Ateba Gautier has looked nothing short of terrifying thus far in his UFC career.
A new chapter of horror was written Saturday at UFC 318, as Gautier (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) stalked and rocked Robert Valentin en route to a TKO stoppage at 1:10 of Round 1. The middleweight bout took place on the prelims at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Gautier’s power was evident from the open exchanges. He rocked Valentin (10-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) quickly, who was thereafter on the retreat for as long as the fight lasted. A left hook, right uppercut, overhand right combination were the final blows that put Valentin down before ground-and-pound put a stamp on an impressive outing.
Cameroon’s Gautier is only 23. He’s won both of his UFC fights by first-round TKO, having debuted successfully vs. Jose Medina in March.
Switzerland’s Valentin falls to 0-3 in his UFC career after a stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 32.”
