Brando Pericic stops Shamil Gaziev with second-round KO at UFC Perth
Brando Pericic kept his knockout streak intact at UFC Perth on Saturday, stopping Shamil Gaziev with a right hand at 3:44 of the second round after one of the wildest heavyweight brawls in recent memory.
The Australian pressured Gaziev from the opening bell at RAC Arena, as MMA Fighting first reported, opening a cut early and landing heavy shots that would have crumpled most heavyweights. Gaziev refused to wilt. Every time Pericic appeared close to a finish, the Russian fired back with flurries that put the local favorite on his heels. The first round alone saw both men land flush punches that typically end fights.
Pericic finds the finish in round two
The second frame followed the same chaotic pattern until Pericic began mixing body shots with quick right hands, wobbling Gaziev along the cage. According to MMA Mania, Pericic then stepped in with one final right hook that sent Gaziev crashing face-first to the canvas. “I said it once, I said it again, I’m going to knock out every c*nt in this division,” Pericic told the crowd afterward, per MMA Fighting. “I’ll fight anybody. The UFC is going to Serbia, ‘The Balkan Bear’ has to be on that one.”
Pericic has now stopped all three of his UFC opponents inside the distance, cementing his status as one of the promotion’s most violent finishers at heavyweight. Gaziev showed an iron chin but ultimately couldn’t survive the volume. The win positions Pericic for a ranked opponent if he lands on the rumored UFC Serbia card later this year.
Original reporting:
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