INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Chris Gonzalez turned the tables on Max Rohskopfwith one punch Saturday night.
After first round in which Rohskopf looked like the better fighter, Gonzalez came back in Round 2 and landed the punch he needed, hitting Rohskopf with a straight right hand to the forehead that wobbled his legs and sent him backwards on the canvas. From there, Gonzalez only needed some follow-up punches on the defenseless Rohskopf to earn the second-round TKO at the 1:22 mark inside Kia Forum.
You can watch the finish in the video below (via Twitter):
𝗛𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧! What a KO by @cgzdream 👊🔥
💻 @MonsterEnergy Prelims fueled by @NorthgateGlzMrk | Bellator YouTube
📺 #Bellator290 | 𝑪𝑩𝑺 & 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕+ | 9pm ET / 6pm PT pic.twitter.com/8ro0d3USSU
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) February 5, 2023
For Gonzalez (8-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA), the win comes roughly seven months after losing to now-champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Rohskopf (7-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), who was making his Bellator debut, loses for just the second time in his career.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 290 results include:
- Chris Gonzalez def. Max Rohskopf via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:22
- Grant Neal def. Karl Albrektsson via split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
- Diana Avsaragova def. Alejandra Lara via split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
- Nikita Mikhailov def. Darrion Caldwell via unanimous decision 29-28, 29-28, 29-28
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 290.