Rodolfo Bellato crushes Murtaza Talha to secure second round TKO

Bellato (11-2) made a booming return to the UFC APEX in Tuesday’s main event, pummeling previously unbeaten Murtaza Talha (6-1) to secure a second-round TKO knockout and ink one of five UFC contracts handed at the Las Vegas event, after losing on Season 6 of the UFC’s Contender Series.

Talha, an undefeated light heavyweight prospect from Russia, has emerged victorious in all seven of his professional bouts leading up to this upcoming battle. In contrast, Bellato has achieved consecutive victories subsequent to his last stint on The Contender Series.

Murtaza Talha is 6-0 in professional fights, with three KOs/TKOs and three submits. He had a successful amateur career, going 11-0 and twice being crowned IMMAF World Champion. Talha has now finished in the first round five times in a row. He competes with the world-famous KHK MMA Team, which also includes Islam Makhachev, Magomed Magomedov, and Muhammad Mokaev.

Rodolfo Bellato is 10-2 in his professional career, including five knockouts/TKOs, four submissions, and one decision. In his most recent bout, he won the vacant LFA Light Heavyweight Championship. Bellato has six first-round victories to his credit.

The duelling light heavyweights swapped powerful blows in the first round, but Bellato grabbed control early in the second, hurting Talha with a quick low kick before breaking him up with tight knees and elbows along the fence. Talha tried to fight back, but Bellato’s onslaught proved too much for him. Bellato pummelling Talha from inside the clinch, inflicting severe damage with a torrent of knees, elbows, and thudding uppercuts that caused referee Jason Herzog to intervene at the 4:46 mark of Round 2.

“It’s my second time here, but it’s my dream. It’s my dream to be here,” Bellato stated. “When I was a kid, I dreamed for this moment, and today, this contract, it’s a dream for me.”