Marcos Rogerio de Lima made it two in a row at UFC Vegas 42 and wasted no time doing so, knocking out veteran Ben Rothwell in just over 30 seconds.
Having posted a 3-1 mark ahead of his UFC Vegas 42 co-main event fight with Marcos Rogerio de Lima, “Big” Ben Rothwell had established himself as a heavyweight gatekeeper of sorts. Just outside the rankings, the veteran was a good test for anyone looking to break into them.
Rogerio de Lima, for his part, had seen an inconsistent run at light heavyweight turn into an inconsistent run in his return to heavyweight, trading wins and losses for most of his run inside the octagon. A win over Rothwell, however, would be the biggest of his career.
Rogerio de Lima started the fight with a few leg kicks that ended up being a distraction. A right hand over the top wobbled Rothwell and sent him to the fence. The Brazilian chased him and simply unloaded with everything he had. Haymaker after haymaker landed and one eventually dropped Rothwell. Herb Dean stopped the fight then stepped back as Rothwell was going for a takedown, but after de Lima stuffed it and landed in top position, Dean followed through with his original intentions and stopped the fight.
Wasting NO time, @Pezao011 gets it done in under 1 minute ⏱
[ #UFCVegas42 | Main Card Live NOW on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/a3W6Nb5C9S
— UFC (@ufc) November 13, 2021
Rogerio de Lima is that kind of fighter. Of his 19 career wins, he has stopped 14 in the very first round. The former light heavyweight might just be settling in at heavyweight.
Marcos Rogerio de Lima def. Ben Rothwell by TKO (Punches) in Round 1 (0:32)
