Undefeated Ilia Topuria silenced the Antwerp crowd when he put Brian Bouland to sleep with an anaconda choke in the first round of their main event clash at Cage Warriors 94 on Saturday night.
The bout was to be contested for the bantamweight title. Yet, promotional newcomer Topuria lost the right to fight for the title when he came in nearly five pounds over championship weight at 139.5.
Early in the opening round, Topuria took Bouland’s back as he looked to escape from the bottom after giving up a takedown. After a scramble, Topuria latched onto an anaconda choke and squeezed until Bouland was rendered unconscious.