Jan Blachowicz defeated Dominick Reyes by TKO in the second round to claim the vacant UFC light heavyweight title Saturday night in the co-main event of UFC 253 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Blachowicz caught Reyes with a heavy left hook to the head that wobbled Reyes before he fell to the canvas. Blachowicz went in for the finish as Reyes tried to cover up, and the referee stepped in to wave the fight off at 4 minutes, 36 seconds.
Blachowicz (27-8) won his fourth straight fight. He entered Saturday off a first-round knockout of Corey Anderson in February. The 37-year-old is ranked No. 4 by ESPN at light heavyweight.
Reyes (12-2), ranked No. 3 in the world by ESPN among light heavyweight fighters, was coming off a controversial, unanimous-decision loss to former champion Jon Jones at UFC 247 in February. It was a bout many thought the 30-year-old California native should have won on the scorecards.