The best fight of the weekend on paper.

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The best fight of the weekend on paper. The best fight of the weekend in actuality. After a back-and-forth affair, Corey McLaughlin (@coreymclaughlin_) stops Ciaran Maskey at 5:00 of the first round. McLaughlin landed two heavy right hands to drop Maskey on separate occasions…

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The best fight of the weekend on paper.
The best fight of the weekend in actuality.

After a back-and-forth affair, Corey McLaughlin (@coreymclaughlin_) stops Ciaran Maskey at 5:00 of the first round.

McLaughlin landed two heavy right hands to drop Maskey on separate occasions, both times flattening his opponent out and landing a barrage of strikes.

Referee @aaron_ssc gave the ZKJ every opportunity to improve his position, and Maskey managed to make it to the end of round one.

Personally, I would have liked to see the fight stopped after Maskey was dropped and flattened out the second time, though Maskey was doing his best to stay in the fight.

Huge respect to @dannycorrzkj for protecting his fighter and (figuratively) throwing in the towel. In my opinion, it was the correct and safe decision, an action that is far too rare in MMA. 

Hats off to both lads, who put on an incredible contest.

This is the level we get to enjoy when the best in the country are willing to go head to head. 

A fantastic main event @gladiateire_fc 

#IrishMMA

news_transcript (instagram_whisper)

Oh he dropped him.
Oh he dropped, Mastkey.
Mastkey is done.
McLaughlin is on top of him right now.
Mastkey fighting for his life.
This is crazy.
Into the mouth.
May take the back as well.
Huge shots.
What a shot that was to drop Mastkey.
McLaughlin now.
Advantages position.
On top.
Rean and down.
We can see some smart elbows here from McLaughlin.
Mastkey has to make some smart choices here.
He has some pride there.
All the crowd did finish.
Huge shots.
Masky scrambling away here, McLaughlin reeling down fire.
Masky still alive.
Masky is still in this fight, Phil.
Masky is still in this fight, you better believe.
Oh, and he knocks him down again.
Masky down one more time.
Can McLaughlin finish it?
McLaughlin has heat seekers in his cloak.
This is not good for Maskey, Phil.
Not good at all. Arnwall has taken a long hard look at it.
15 seconds left to round up.
Please, please, let's see the end of the round, please.
Oh my word, Phil.
This is wild.
Can you believe this right now?
And for the final few seconds, Maskey manages the whole round.
McRubble was the one that was striking a little bit smarter.
He was finding these little gaps, and by virtue of fighting these gaps, that's what-
Oh, it's all over!
Oh my god!
The fight has been called off.
Wow.
The corner of Kieran Maske have decided they need to live to see another day.
Unbelievable first try.
I'm so sad that we don't get to see another one, because this was an unbelievable fight.
McLaughlin just on this day, at this moment, at this time.