Jason Saggo, UFC lightweight and Prince Edward Island tourism booster?

VANCOUVER – Jason Saggo made an instant impact in his UFC debut, scoring a first-round stoppage win over Josh Shockley. But it turns out fighting might not necessarily be his only career option.

After his impressive in-cage performance, Saggo took to the microphone to stump for his native province of Prince Edward Island.

“Go check out Anne of Green Gables,” Saggo said. “Go check out the beaches. We’ve got it all. It’s an amazing tourist destination. MMA Academy, Wolfrun MMA, come there, too.”

Saggo (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was a late addition to the UFC 174 lineup, taking a fight with fellow promotional newcomer Shockley (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on just one month’s notice. But he fought like a veteran, steamrolling Shockley for the better part of the first round before ultimately finishing the fight with a barrage of strikes just seconds before the bell.

“My thought was just like, ‘Time to put on the thrusters,’” Saggo said. “‘How many times can I hit him in 10 seconds?’ … I just tried to throw as many punches as possible in 10 seconds.”

The gamble paid dividends, as Saggo was awarded a first-round stoppage. To hear more about his performance, not to mention his Prince Edward Island sales pitch, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of UFC 174, stay stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

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MMAjunkie’s John Morgan recaps the UFC 174 card, including the biggest surprises and disappointments:

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