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UFC 277: Sergei Pavlovich beats Derrick Lewis with controversial TKO in just 55 seconds

Sergei Pavlovich picked up a massive win on Saturday night at UFC 277, though not everyone is happy about it.

Pavlovich grabbed his win over Derrick Lewis with a TKO that took less than one minute at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. It marked Pavlovich’s fourth straight knockout win.

Pavlovich came out hot right away, and landed several huge blows right to Lewis' head before backing the all-time KO leader into a corner in the Octagon. Suddenly, after landing a few more shots to his head, Pavlovich sent Lewis down to the ground face first.

That prompted referee Dan Miragliotta to end the fight right then and there.

“I was ready to punch him for five rounds, for three rounds, it doesn’t matter,” Pavlovich said. “How do you like that boxing? I did my job. I’m very happy with my performance.”

Naturally, Lewis wasn’t happy and started protesting the ruling almost immediately. He didn’t look like he had been knocked out, and the bout lasted only 55 seconds.

The fight, however, was over. Pavlovich won his fourth straight match, and third of the year, to get to 16-1 all-time.

Miragliotta’s call to end the bout early didn’t sit with many in the UFC world. While Lewis was on his heels, Daniel Cormier, Francis Ngannou and others felt like he should have at least had the opportunity to take the fight further.

Sergei Pavlovich of Russia reacts after defeating Derrick Lewis
The fight was called in less than a minute, which left Derrick Lewis furious. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)