The featured prelim at UFC Vegas 78 on Saturday saw Marcus McGhee return for his second trip to the octagon — and first with a full camp for The MMA Lab standout. He was paired up with JP Buys, a former flyweight fighting for the first time in over a year.
Buys had lost all three of his fights in the UFC prior to Saturday, after earning a spot in the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020.
McGhee flashed a spinning kick early, while Buys worked his jab. McGhee hit home with a leg kick, while Buys landed a right. A fair amount of action played out early in the round, mostly single strikes. But a 1-2 by McGhee appeared to stun Buys just a little, after both the jab and follow-up right hit the mark.
Moments later, McGhee put the fight away. He stepped into a right hand that dropped Buys face-down on the canvas. McGhee chose not to fire any follow-up strikes, saving Buys from unnecessary damage. Buys, who didn’t seem to know where he was, instinctively went after a leg, but the ref was already waving off the fight!
OH MY GOODNESS 😳😳😳@ManiacMcGhee07 just did that! #UFCVegas78 pic.twitter.com/pgB7pBTOmb
— UFC (@ufc) August 12, 2023
McGhee now has two stoppages in two UFC fights. And UFC Vegas 78 saw seven straight finishes play out on the preliminary card.
Official Result: Marcus McGhee def. JP Buys by knockout, Round 1, 2:19
