Kaan Ofli’s measured approach paid off in emphatic fashion at UFC Baku.
The Australian featherweight delivered the biggest finish of his UFC career on Saturday, stopping Javier Reyes with a first-round arm-triangle choke after dropping the Colombian with a thunderous right hand.
Despite giving up considerable size and reach, Kaan Ofli looked comfortable from the outset. He controlled the center of the cage and used his movement to frustrate Reyes, repeatedly slipping inside the Colombian’s long range to land clean punches to the head and body.
As the round wore on, Reyes struggled to cut off the cage while Ofli continued to dictate the tempo with his footwork and timing. Late in the opening frame, Ofli uncorked a huge right hand that sent Reyes crashing to the canvas. The Colombian briefly found himself on top during the ensuing scramble, but the momentum quickly shifted once again.
“Genghis Khan” reversed the position, locked up an arm-triangle choke, and squeezed until Reyes was forced to tap at the 4:16 mark of Round 1.
This victory at UFC Baku marks Kaan Ofli’s third consecutive win and continues an impressive turnaround following losses to Mairon Santos in The Ultimate Fighter 32 finale and Muhammad Naimov in his UFC debut.
“Genghis Khan” now improves to 14-4-1 as a professional and continues to build momentum in the featherweight division.
