This past weekend at UFC on FUEL TV 5 the U.K.’s own Jimi Manuwa delivered an impressive performance against Kyle Kingsbury. He won the fight via TKO after Kingsbury’s left eye closed up, forcing doctors to call a stop to the action. The event took place at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England, this past Saturday (Sept. 29) and featured a headline bout between Stefan Struve and Stipe Miocic.

Jimi Manuwa made his UFC debut at the event on Saturday after turning down past opportunities to join the organisation. He wanted to make sure he was ready before joining the big show, and I think most will agree that he was definitely ready after his performance against Kingsbury.

The first round began with an early take-down from Kingsbury. He moved into half-guard and tried to work for a choke but was unable to get anything locked in. Both men rose to their feet, then Manuwa launches a barrage of powerful strikes, landing some stiff head-kicks, punches and knees which manage to floor Kingsbury on many occasions. The latter half of the round was dominated by Manuwa who unleashes a range of flashy strikes that both stunned and damaged Kingsbury.

The second round begins with another take-down from Kingsbury. He tries to work from top position but Manuwa managed to get to his feet. Kyle tries to keep working and pushes Manuwa against the cage but Jimi breaks free and lands some big knees while exiting. The men go to the ground again briefly with Manuwa in a dominant position, but they quickly return to their feet. They exchange strikes and then Kingsbury manages to get a take-down. He works for position until the round comes to a close.

While being checked over after the second round Kingsbury’s left eye is completely closed up leaving the doctors with no choice but to call a stoppage.

This was a dominant performance from Manuwa in his debut, which gave him a good chance to showcase his dangerous striking and power to MMA fans all over the world. It will be interesting to see who the UFC matches Manuwa up with next, I am sure they were impressed by his exciting and aggressive style. I am definitely looking forward to his next fight.

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Jay Cee – The MMA Review

@themmareview