson, and probably would have done so had Dillashaw won.

“Uncle Dana [White], where are you hiding?” Cejudo said. “Guys, this victory — I’ve said it before. It was much bigger than me. This victory was for the flyweights.”

In the same breath, Cejudo promised Dillashaw they would do the fight again, at Dillashaw’s home of 135 pounds. Dillashaw is still the 135-pound champion.

“TJ, we’ll do it again,” Cejudo said. “This time we’ll go to 135. Thank you for the opportunity. I know the weight cut was a lot. I’ll give you another shot at 135 pounds. Let’s do it again.”

Dillashaw appealed the stoppage to referee Kevin MacDonald immediately after the bout. Saturday marked his first MMA fight at 125 pounds.