Francis Ngannou on Saturday needed just 1:11 to dispatch Junior dos Santos in the UFC on ESPN 3 headliner, as he finished the Brazilian with punches at the Target Center in Minneapolis and solidified his claim on a second shot at the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight crown. His last three fights -- all first-round finishes -- have lasted a combined total of 142 seconds. “The Predator” looks poised to finally live up to the hype that accompanied the first half of his UFC career.
Beneath the heavyweight anchor, Joseph Benavidez stopped Jussier Formiga with a head kick and follow-up punches in the second round of their flyweight rematch; Demian Maia turned away Anthony Rocco Martin by majority decision; Vinc Pichel outpointed Roosevelt Roberts; and Drew Dober and Alonzo Menifield picked up a pair of first-round stoppages.