Tony Gravely only needed one perfectly timed uppercut to end his fight at UFC Vegas 56.
In a bout against Johnny Munoz, both grapplers were expected to search for the takedown quickly, but Gravely’s timing of a punch when Johnny was ducked by Gravely made the difference.
As soon as Gravely’s uppercut was connected, Munoz became dazed and fell to the ground. After a few more hits on the ground, the referee intervened to save Munoz from further punishment.
The end came just 1:08 into the opening round.
“I knew he was shooting in,” Gravely said of the finish. “It was [the uppercut], because I knew that he would attempt to drag me down.
“This is what I expected. This man is the reason I came to this place. If the ref didn’t pull me off, I would have.”
The win marked Gravely’s second in a row as he moved to 4-2 overall in the UFC with his second knockout inside the octagon. Afterward, Gravely didn’t have a future opponent in mind, but rather a request to stay as busy as possible for the rest of 2022.
“I would like to fight at least two more times this year,” Gravely said. “That would be great.”