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Some may have questioned the UFC's decision to put the 20-year-old bantamweight Michael McDonald on the live UFC 139 preliminary card on Spike TV. His two previous UFC bouts had gone to decision and his opponent, Alex Soto, was a UFC newcomer. Those worries were misplaced. McDonald proved he can deliver extremely entertaining violence with a brutal KO finish of Soto.
UFC 139 results: Michael McDonald defeats Alex Soto by knockout at :56 of round 1.
In that eventful 56 seconds, McDonald dropped Soto twice with hard standing punches. The first time McDonald followed him to the ground to continue the assault. Somehow Soto survived to regain his feet. But McDonald smelled the finish and poured it on. The second time he caught Soto he didn't need to follow him down because Soto was out on his feet.
Soto fell in one of those gruesomely awkward and unnatural positions that threaten serious leg injury. It's the kind of thing that the MMA demographic enjoys watching over and over again. That's what the UFC pays McDonald to do and it will be exciting to see him compete again next time.