UFC on ESPN 5 results: Nasrat Haqparast demolishes Joaquim Silva with second-round KO

Nasrat Haqparast was getting a little tired of decision wins so he decided to show off his knockout power on Saturday.

The 23-year old German prospect landed a devastating overhand left that flattened Joaquim Silva just 36 seconds into the second round as the Firas Zahabi-trained lightweight earned his third win in a row overall.

“I’m a power striker,” Haqparast said after getting his first finish in the UFC. “Joaquim is a tough, tough guy. I had to bring the best today. We are coming for everybody.”

Haqparast was constantly looking for that same left hand that ended Silva’s night in the second round but he couldn’t quite find a home for it through the first five minutes.

There was no doubt that Haqparast was looking for the knockout, however, as he was constantly throwing fire behind every punch as he willingly stood in the pocket to exchange with Silva on the feet.

Silva didn’t back down and managed to counter with a few shots of his own but his inability to stay out of range from Haqparast’s power punches is what ended up costing him in the end.

Just after the second round started, Haqparast measured his shot and then uncorked that left hand that landed flush on Silva’s chin. The Brazilian immediately crumbled down to the ground as Haqparast followed him to the floor to ensure he wasn’t getting up again.

It was a satisfying win for Haqparast not only because of the knockout but also due to an injury that forced him to drop out of his previously scheduled fight in March.

Now he’s riding a three-fight win streak with an 11-2 record overall while serving notice to the rest of the lightweight division that a new prospect has arrived with top-15 potential.