Brando Perichich delivered a knockout victory over Shamil Gaziev in the second round at UFC Perth. Perichich extends his winning streak to five consecutive victories, all by knockout, and improves to 3-0 in the UFC. Gaziev suffers his second consecutive loss, dropping to 3-3 in the UFC. All three of Gaziev's career losses have come by knockout. The bout was widely praised as potentially the best fight of the card.
Brando Perichich picked up one of the most celebrated victories of the UFC Perth card on May 2, stopping Shamil Gaziev in the second round to extend his unbeaten run in the promotion to three fights.
Perichich, who now carries a five-fight winning streak with every single victory coming by knockout, cemented his status as one of the more dangerous newcomers in the heavyweight division. His finish of Gaziev was widely regarded by observers as a contender for the best fight on the entire card.
Gaziev came in ranked eleventh in the heavyweight division and brought a credible record of 14 wins and three losses into the bout. The 36-year-old from Bahrain, who trains out of KHK MMA, stands six-foot-four with a 78-inch reach and had shown respectable striking output in the UFC, averaging 2.62 significant strikes landed per minute at a 47 percent accuracy rate. The loss, however, drops him to 3-3 inside the octagon and hands him a second consecutive defeat. All three of his career losses have now come by way of knockout, underscoring a durability concern that will likely follow him into future matchmaking conversations.
Why it matters
- Perichich is now 3-0 in the UFC with five straight knockout wins, forcing the heavyweight division to take notice of his finishing ability.
- Gaziev falls to 3-3 in the promotion and has been knocked out in all three of his UFC losses, raising questions about where he fits in divisional rankings.
- The heavyweight landscape at number eleven and beyond becomes more unsettled, with Perichich potentially entering the ranked picture and Gaziev needing to respond after back-to-back defeats.
