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Impa Kasanganay put on a dominating performance against Sasha Palatnikov to emerge victorious at UFC Vegas 23. The 27-year-old fighter rebounded from a devastating loss in his previous fight against Joaquin Buckley.
The two middleweights shared the Octagon at UFC Fight Night 179 in October last year. The exciting clash ended in spectacular fashion as Buckley produced a knockout for the ages.
After successfully blocking a head kick from Buckley, Kasanganay grabbed hold of New Mensa's leg. Realizing he could act on the opportunity, Buckley packed a punch and executed a near-perfect spinning kick that sent Kasanganay to the canvas.
You can watch the sensational knockout below:
Buckley's knockout of Impa Kasanganay sent shockwaves across the MMA community. The video of the knockout went viral and became the most-viewed clip on UFC's Instagram account - a record which would eventually be broken by a video of Conor McGregor riding a bicycle.
In his next fight, Buckley produced another viral knockout as he finished Jordan Wright in the second round at UFC 255. After becoming one of the most promising prospects in the middleweight division, Buckley then challenged Alessio Di Chirico in a bit to register 3 victories in a row.
However, New Mensa's Italian opponent pulled off an upset and knocked him out with a stunning head kick in the first round of their middleweight clash.
Impa Kasanganay is now back in the win column
Impa Kasanganay took a much-needed break following his loss at UFC Fight Night 179. The North Carolina native moved down a weight class to compete at welterweight at UFC Vegas 23 against Sasha Palatnikov. Kasanganay made the most of his wrestling prowess early in the first round as he successfully took the fight to the mat.
After a competitive opening round, the 27-year-old upped the ante going into the second frame. He secured a takedown and waded in and locked Palatnikov in a rear-naked choke to earn a submission victory early in the second round.
Impa Kasanganay's win over Palatnikov was the ninth of his professional MMA career. He currently holds a record of 9-1-0.
