With one punch, Taylor felled opponent Abusupiyan Magomedov in the 2018 PFL World Championship opener, making himself the league’s first middleweight champion and first recipient of its $1,000,000 prize.
Magomedov pursued Taylor early, but was soon caught by a lunging left hook that put him on his back. The fight may have been over there, but Taylor put him away for good with a follow-up punch on the mat to secure the fast first-round finish.
Post-fight, Taylor, 39, thanked the PFL and said the money would go towards paying off his house and school for his daughters.