When it comes to lightning-fast knockout power, Danny Roberts has it by the bucketload, and the slick-striking British welterweight showcased his honey punch, the fastball left hook, for his latest highlight-reel moment in the octagon.
Roberts (17-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC) was determined to bounce back into the win column after being stunned by acrobatic Brazilian welterweight Michel Pereira in his last outing. And the Brit did just that as he went toe-to-toe with fellow power-puncher Zelim Imadaev at UFC on ESPN+ 21 in Moscow.
Roberts opted to fight off the back foot in the early going as Imadaev (8-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) pushed the pace. But dragging the Russian – who is known for his penchant for first-round finishes – into deeper waters was clearly the gameplan, and Roberts mixed in a few takedowns with his bread and butter, his striking, to take the fight into the second round.
Once there, a grin began to appear on Roberts’ face as he started to get the better of the striking exchanges. And, after a lengthy, grueling exchange against the cage fence, it was Roberts who appeared to be building momentum as he connected with some well-placed shots from the clinch.
And when the pair finally separated and headed back to the center of the octagon, Roberts unleashed his Moscow party piece as he connected with a stunning left hook that spun Imadaev around, and down to the canvas.
If you thought Roberts’ stunning KO looked familiar, you’d be right.
It was a near carbon-copy of the KO he delivered to Swedish prospect Oliver Enkamp at UFC Fight Night 127 in London back in March 2018, where he spun his man with a huge left hook in a very similar fashion at The O2 Arena.
In Roberts’ homeland of England, it’s not uncommon to enjoy a mug of hot chocolate before bedtime. And now Enkamp and Imadaev have both experienced their own taste of “Hot Chocolate” before taking a quick nap in the octagon.
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