PHOENIX -- It's about time to get Justin Gaethje a Wikipedia page. Just six months after defeating Luis Palomino in an instant Fight of the Year candidate, Gaethje somehow topped himself Friday night, starching Palomino with a sensational one-punch knockout to defend his World Series of Fighting lightweight title in the headlining rematch of WSOF 23.
They say sequels never top the first time out, but Gaethje (15-0) and Palomino (23-11) set out to prove that wrong. The two collided in the center of the cage from the opening bell, and it was Palomino who seized the upper hand early, catching Gaethje flush with a left hand and sending the champion staggering across the canvas. Palomino swarmed with a knee to the face, but Gaethje survived and minutes later dropped Palomino with a scorching right uppercut from the clinch.
Gaethje capitalized on sudden momentum to hoist Palomino high in the air and slam him hard to the floor. The assault continued into the second stanza, as Gaethje blasted Palomino with a two-shot combination then unleashed in a wild exchange that saw both men swinging for the fences. And just like that, it was over. Gaethje rocketed a gorgeous right hook into Palomino's temple, and Palomino hit the deck.
The official time of the finish came at 4:40 of the second round. Afterward, Palomino requested and was granted a spot in WSOF's upcoming lightweight tournament, which is expected to crown the next No. 1 contender.
A nifty slice of history was made in the night's co-main event, as David Branch (17-3) effortlessly dispatched Teddy Holder (9-2) to seize the inaugural WSOF light heavyweight title, in the process becoming the promotion's first two-division champion.
Branch, who doubles as WSOF's middleweight beltholder, took the fight to the fence early and turned the corner for a slick single leg takedown. After posturing up and landing a few blows, Branch jumped into side control, then took Holder's back, sliding in the fight-ending rear-naked choke at 2:21 of the opening round and extending his seven-fight win streak.
"You want my belt, come and take it from me," said a fired up Branch. "It ain't going nowhere."
Elsewhere on the card, Dagestani prospect Timur Valiev (10-1) kept his hot streak in the WSOF cage alive, overcoming the elusiveness of bantamweight veteran Tito Jones (11-7) to earn his tenth straight victory.
Despite entering the night as the card's biggest underdog, Jones had his moments in the bout's opening round, sticking to the outside and avoiding Valiev's lunging shots while scoring with a big counter right of his own. Valiev's pressure ultimately proved to be too much though, as Jones slowed and Valiev landed takedowns in both the second and third frame, while also battering Jones' lead leg with kicks and finding a consistent home for his right hand.
Two judges scored it 30-27, while one saw the fight 29-28, all in favor of Valiev.
After stumbling in his WSOF debut, Ben "Phoenix Jones" Fodor (6-1-1) got back on track. The part-time Seattle crimefighter survived a wild brawl to submit Roberto Yong (2-3) with a rarely seen scissor choke at 3:09 of the opening round.
From the outset, it was clear Fodor and Yong were down to slug it out. The two lightweights traded wild, looping shots, with both men getting the better of the other. The end came quickly, as Fodor dropped down for a double leg and advanced into north/south, then wrapped his legs around Yong's neck and cranked, coaxing the surprising tapout to pick up his first victory inside the WSOF cage.
When asked about the difference between this fight and his last, Fodor didn't mince his words.
"We worked on our ground game," he said. "We learned the first camp that you can be a terrible person, and be really, really boring, and just lay on someone and try to molest them in front of your friends and family and the [rules] let you do that."
With a spot in WSOF's upcoming lightweight tournament up for grabs, Brian Foster (23-7) left little doubt about who deserved it most. The ex-UFC fighter floored previously undefeated LaRue Burley (6-1) with a monstrous right hook early in the night's opening main card bout. The fight lasted all of 32 seconds, and afterward Burley spent several minutes under the care of cageside personnel.
"There's an eight man tournament coming up, and I better be the favorite," declared Foster, who has now finished nine of his last 11 fights.