Leon Edwards had never been knocked out in his professional career until he ran into Carlos Prates. On the UFC 322 main card Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Prates (23-7 MMA, 6-1 UFC) rebounded from a frustrating opening round to score a stunning second-round knockout over Edwards (22-6 MMA, 14-5 UFC). The stoppage came at 1:28 of Round 2 after a perfectly timed straight left hand sent the former champion crashing to the canvas.
In Round 1, Edwards executed a smart, if unspectacular, gameplan. He smothered Prates with clinches and control, slowing the pace and frustrating the Brazilian striker while the more violence-hungry fans in the arena grew restless.