Former UFC lightweight James Llontop made a thunderous statement back home in Peru, scoring a devastating first-round knockout at FFC 98 to retain his title.
The 26-year-old, who went 0-3 in the UFC before being released following a loss to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 309, faced veteran Jose Barrios Vargas in Thursday’s main event.
With under a minute left in the opening round, Llontop missed with an uppercut and hook before connecting cleanly with a vicious head kick, dropping Vargas to his knees. A few follow-up punches sealed the first-round KO, bringing the crowd to its feet.
Now riding four wins in his last five fights and remaining undefeated in the FFC (14-0), “Goku” appears to be rebuilding momentum toward a possible UFC return.
