Marcio Barbosa made a statement in his UFC debut, knocking out Dennis Buzukja in the first round at UFC Fight Night 273.
The featherweight matchup closed out the prelims at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where Barbosa ended the fight with a short left hook to Buzukja's jaw. After the bout, Barbosa’s record stood at 18-2 MMA and 1-0 UFC, while Buzukja moved to 12-6 MMA and 1-4 UFC.
"To start with this beautiful victory, it's a sign that we came here to make some noise," Barbosa said after the win. "It's also an opportunity for us to dedicate even harder to this craft and get even better."
Barbosa entered the fight off a knockout win on Dana White's Contender Series in the fall before joining the UFC, and he made clear he intends to build on his debut performance. "… I showed the entire division that I'm a problem. People are going to keep an eye on me. Our team is going to go through this entire division. I've just got to get better, dedicate ourselves even more, and we're going to make even more noise."
