Terrance McKinney and others react as Luke Riley secures KO victory at UFC Qatar
UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett’s teammate, Luke Riley, secured an impressive knockout victory at UFC Qatar against Bogdan Grad.
Riley lost the first round of his UFC debut but came out strong in Round 2. With a clean left hook, the Brit dropped Grad and as the latter crashed on the canvas, Riley wasted no time and pounced on his opponent, with non-stop ground and pound, until the referee intervened and stopped the fight, declaring Riley the winner by KO/TKO in the 30-second mark of Round 2.
Check out the finish below:
Pimblett, who was in Riley’s corner, celebrated the knockout victory immediately. The MMA community and several notable figures also reacted to this finish.
Terrance McKinney wrote:
“Luke Riley is for real, sheesh”
Popular MMA Page DovySimuMMA wrote:
“What a debut, Luke Riley, welcome to the UFC”
Popular yet polarizing MMA content creator The MMA Guru posted on X:
“NASTY KO WIN FROM LUKE RILEY! #UFCQatar GET IN THEIR LAD WHAT A KO FINISH”
Luke Riley is unimpressed with his Round 1 performance at UFC Qatar
Luke Riley was unhappy with how he performed in Round 1 of his UFC debut fight in Qatar. Riley was clearly outgrappled in the opening frame when Grad scored several takedowns and controlled the majority of the five minutes with his constant takedown attack. But in the second round, Riley turned the tide in his favour, knocking Grad out.
During the octagon interview, he told Michael Bisping:
“What the f*ck was that first round? That was f**king sh*t. I’m my own worst critic… I’m an emotionless stone-cold killer in here… Line them up, I’m taking them all out. I’ll be back soon, staying f**king ready for anyone.”
Check out Luke Riley’s comments below:
With tonight’s win, Riley has extended his pro-MMA record to 12-0 (9 finishes).
