UFC 289 video: Aiemann Zahabi floors and finishes Aori Qileng for slick TKO victory

Aiemann Zahabi gave Canada more to cheer about Saturday at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.

On the UFC 289 prelims, Zahabi (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) floored and finished Aori Qileng (24-10 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in a bantamweight bout. The stoppage came 64 seconds into Round 1.

The finishing sequence began when Qileng threw an outside leg kick. Zahabi grabbed Qileng’s leg, thew a right, and landed a massive overhand left that sent his opponent to the canvas.

Zahabi initially considered a walk-off, but Qileng moved and the referee hadn’t stopped it. Zahabi pounced and finished off the job with more punches.

After the stoppage, a woozy Qileng appeared disoriented as he shook off commission and promotion officials, as he seemingly looked to resume the fight.

ZAHABI'S HUGE LEFT LED TO THE FIRST ROUND KO #UFC289 pic.twitter.com/H2ujHW6B15

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 11, 2023

With the victory, Zahabi has won three fights in a row after a 1-2 start to his UFC tenure. On the flip side of the coin, Qileng has a two-fight winning streak snapped.

The up-to-the-minute UFC 289 results include:

• Aiemman Zahabi def. Aori Qileng via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:04
• Kyle Nelson def. Blake Bilder via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Stephen Erceg def. David Dvorak via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Diana Belbita def. Maria Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 289.