Jimmo def. O'Connell, knockout (Round 1, 4:27)
From the minute Ryan Jimmo entered the cage, it seemed like the crowd was just waiting to erupt. Every time he succeeded in any endeavor, be it a takedown or taking the advantageous position against the fence, noise was made. It was near the end of the first round, though, that he really gave the Canadian fans something to cheer about.
A huge right hand collapsed Sean O'Connell, and a series of brutal followups sealed the deal. O'Connell seemed to protest the stoppage afterwards, but he was out cold at two different times during the onslaught.
Ryan Jimmo knocks out Sean O'Connell. We have our first finish and the crowd busts out a "Jim-mo" chant. Straight right on the button.
— Mike Chiappetta MMA (@MikeChiappetta) April 16, 2014
Prior to the knockout, the match had consisted of a handful of somewhat uneventful exchanges, with both fighters showing a willingness to engage but neither landing anything too catastrophic. Jimmo could be said to have had an advantage on the strength of his takedown, but that advantage was slight, if existent.
The win is an important one for Jimmo, who comes back after losing an injury-induced TKO defeat at the hands of Jimi Manuwa. He moves to 3-2 as a UFC competitor.
The loss for O'Connell makes for an unsuccessful UFC debut on his part. He was very much in the fight until the moment he ate the finishing punches. It'll be interesting to see how he is able to bounce back following this crushing knockout.
