Gabe Green started like a bat out of hell, and Bryan Battle made him pay – in a hurry.
In front of his home fans in Charlotte, N.C., Battle (9-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) knocked out Green (11-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC) in just 14 seconds. It was the sixth fastest finish in UFC welterweight history with Green out cold.
Their fight was the second bout on the prelims at UFC on ABC 4 at Spectrum Center.
“I was made by Charlotte. I’m never going to lose in Charlotte – never in front of my people, never in front of my friends, never in front of my family. We’re just going to keep going,” Battle said in his post-fight interview.
Green came forward immediately after they touched gloves and threw his first punch five seconds into the fight. Six seconds later, he was unconscious. There was an extra two to three seconds for the referee to stop the fight after Green’s head hit the canvas.
BRYAN. BAAAAAATTLE!!!!!!!! 😱😱😱
[ #UFCCharlotte | Prelims LIVE on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/jSSUhxO0H6
— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2023
Battle’s knockout came from just a single punch after he traded in a flurry with Green along the fence for a few seconds.
Battle was emotional after the fight and warned future opponents of his knockout power.
“I put these hands on anybody, they might go to sleep,” he said. “He normally doesn’t come out that aggressive, so it caught me a little off guard. But I kept my stance, kept my posture and was just firing, baby. That’s a tough dude – I’m the first person to finish him in the UFC.”
In a normal circumstance, Battle would be a shoe-in for a post-fight bonus award. Under the strictest application of the rules, though, he’s ineligible because he missed weight and came in two pounds heavy. UFC president Dana White has waived that rule in the past, but it’s yet to be seen if he’ll do it for Battle.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 4.
