Trevor Peek was out to make a statement in his debut, and succeeded by finishing his opponent in the final second of the first round.
In the feature preliminary bout of UFC Fight Night 220, Peek (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) dropped Erick Gonzalez late in the first round to win his first UFC bout at 4:59.
From the moment the fight began, it was apparent Peek wanted to unleash fight-changing strikes. Putting everything into every punch and kick, Peek kept Gonzalez (14-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC) reeling from the powerful strikes.
However, there were a couple of moments of concern for Peek. Gonzalez was able to get a takedown after evading the looping strikes, but couldn’t keep the fight on the mat for long.
When the fight returned to the feet, Peek got right back to swinging for the fences and put Gonzalez in trouble. As the final seconds of the round approached, Peek didn’t let up and put the final touches on his opponent, slumping him against the fence with hard punches.
Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):
KO AT THE BUZZER
#UFCVegas70 pic.twitter.com/Itgpoi5dxS
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 25, 2023
Peek, 28, impressed on Dana White’s Contender Series in September, where he recorded a second-round ground and pound stoppage of Malik Lewis. The finish of Gonzalez in his UFC debut marked the sixth first-round finish of his career.
Gonzalez, 31, has now been finished in all three of his UFC appearances.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 220.