Jay-Jay Wilson delivered a stunning 37-second knockout of Darragh Kelly in the main event of PFL Belfast, silencing the home crowd at SSE Arena.
The New Zealand lightweight, ranked seventh, slipped Kelly's early jabs before landing a left kick followed by a powerful left hook that ended the contest almost immediately. This marked the first professional defeat for Kelly, known as 'The Moville Mauler.'
"I landed the side kick, set my base and once I saw it connect I sat on the hook, and that was all she wrote," Wilson said after the victory.
Wilson, who was originally scheduled to face Paul Hughes before Hughes withdrew with a knee injury, embraced the Belfast atmosphere despite being the away fighter.
"Ireland, I love you guys… even though you were against me," he remarked, before calling out Alfie Davies for a potential June bout in San Diego.
The victory represented a significant moment for Wilson, who also spoke about his background and aspirations.
"If I can do it, anyone can do it. I want to lead the way for troubled youth," he added.
In the co-main event, Ballymena's Rhys McKee made a successful PFL debut with a unanimous decision victory over Alex Lohore.
After being controlled early through grappling, McKee found his rhythm in the second round with effective jabs and striking. He sealed the win in the third round by dropping Lohore with a right hand and finishing strongly.
"It was unbelievable… what a night in Belfast," McKee said. "All I wanted was to be excited about fighting again and PFL answered."
The 30-year-old, whose bout was only confirmed in March, reflected on the significance of competing in front of a home crowd.
"That will stay with me for the rest of my life. These nights are rare, you have to take them in," he noted.
Looking ahead, McKee declared his ambitions: "I'm coming for the PFL rankings… put Rhys McKee up."
Fight Academy Ireland enjoyed a successful night overall, with Caolan Loughran and Eoghan Masoliver both securing first-round victories on the preliminary card.
County Tyrone's Loughran submitted Alan Philpott via face crank in the opening round of their featherweight bout, while Masoliver also claimed an early win.