# Akbar Abdullaev's 19-second knockout stuns Dana White

> An undefeated lightweight prospect ends his UFC audition in less than 20 seconds with a devastating overhand right.
- Title: Akbar Abdullaev's 19-second knockout stuns Dana White
- Summary: An undefeated lightweight prospect ends his UFC audition in less than 20 seconds with a devastating overhand right. Akbar Abdullaev's brutally fast knockout…
- Keywords: akbar abdullaev, dana white's contender series, ufc, lightweight, knockout, one championship, ednilson santos, undefeated fighter, mma, sports, Akbar, Abdullaev's
- Source: MMA Knockout On SI — https://si.com/fannation/mma/news/dana-white-left-stunned-undefeated-phenom-scores-19-second-ko-in-ufc-audition-akbar-abdullaev
- Published: 2026-09-16T00:52:14+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: akbar abdullaev, dana white's contender series, ufc, lightweight, knockout, one championship, ednilson santos, undefeated fighter, mma, sports
## Contender Series hits week six
Dana White's Contender Series is in its tenth season since 2017. Week 6 featured four undefeated prospects competing for UFC contracts.
## Twenty contracts handed out already
Through the first five weeks of this season, Dana White has already awarded more than 20 UFC contracts to winning fighters.
## Early winners already debuting in UFC
Week 1 contract winners Bilal Hasan and Anthony Wint have already made their UFC debuts, both scoring stoppages and staying undefeated.
## Williams and Hernandez stay perfect
Tyshawn Williams improved to 9-0 with a unanimous decision over Antônio Monteiro. Luis Hernandez moved to 8-0 by submitting Hugo Guillon.
## Abdullaev enters as heavy favorite
Akbar Abdullaev came in with a perfect 13-0 record. He was originally scheduled to face Anthony Figueroa before Santos replaced him.
## Nineteen seconds to UFC glory
Just 19 seconds into the fight, Abdullaev landed a thunderous overhand right that knocked Santos stiff and sent him face-first to the canvas.

> Just 19 seconds into the fight, Abdullaev ducked into a thunderous overhand right that knocked Santos stiff
## Fastest win of his career
The 19-second knockout was the fastest of Abdullaev's career, though his record includes three other victories that all came in under a minute.
## Dominated ONE Championship
The 28-year-old went 5-0 in ONE Championship starting in 2023, maintaining a 100% finishing rate against undefeated fighters and current titleholder Kai Tang.
## Should have been signed outright
Many fans believed Abdullaev deserved a direct UFC contract instead of having to compete on Contender Series, given his elite credentials.
## Key takeaway

Akbar Abdullaev's brutally fast knockout at Dana White's Contender Series Week 6 earned him a UFC contract and proved why he's considered one of the best fighters outside the promotion.