Here's Every KO/TKO From The First UFC Card Of 2025
My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over: the UFC is back.
We got our first card in four weeks (and first of the new year) tonight LIVE from the UFC Apex, and despite it not having the top-to-bottom name value that next week's PPV holds - it was a pretty great action-packed event! Mackenzie Dern just avenged her 2019 loss to Amanda Ribas in the main event with a slick armbar….
….and we got nine finishes in fourteen fights overall, seven of which were TKO/KOs! So I figured I'd compile em all here as a one-stop-shop of what you missed, making it easy to catch up on the night….
Fatima Kline def. Viktoriia Dudakova via TKO, 4:27 into Round 2
Our very first finish of 2025 came via Fatima Kline elbowing her way through Viktoriia Dudakova, but honestly - the fight was an afterthought to Dudakova smacking the fuck outta one of her coaches afterwards….
Here's the alleged translation of that very personal moment….
her other coaches
Incredibly awkward - but as a UFC blogger for Barstool Sports dot com, I love it. Gives this post a little variety. We've got a couple elbows, a couple knockouts, and a coach smack. Maybe Power Slap is in her future if mixed martial arts isn't.
Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons via KO, 1:13 into Round 1
Just a perfectly placed punch right there - directly on the jaw. Hell of a way for Jacobe Smith to make his UFC debut and keep his undefeated streak alive; he's now 10-0 as a pro with eight KO/TKOs. This unfortunately drops Preston Parsons to 2-4 in the UFC….not sure how much longer he'll be around.
Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria via KO, 3:04 into Round 1
Another Contender Series debut here, and another impressive knockout finish. It wasn't flashy, and it certainly wasn't pretty - but Marco Tulio went in there and beat the fuck out of Ihor Potieria, and made him look like he went through WAR in just three minutes. Definitely a name to watch in 2025, along with Jacobe Smith.
Puna Soriano def. Uros Medic via KO, 0:31 into Round 1
Huuuuge shot from Soriano, running forward and knocking Uros Medic back into the cage. Medic went stiff as a board for a second and I think the back of his head ramming into the cage might've woke him up for a second! I can't even imagine the neck pain/headache he'll feel tomorrow.
I've always liked Soriano and hope this is the start of a new run for him - he's got four losses in the UFC but mostly to really good opponents. I see some potential left in the young kid. Yes, he's older than me.
Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis via TKO, 4:59 into Round 3
Speaking of the "really good" opponents who have beaten Soriano - Roman Kopylov fought tonight! He faced Chris Curtis, and the two slugged it out for three straight rounds before Kopylov landed a huuuge fight-ending head kick. It was extremely controversial, however, because the kick clearly didn't knock Curtis out - and referee Mark Smith called it with one second left in the fight….which seemed unnecessary. Curtis was actively standing up as he stepped in and Kopylov was nowhere near him. Obviously, if you know Chris Curtis, you know he was pissed about this - and he let Mark Smith hear it after the fight. Someone take his social media away tonight before we get another sad Tweetstorm.
It wouldn't have mattered, to be honest - Kopylov would've won the decision regardless….but c'mon. Let the guy survive one more second and go to the judges. Let him leave the cage with some pride.
Cesar Almeida def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via KO, 4:16 into Round 1
This was fucking insane. Just MOMENTS after Cesar Almeida gets dropped (and almost finished) by Abdul Razak Alhassan, he gets back up, throws caution to the wind, and starts swinging for the fences; one of those shots wound up landing CLEAN and sending Alhassan straight to the shadow realm. And I know that phrase is probably overused at this point, but I'm telling you - this one is deserving of it. Alhassan was unconscious for like five straight minutes and looked like a marionette puppet when they put him back on the stool. It was fucking SCARY. Now that he's all good, though, we could admit - that was awesome. Those outrageous comebacks are why we love this sport. I know it's only the first card of the year but I already think this will be one of the best knockouts of the year.
Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Carlston Harris via TKO, 3:13 into Round 3
Another weird stoppage here, but another one where I don't think it actually mattered. This fight was over whether it lasted another few seconds or not. I was fucking stoked for Santiago Ponzinibbio after picked up the win, too! He's had a shakey past few years but has always been a fun guy to watch, and at this point he's a decade-plus veteran in the UFC. You gotta respect that.
As good as tonight's card was, though, it was really just the appetizer to next week's beautiful, gorgeous entree: UFC 311….
As of this writing, UFC 311 is still scheduled to take place at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, but things could obviously change on a dime as the wildfires progress. T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas appears to be open next Saturday night, so I'd keep an eye on any potential movement there if you're a current/potential ticketholder. My thoughts go out to all of those affected by the wildfires right now.