Zach Reese has still never seen a second round in his MMA career after blitzing through Julian Marquez at UFC on ESPN 57.
Reese (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) needed just 20 seconds to clip and drop Marquez (9-5 MMA, 3-5 UFC) with a right uppercut. He swarmed with a flurry of ground-and-pound, forcing the referee to jump in and stop the middleweight contest at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
Check out the replay of the lightning-fast finish below (via X):
ZACH REESE GETS THE FINISH IN THE OPENING SECONDS 😳 #UFCLouisville pic.twitter.com/ZhNzwit0TB
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 9, 2024
After the fight, Reese said the result wasn’t necessarily part of the game plan or expectation, but he’s thrilled with the manner in which he achieved his first UFC triumph.
“I’m trying to be a little more patient and ease into it – I kind of fight like white trash sometimes, but I am pretty skilled,” Reese said to Paul Felder in his post-fight interview. “I’m stoked to win in the UFC for the first time, and I’m ready for another one. Let’s go.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 57 results include:
- Zach Reese def. Julian Marquez via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:20
- Puna Soriano def. Miguel Baeza via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-27)
- Ludovit Klein def. Thiago Moises via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Carlos Prates def. Charlie Radtke via knockout (body shot) – Round 1, 4:47
- Brad Katona def. Jesse Butler via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
- Montana De La Rosa def. Andrea Lee via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Daniel Marcos def. John Castaneda via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Denise Gomes def. Eduarda Moura via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 30-27)
- Taylor Lapilus def. Cody Stamann via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Puja Tomar def. Rayanne Amanda via split decision (30-27, 27-30, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.