Adrian Yanez wanted a win in his UFC debut for more reasons than one Saturday.
He delivered with authority with a memorable start to his promotional tenure. Yanez (12-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) took out Victor Rodriguez (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a picture-perfect head kick knockout in the first round.
Afterward, Yanez said the win was just as much about honoring the memory of his father, who died in 2016 – and to whom he promised he’d one day reach the UFC.
Yanez’s striking was on point in his official UFC debut after winning a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series earlier this year. Most everything he hit Rodriguez with seemed to bounce his head back. But when Rodriguez tried to find some room to operate against the fence and moved to the right, Yanez delivered a kick right to the jaw that put his lights out a little past the midway point of the opening frame.
Check out the highlight-reel finish below.
Add this head kick to @yanezmma‘s highlight reel
#UFCVegas12 pic.twitter.com/Io3kZYhcem
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 31, 2020
UFC on ESPN+ 39 took place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event streamed on ESPN+.