Jai Herbert and Mandel Nallo needed just over two minutes to deliver one of the most chaotic fights of the night.
In a lightweight bout on the main card of UFC Fight Night 273 at Canada Life Centre, Herbert rallied from early trouble to stop Nallo by TKO at 2:05 of Round 1 in a back-and-forth brawl that saw both fighters hit the canvas.
Chaos from the opening bell
Nallo, making his UFC debut at age 36, set the tone immediately. He came forward with urgency, pressing Herbert and forcing exchanges within seconds of the opening bell.
Herbert struggled early to settle into the fight as Nallo’s aggression paid off. Both fighters were knocked down in a frantic opening minute, turning the bout into an instant firefight.
Rather than slow things down, Herbert chose to engage. After weathering the early storm, Herbert found his rhythm in the exchanges. He connected with a clean shot that dropped Nallo and shifted the momentum.
Nallo managed to survive the initial follow-up, doing just enough to keep referee Jason Herzog from stepping in. He returned to his feet, giving himself another opportunity to reset.
That window proved brief. Once the action resumed, Herbert wasted no time. He landed again, sending Nallo to the canvas for a second time. Herbert followed with a series of left hands on the ground, forcing Herzog to intervene and stop the fight at the 2:05 mark of the opening round.
Watch
https://x.com/UFConParamount/status/2045675556889358482
What is next?
The win moves Herbert (14-6-1 MMA, 4-5-1 UFC) back into the win column after a split decision loss to Chris Padilla in March 2025.
For Nallo (14-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), the defeat ends a five-fight winning streak and marks a difficult start to his UFC run.
Who would you like to see Herbert fight next?