Guyanese Carlston Harris continued his historic run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), stopping American Impa Kasanganay in the first round on the preliminary card of the promotion’s Fight Night: Stann vs Smith event at their Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada Friday night.
The fight was stopped at the 2:38 mark of the first round. Harris dropped his opponent with a left hook to the head, before forcing a stoppage by the referee, following a succession of unanswered ground and pound strikes to the right of the head.
Overall, Harris landed 50% of his strikes (24/48) on his way to the lopsided victory. It was also his second consecutive first round stoppage. Kasanganay only recorded 28.6% (6/21) of his strikes prior to the stoppage.
The 33-year-old Harris improved his Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) record to 17-4, 2-0 in the UFC. The victory also continued Harris’s winning streak which now stands at five fights. The Berbician, who also competed in Shoto Brazil and Brave FC, is also 10-1 in his last 11 outings.
Harris, who trains at the Renewal Fight Team in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, made history in his debut with the promotion, as he submitted Christian Aguilera in the preliminary matches of the UFC card in Las Vegas.
The Guyana-born athlete secured the win with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu submission move, the anaconda choke/hold, at the 2:52 mark of the first round to etch his name in history by becoming the first Guyanese fighter to win in the promotion.
Gavin Singh, President of the Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation (GMMAF), during an invited comment said, “Carlton Harris’s UFC’s win is a testimony that having a great vision along with hard work and determination; can be a prison sentence to success. The Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation wishes to congratulate Harris on his superb win today in the first round at UFC Fight 192.”
He added, “We recognize the sacrifice, discipline and dedication that Harris exercises in order to be successful. He is a beacon of hope and encouragement to both the Nation of Republic of Guyana especially the young athletes currently training for the IMMAF World Championships in Kazakhstan November, 2021.”
