Abdul-Rahman Yakhyaev knocked out Julius Walker just eight seconds into their bout at UFC Baku, securing his third consecutive first-round finish in the UFC. Yakhyaev is now a perfect 10-0 in MMA and 3-0 in the UFC, with all three Octagon victories coming in the opening round. Walker falls to 7-3 and has now lost back-to-back fights.
Abdul-Rahman Yakhyaev needed just eight seconds to finish Julius Walker at UFC Baku on June 27, 2026, delivering one of the fastest knockouts in recent UFC memory and running his professional record to a perfect 10-0.
Yakhyaev, now 3-0 inside the Octagon, has finished all three of his UFC opponents in the opening round. The unbeaten prospect has built a reputation as a dangerous early finisher, and Saturday's performance only reinforced that standing.
Walker, known as "Juice Box," falls to 7-3 overall and has now dropped consecutive fights. The 26-year-old American, who trains out of Team Fusion, entered the bout as a physically imposing light heavyweight at six-foot-four with a 78-inch reach. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, Walker had shown genuine promise as a well-rounded competitor, averaging 3.73 significant strikes landed per minute with a 53 percent striking accuracy and an active grappling game that produced 4.09 takedown attempts per 15 minutes. None of those tools had a chance to factor into the outcome on Friday night.
Why it matters
- Yakhyaev's third straight first-round finish in the UFC signals he is rapidly becoming one of the division's most dangerous prospects.
- Walker's back-to-back losses raise questions about his path forward in a crowded light heavyweight roster.
- The eight-second finish puts Yakhyaev among the quickest UFC winners and will almost certainly draw significant attention from matchmakers.
- A 10-0 unbeaten record with finishing ability in every Octagon outing positions Yakhyaev for a step up in competition in the near future.
