MMA Twitter reacts to Chris Curtis' incredible comeback with first-round finish over Phil Hawes at UFC 268 

Chris Curtis showcased a phenomenal display of striking ability at UFC 268. The UFC middleweight pulled off a massive upset at Madison Square Garden in New York as he finished Phil Hawes in the first round.

With 43 seconds to go, 'Action-Man' landed a clean left hook on Hawes, who nearly went down but balanced himself back up.

Curtis followed the massive left hook with knees and punches, finishing Phil Hawes in the first round of his UFC debut.

Watch the finish below:

ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto took to Twitter to react to the finish, saying:

"OMG what a comeback!! Phil Hawes was having his way with Chris Curtis and then the left hook caught him!! Booooom. What a damn comeback."

Marc Raimondi also praised Curtis for returning from retirement previously in his career.

The 34-year-old veteran broke into the limelight after winning a fight on Dana White's Contender Series. Unfortunately, he wasn't offered a contract by the promotion then.

Although the round saw Hawes landing most of the big shots, Curtis was patient throughout the contest and waited for the right opportunity to land his own. The fight was called off in favor of Chris Curtis at the 4:27 mark of the first round.

USA Today's Nolan King spoke retrospectively of Curtis' MMA journey and praised the middleweight fighter for his perseverance.

"Man, that's one of the true feel-good wins. It took Chris Curtis over 12 years, 35 fights, and multiple retirements to get to the UFC. He just won with a wicked comeback KO at Madison Square Garden. The trend of 'never give up' continues in MMA. #UFC268"

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Chris Curtis spoke about his son in an interview after beating Phil Hawes; claims perseverance played a huge role in his career

Chris Curtis was visibly emotional after his first UFC win. He spoke about his son and the lessons that his MMA journey has taught him.

Speaking to Aaron Bronsteter, Curtis said:

"He's watched me day one. My first fight was like two weeks after he was born... Many years ago, I was taking a bus for two hours to practice with a newborn baby in the back of a car seat. Every day, taking him to the gym with me. He's been there, he's seen everything... If you can just push, push... And he knows and I want him to grow up knowing that."

Watch the interview below: