We Told You About Yakhyaev. He Just Got the Second Fastest KO in UFC LHW History

We told you about this guy.

Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev walked out in Baku on Saturday morning, threw the first punch of the fight, and Julius Walker was unconscious before anyone in the arena had time to sit down. Sharp right hand over the shoulder. Walker dropped. A couple follow up shots that honestly weren't needed. The ref stepped in and fight over.

Eight seconds. 0:08 on the clock.

That ties for the second fastest knockout in UFC light heavyweight history. Only Ryan Jimmo's seven second KO of Anthony Perosh at UFC 149 was faster. Yakhyaev matches James Irvin vs Houston Alexander from 2008. He's in the same sentence as guys who have been on highlight reels for almost two decades and the man is 25 years old.

10-0. Three UFC wins. All in round one. And the craziest part? His first five straight first round finishes were all SUBMISSIONS. He was supposed to be a grappling specialist. Then he showed up in Baku and threw one punch that ended a fight in eight seconds.

Literally insane bro.

What Walker Saw (Nothing)

Cageside Press described it perfectly. "Walker hit the canvas in a heap, and when he finally came to, he looked completely confused, like he was trying to figure out where he was and what just happened."

That's because there's nothing to figure out. You walk to the center of the cage. The ref says go. You start moving forward and then you wake up on the canvas with the arena screaming and your corner throwing water on your face. The whole fight happened in less time than it takes to read this paragraph.

Walker came in 7-2 with a 1-3 record in his recent fights. He was supposed to be a test. A young prospect vs a young prospect on the prelims of an international card. The kind of fight where both guys get a chance to show what they've got and the better man pulls away over 15 minutes.

Yakhyaev decided 15 minutes was about 14 minutes and 52 seconds too long.

The LHW Division Needs Him

The light heavyweight division is hemorrhaging talent. Jones left for heavyweight years ago. Pereira moved up to chase the three division title and got stopped by Gane. Walker is moving up. Rakic is moving up. Hill just announced he's going to heavyweight too. The 205 pound division is losing bodies every month and the guys replacing them need to be special.

Yakhyaev is special.

He's 25 and undefeated. He finishes everybody and can submit you in the first round or apparently just flatline you with the first punch of the fight. The UFC's own write up after the fight said "it's time for him to get a step up in competition." Yahoo Sports said "this man needs a bigger challenge."

They're right. The Walkers and the Cerqueiras were fine for the first three fights. But the conversation changes after an eight second KO that ties a UFC historical record. You don't match a fighter like this against guys on losing streaks anymore. You match him against ranked opponents and see if the hype is real against someone who can actually threaten him.

Carlos Ulberg holds the title right now but he's recovering from a knee injury. The division is wide open underneath him. Ankalaev is there. Jamahal Hill is leaving. Blachowicz is still around. The ranked spots are shifting constantly and a 25 year old who just made history in eight seconds should be jumping the queue.

From Submissions to Knockouts

When we wrote about Yakhyaev, the narrative was built around his grappling. DWCS Season 9 graduate. Five straight first round submissions. The man was choking people out with rear naked chokes and arm triangles. His ground game was the selling point. The knockouts were secondary.

Then he showed up in Baku and threw a right hand that put a man to sleep before anyone could blink. That's not a one dimensional grappler. That's a problem in every area of MMA. If you take him down he submits you. If you stay standing he knocks you out in eight seconds. Pick your poison. Both options end the same way.

The best fighters in the sport are the ones who force you to choose between two bad options and then punish you for whichever one you pick. At 25 with a 10-0 record, Yakhyaev is already doing that.

The Future at 205

UFC.com called him "an ascending force to be reckoned with" after the fight. At 25 years old with a perfect record and a highlight that's going to be replayed every time someone googles "fastest UFC knockouts," Yakhyaev has the kind of trajectory that turns prospects into contenders within a calendar year.

The light heavyweight division needs new blood. The old guard is leaving. The champion is injured. And a 25 year old DWCS graduate just tied a record that's stood since 2008 with one punch on the prelims of an international card that most Americans were still asleep for.

We wrote the origin story. We told you to watch him. And on Saturday morning in Baku, he proved why in eight seconds.

Give this man a ranked opponent. Immediately.

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