Darrius Flowers added another TKO to his resume – and it’s one WWE’s The Undertaker might be proud of.
In a bizarre sequence early in his Dana White’s Contender Series bout Tuesday, Flowers (12-5-1) finished Amiran Gogoladze (14-3) with an injury-inducing slam that caused a TKO at 1:13 of Round 1.
The finish came when Gogoladze threatened a triangle choke submission from the bottom. In defense, Flowers raised his opponent up. Gogoladze awkwardly spun upside down. From there, Flowers drove Gogoladze into the canvas. Gogoladze tried to tough it out, but the impact to his left shoulder on the slam was unbearable. He looked to his corner before he ultimately decided to tap.
The finish was awkward and surprising, but fired Flowers up. UFC president Dana White cracked a smile and gave him the thumbs up. Regardless, the bizarre “tombstone” piledriver-esque finish instantly went viral.
As commentator Laura Sanko mentioned, piledriver-type slams are illegal in MMA – but there’s an exception. If a fighter is attempting a submission, his or her opponent is allowed to slam in a driving fashion.
The MASSIVE slam from Darrius Flowers leads to the tap & the first round finish 💥 #DWCS pic.twitter.com/VtXokkK3zc
— UFC (@ufc) August 24, 2022
With the win, Flowers extends his winning streak to four. Meanwhile, Gogoladze has his three-fight winning streak snapped, as he’s finished for the first time.
