UFC debutant Tai Tuivasa has made an instant impression and created a piece of history with a spectacular first round knockout on Sunday.
The former Sydney Roosters under 20 rugby league player and professional boxer knocked out American Rashad Coulter in an early fight on the undercard at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena.
He got Coulter off balance with a kick and then followed up with a dramatic fight-ending knee to the head.
It was the first UFC win by an Australian indigenous fighter, with 24-year-old Tuivasa, who has an aboriginal mother and Samoan father, carrying the aboriginal flag into the ring.
"It's massive, there's not even an aboriginal flag on top of the Harbour Bridge," Tuivasa said.
"For me to carry that here on the world stage and have a bit of recognition, it means a lot to me.
Tuivasa, who had to wait a year to make his UFC debut because of knee surgery, feels he's found his sporting home in mixed martial arts.
"Yeah, I love a good blue," he quipped.
Victorian Jake Matthews's move up to welterweight proved successful, as he broke a two-fight loss streak with a split points win over Serbian Bojan Velickovic.
"With my last two performances, I was very nervous coming in, I even cried before my walkout," Matthews said.
"It's a huge weight off my chest to be back in the win column."
Four-time Australian judo Olympian Daniel Kelly dropped a unanimous points decision to Canadian middleweight Elias Theodorou, while Sydney flyweight Ashkan Mokhtarian suffered a third round knockout loss to American Ryan Benoit.
Queensland lightweight Damien Brown lost a split decision to Guam's Frank Camacho in a classic slugfest.
UFC debutante Nadia Kassem defeated fellow Australian Alex Chambers on unanimous points.
