CHINESE MMA veteran “The Leech” Li Jingliang knocked out Santiago Ponzinibbio of Argentina during a welterweight bout in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Island 7 event in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island on Saturday night.

The two spent most of the first round sounding each other’s intentions, but in the last minute, following a missed right jab to the Argentine’s head, Li launched a big left swing to his chin, sending Ponzinibbio straight to the canvas, and the latter shortly lost consciousness after the powerful punch.

Before this match, an overwhelming majority of MMA followers thought Li was the underdog, according to a survey. But the 32-year-old from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region proved himself with his one-punch finishing power in the first UFC event of 2021.

It was the 14th match and the 10th win for Li in the Octagon. The one-round knockout also gave Li the “Performance of the Night.”

Li previously suffered a match cancellation the week before Dec. 13, 2020, when his rival Dwight Grant tested positive for COVID-19.

Grant’s replacement, Ponzinibbio, 34, was considered a much more powerful opponent.

After beating the “No.1” fighter from Argentina, Li may enter the top 15 in the UFC men’s welterweight division.

In the post-match interview, he said, “Even though most people didn’t believe in me before the match, my team, my family and my fans still supported me, that’s the motivation for me, thanks very much!”

In another prelim bout, Chinese fighter Wu Yanan lost to Panama’s UFC debutant Joselyne Edwards in a women’s three-round bantamweight bout. It was the third loss in Wu’s four UFC fights, and might make it more challenging for her to fight big MMA bouts in the future.

As for the last match in main card, Max Holloway got a unanimous decision win over Calvin Kattar in a five-round featherweight bout. (CGTN)