- Michel Pereira earned a blistering first-round submission over Ihor Potieria
- Pereira knocked Potieria down before launching himself up into a backflip
- Potieria was then picked up and finished off with a brutal standing guillotine
Michel Pereira earned a blistering first-round submission over Ihor Potieria at UFC 301 after backflipping onto his opponent in a show-stopping finale.
Inside the space of just 40 seconds, Pereira was able to knock his opponent to the canvas before launching himself into the air and connecting with a backflip kick.
The wild move may have technically been illegal, with kicks to the head when an opponent is grounded barred, but the officials conferred and awarded the showman the explosive victory regardless in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Pereira raced out of the blocks and dropped Potieria with a left-right combination to the head. With his opponent helpless on the floor, he then turned away from him.
But in a jaw-dropping turn of events, he then acrobatically hurled himself backwards and rammed his shin into Potieria’s face, making contact with a crunch.
Michel Pereira earned a blistering first-round submission over Ihor Potieria at UFC 301
Pereira downed his opponent before backflipping and submitting him inside 40 seconds
Potieria was sent crashing to the canvas before tapping out after a standing guillotine
Not done there, Pereira dragged Potieria to his feet and finished him off with a standing guillotine, the beaten fighter tapping out 54 seconds into the first round.
After being released from the choke, Potieria slumped down onto the mat.
While Pereira celebrated a memorable victory, fight officials were spotted conversing in the Octagon, perhaps to discuss the legality of the backflip kick.
But shortly after, it was confirmed that the move had indeed been legal. Replays showed the contact to the head was glancing with the chest taking the full brunt.
‘I still think he’s got to learn his lesson from doing backflips and trying to land illegal knees,’ UFC announcer Paul Felder said during the pay-per-view broadcast.
‘But looking at the one angle, a lot of it did land on the chest – thank God for him – and I think that’s what stopped him from potentially getting DQ’d right here.’
