That’s a lot of blood.
Joel Alvarez was on the receiving end of a bad-looking series of blows, including a vicious elbow, at UFC Vegas 49 that caused bad enough damage that his face was masked in blood and the referee stopped the fight, declaring Arman Tsarukyan the winner by TKO.
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It took until just 1:57 in the second round for Tsarukyan to win his fifth straight fight, and the lightweight is now looking for a chance to make good on a 2019 loss to Islam Makhachev.
“I like to surprise every one of my opponents,” Tsarukyan told reporters.
Watch footage of the brutal beat down in the player above. WARNING: Graphic
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“I wanted to show how I improve my striking, wrestling, I can do everything. It was my game plan to make him tired, to choke him or a TKO. I did it and I’m very happy. I think I deserve a top-10 [ranking] and get fights with a top fighter. I’m getting better every day.”
Alvarez started bleeding in the first round after Tsarukyan hit his nose with an elbow that bloodied it. Though Alvarez got patched up between rounds, it didn’t take long for Tsarukyan to do more damage.
With Tsarukyan targeting his nose, Alvarez was soon bleeding again, leading the referee to step in.
Makhachev gave Tsarukyan his only loss in UFC, adding meaning to a potential rematch.“It’s going to be the greatest match because we are the best in our division,” Tsarukyan said.
“I think so.”
This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been reposted with permission
