Tafon Nchukwi wins by knockout, earns UFC contract
Dana White said he was scared seeing Tafon Nchukwi win by knockout.
Photos by ESPN MMA / Chris Unger/DWCS LLC/Zuffa LLC
  • The UFC boss Dana White got scared Tuesday night.
  • Scared because he said he had just witnessed one of the most frightening knockouts of his life — a second round head kick delivered by an MMA novice from Cameroon.
  • The 25-year-old heavyweight Tafon Nchukwi, who has only been fighting professionally for a year, impressed White so much he signed him to the UFC in an instant.
  • White said he reminded him of a young Mike Tyson.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Dana White signed a raw, MMA novice to the UFC because he reminded him of a young Mike Tyson.

Tafon Nchukwi, a 25-year-old heavyweight, was one of 10 athletes competing on the sixth week of the fourth season of Dana White’s Contender Series, a show designed to funnel talent into the UFC.

Nchukwi fought in the main event on Tuesday, defeating a far more experienced athlete in Al Matavao, who had 10 career bouts behind him.

The Cameroonian’s frightening ability to finish opponents outweighed Matavao’s time in the cage as Nchukwi scored another knockout win, winning by head kick in the second round.

Nchukwi’s striking even struck fear into the UFC boss White, who was sitting Octagonside at the time and later said that the young athlete has Tyson-esque qualities.

Watch the finish here:

And see White's reaction here:

"This guy reminds me of a Tyson type figure," White told reporters after the event.

"Physically, visually, and obviously with his fighting style. He's 4-0 and with four knockouts. I didn't see the first three, but the last one was one of the most vicious knockouts I have ever seen," White said.

To ESPN, White added: "I don't know what more you could look for in a guy who is going to be a professional fighter.

"This guy is mean, aggressive, [has] unbelievable power, and cardio to back it up. The thing that scares me is he's 4-0; he doesn't have a lot of experience.

"He fought a guy tonight who has 10 fights. Normally, I would take a guy like this and put him in a developmental program, but he scared the s--- out of me tonight and I'm going to bring him into the UFC."

Nchukwi is one of 23 new talents to sign UFC contracts after impressing on this year's Contender Series, ESPN said.

Read more:

Floyd Mayweather is sharper now than the year he beat Conor McGregor, a sparring partner said

Khabib Nurmagomedov says Conor McGregor offers nothing as a competitor, and is no longer interested in a rematch

Mike Tyson said he was in so much physical pain he cried for a week in bed after training for a boxing video this year

An MMA fighter was disqualified from a match when he hit his opponent with an illegal soccer kick to the head

Alistair Overeem split his heavyweight opponent's head open, scoring a bloody KO win with nasty ground-and-pound

Read the original article on Insider