UFC on ESPN 51 video: Marcus McGhee folds JP Buys for first-round walkoff knockout

Marcus McGhee knew the fight was over before the referee, and mercifully decided against landing more punches.

In the final preliminary bout of UFC on ESPN 51 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, McGhee (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) stopped JP Buys (9-6 MMA, 0-4 UFC) with a vicious right hand. It was a walkoff finish for McGhee, but one that was somewhat awkward due to a slight hesitance from the referee. Ultimately, the fight was declared over at 2:19 of Round 1.

It was a clean striking performance from McGhee, who is known for finishing fights early.

After being on the receiving end of sharp combinations, Buys folded over after a big right hand from McGhee landed. Buys dropped down to one knee on the canvas. McGhee knew he had his opponent out of the fight, and began to walk away with both hands in the air. There was a brief moment of hesitation from referee Jason Herzog, but he waved off the fight as Buys rose to his feet and stumbled into the fence.

MARCUS MCGHEE DID THAT #UFCVEGAS78 pic.twitter.com/d3S78uzMP4

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 12, 2023

McGhee extends his winning streak to four, and has yet to compete in a professional bout that has gone the distance. In his UFC debut in April, McGhee submitted Journey Newson in the second round.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 51 results include:

• Marcus McGhee def. JP Buys via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:19
• Terrence McKinney def. Mike Breeden via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:25
• Isaac Dulgarian def. Francis Marshall via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:48
• Martin Buday def. Josh Parisian via submission (kimura) – Round 1, 4:11
• Jaqueline Amorim def. Montserrat Conejo via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:41
• Da’Mon Blackshear def. Jose Johnson via submission (twister) – Round 1, 3:47
• Luana Santos def. Juliana Miller via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:41

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 51.