UFC 201 Prelims: Nikita Krylov Head Kick Flattens Ed Herman in Atlanta

TIMBERRRRRR! @KrylovUFC puts Ed Herman to sleep with a massive headkick knockout! #UFC201
https://t.co/24eQqCy13o

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 31, 2016

Nikita Krylov brought out the oohs and aahs from the crowd.

The Ukrainian prospect knocked out “The Ultimate Fighter 3” finalist with a head kick in the second round of their featured light heavyweight prelim at UFC 201 “Lawler vs. Woodley” on Saturday at Philips Arena in Atlanta. Herman (23-12, 10-9 UFC) hit the canvas 40 seconds into round two. No follow-up shots were necessary.

Krylov (21-4, 6-2 UFC) attacked the legs, body and head with kicks, mixed in crisp punches and integrated knees in close quarters through a mostly one-sided first round. Herman was simply outgunned. Early in the second, the two light heavyweights exchanged with throw-caution-to-the-wind punches. Krylov snuck his left leg over Herman’s right shoulder, his shin connecting between the base of the neck and ear. “Short Fuse” collapsed where he stood, his body coming to rest parallel to the base of the cage.

The 24-year-old Krylov has won five consecutive bouts, all of them finishes.

Related » UFC 201 Round-by-Round Scoring

Masvidal Picks Apart Pearson

A persistent jab, kicks at all levels, crisp punching combinations and a near-finish carried American Top Team standout Jorge Masvidal to a unanimous decision over “The Ultimate Fighter 9” winner Ross Pearson in a three-round undercard confrontation at 170 pounds. All three cageside judges scored it for Masvidal (30-11, 7-4 UFC): 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.

Pearson (19-12, 11-9 UFC) -- whose offense was limited to inside leg kicks and a handful of left hooks -- was unsuccessful in his attempt to navigate Masvidal’s reach advantage. “Gamebred” fed him a relentless diet of jabs, sometimes two and three at a time. In the second round, he floored Pearson with a counter left hook and followed up with a punching volley that had referee Blake Grice pondering the stoppage. He survived, but his situation did not improve. Masvidal continued to peck away from the outside during the final five minutes, as he kept Pearson on the end of his punches and far away from a Hail Mary finish.

The win snapped a two-fight losing streak for Masvidal.

Hamilton Smashes Grabowski in 14 Seconds

Jackson-Wink MMA rep Anthony Hamilton knocked out Damian Grabowski with first-round punches in their brief but violent preliminary heavyweight tilt. Grabowski (20-4, 0-2 UFC) succumbed to toe-curling blows 14 seconds into round one.

Hamilton (15-5, 3-3 UFC) swarmed with power punches from the outset, backed the Pole into the fence with both hands and uncorked a pair of right uppercuts that impacted on the side of Grabowski’s head. The 36-year-old collapsed to the canvas face first, unconscious and twitching.

Reis Choke Submits Sandoval

Former EliteXC champion Wilson Reis tapped Team Alpha Male export Hector Sandoval with a first-round rear-naked choke in their undercard scrap at 125 pounds. A short-notice fill-in for Sean Santella, Sandoval (12-3, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeat 1:49 into round one, becoming the victim of the fastest submission in the history of the UFC flyweight division.

Reis (21-6, 5-2 UFC) tasted the newcomer’s power and switched gears, as a few wild right hands found their mark upstairs. He tripped Sandoval to the mat, climbed to the back and flattened out the Californian. Soon after, the choke was in place and the outcome was a formality.

The 31-year-old Reis has won nine of his last 11 bouts.

Graves, Velickovic Fight to Majority Draw

American Top Team’s Michael Graves and former Resurrection Fighting Alliance titleholder Bojan Velickovic battled to a majority draw in a preliminary welterweight clash. Two of the cageside judges saw it 28-28, while a third scored it 30-27 for Graves (6-0-1, 2-0-1 UFC).

Velickovic (14-3-1, 1-0-1 UFC) kept the Ohio native on the end of his kicks through much of the first round but failed to maintain a safe distance thereafter. Graves enjoyed a dominant second round, as he executed two takedowns and advanced to the Elevation Fight Team rep’s back inside the first 40 seconds. There he remained for most of the middle stanza, peppering Velickovic with punches while probing for rear-naked choke openings.

Graves surrendered a takedown early in round three, only to reverse position and again maneuver onto Velickovic’s back. However, he failed to secure the advantageous position, allowed Velickovic to return to his feet and spent the rest of the match jockeying for position in the clinch.

Australian Brown KOs Arzamendia

Cage Warriors Fighting Championship veteran Damien Brown knocked out Cesar Arzamendia with first-round punches in their undercard encounter at 155 pounds. Brown (16-9, 1-1 UFC) brought it to a close 2:27 into round one.

Arzamendia’s fragile chin failed him. Brown floored him with an overhand right inside the first minute, stayed patient with his follow-up attack and allowed the Paraguay native to stand when a finish did not present itself. Though he threatened with a heel hook during a subsequent scramble, Arzamendia (7-3, 0-2 UFC) never managed to fully turn the tide. Brown staggered him with a counter right, dropped him with another and pounced with kneeling hammerfists until he lay unconscious.

Brown, 31, has rattled off six wins in his past seven outings.