Ramazan Temirov KOs Steve Erceg in Round 1 at UFC Abu Dhabi

Ramazan Temirov delivered a stunning first-round knockout of Steve Erceg in the closing seconds of round one at UFC Abu Dhabi, capping a dramatic finish that reshuffled the flyweight division's landscape.

Temirov, nicknamed "Temurlan," moves to 20-3 with the victory, completing a third straight win inside the Octagon. The 29-year-old orthodox striker stands five-foot-four with a 63-inch reach and had entered the bout ranked thirteenth in the flyweight division. He averages 4.37 significant strikes per minute, and the finish underscored his ability to find the decisive blow when opportunities arise. The win pushes him into the top fifteen of the flyweight rankings, a meaningful jump for a fighter who has quietly built one of the division's more consistent recent runs.

Erceg, the Australian known as "Astroboy," falls to 14-5 overall and 5-4 inside the UFC. The 30-year-old had been ranked ninth in flyweight and entered the contest off a two-fight winning streak, which the Temirov finish brought to an abrupt end. Training out of Wilkes Martial Arts, Erceg is a well-rounded competitor who lands four significant strikes per minute at 45 percent accuracy and mixes in takedown threats at a rate of 1.15 per fifteen minutes. Despite those tools, he could not survive the late storm in the opening frame.

Why it matters

• Temirov's climb from thirteenth into the top fifteen puts him in range of flyweight contenders who could lead to a ranked showdown
• Erceg drops from ninth in the rankings, potentially sliding him away from the title picture he had been inching toward
• The finishing nature of the result — a first-round knockout — signals Temirov's striking danger at 125 pounds, a division not always defined by stoppage power
• Flyweight remains one of the UFC's most competitive divisions, and this result adds further volatility to an already unsettled ranking landscape