Nate Landwehr found himself in trouble early against Jamall Emmers, but found a way to rebound and score a knockout finish, all in the opening round.
In the final preliminary bout of UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., Landwehr (18-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) shook off an early scare to put Emmers (20-8 MMA, 3-4 UFC) out cold at 4:43 of Round 1.
The moment the fight began, Emmers came out firing fast, and it initially appeared it may be a quick night at the office as he repeatedly tagged Landwehr with punches. Landwehr was on shaky legs just seconds into the fight, but was able to weather the early storm and regroup.
After getting his bearings, Landwehr began putting his offense together.
Soon, he had Emmers on wobbly legs, landing crisp punches in sharp combinations. Then Landwehr connected with a right uppercut that badly rocked Emmers, sending him to the canvas. The hammerfists that followed put Emmers out.
Check out video of the finish below (via X):
NATE THE TRAIN PULLS OUT A MASSIVE COMEBACK WIN 🚂 #UFCAtlanticCity pic.twitter.com/ssNvailqpo
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 31, 2024
Landwehr was thrilled to return to the win column as he delivered an energetic post-fight interview that got the crowd excited.
“Whoop my ass and see what happens,” Landwehr said.
“The Train” proved why he’s one of the most entertaining fighters in the featherweight division with his performance in the cage and on the mic.
In his previous outing, Dan Ige halted Landwehr’s three-fight winning streak. He returned to the winner’s circle with his third finish under the UFC banner which includes two submissions, and now, his first knockout.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 54 results include:
- Nate Landwehr def. Jamall Emmers via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:43
- Virna Jandiroba def. Loopy Godinez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Julio Arce def. Herbert Burns via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:00
- Dennis Buzukja def. Connor Matthews via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:22
- Ibo Aslan def. Anton Turkalj via TKO (punch) Round 3, 1:32
- Jacob Malkoun def. Andre Petroski via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:39
- Caolan Loughran def. Angel Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.
