Alexander Shlemenko gets revenge on Brandon Halsey with 25-second knockout

Here’s a pretty good way to avenge a title loss.

Alexander Shlemenko finished Brandon Halsey by TKO in just 25 seconds Thursday in the main event of M-1 Challenge 79 in St. Petersburg, Russia. A left kick by Shlemenko to Halsey’s body seemed to hurt the American fighter right off the bat and Shlemenko stopped the bout with a flurry of ground and pound.

Shlemenko, 33, lost the Bellator middleweight title to Halsey via 35-second submission in 2014. This was the first time the two have met since then.

Shlemenko (56-9, 1 NC) has now won four in a row since his knockout victory over Melvin Manhoef in 2015 was overturned when he tested positive for anabolic steroids in California. The Russian fighter beat Kendall Grove by second-round TKO in his return from suspension last October under the Bellator banner.

Halsey (9-3) has now lost three straight, a skid that started when Rafael Carvalho beat him for the Bellator title via second-round TKO (body kick) in 2015.