UFC Vegas 88 video: Thiago Moises chops Mitch Ramirez down for leg-kick knockout

Thiago Moises is known for his grappling, but his next opponent will want to look out for his lethal leg game.

The Brazilian submission specialist picked up his first UFC knockout on Saturday, chopping Mitch Ramirez down 15 seconds into the third round of their lightweight contest at UFC Vegas 88. It was an uphill climb for Ramirez for much of the contest and he was eventually forced to concede when Moises continued to batter his right leg.

Watch the TKO finish below.

Moises bullied Ramirez on the ground, nearly submitting him with a rear-naked choke in Round 1, and it wasn’t any easier for Ramirez when the two were standing as Moises used his superior kickboxing to repeatedly strike Ramirez’s legs. Eventually, a powerful leg kick from Moises sent a visibly pained Ramirez to the canvas and referee Mark Smith stepped in shortly afterward for the stoppage.

Post-fight, Moises (18-7) called for matchup with either Dan Hooker or Brad Riddell, daring the City Kickboxing teammates to enter the cage with a grappling-minded fighter. With the finish, Moises put himself back on the winning track and he has now won three of his past four fights.

Ramirez (8-2) loses in his UFC debut after stepping in on a little over two weeks’ notice as a replacement for Riddell, who withdrew from Saturday’s card for undisclosed reasons.