Recent Contender Series winner Bilal Hasan made a quick turnaround as part of Saturday’s UFC Shanghai card, taking on Peru’s Nilson Rojas.
The flyweight fight kicked off Saturday’s main card, and found Hasan fighting just over two weeks on from winning his UFC contract on DWCS. He was joining heavyweight Anthony Wint, who also earned a contract on the Contender Series earlier this year and had debuted on 11 days notice.
Hasan opened the fight by employing kicks, while Rojas let his hands go. It was Hasan doing more damage, mixing up those kicks, hitting the body, showing impressive speed and putting Rojas on his heels. A body shot in particular had Rojas hurt, but he fought through it, regrouped and marched forward. Two minutes in, however, and Rojas was taken down, forced to fight off his back and scramble desperately while Hasan looked to avoid an upkick. Rojas gave up his back, with Hasan getting a hook in, but Nilson would eventually free himself.
That led to some further fast, furious exchanges on the feet prior to the end of the frame.
Round two saw Bilal Hasan put the fight away. A fully extended straight right to the jaw caught Rojas leaning in, and he crashed to the floor, head bouncing off the canvas. As clean a knockout as you could ask for, with the ref diving in as the one and only follow-up punch was delivered.
Hasan, a former CFFC champ, performed a little dance in celebration after that fact, having arrived in the UFC in style.
Official Result: Bilal Hasan def. Nilson Rojas by knockout (punch), Round 2, 2:28
