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MMA

19th Mar 2017

Jimi Manuwa calls out David Haye after starching UFC London opponent in first

Imagine it

Darragh Murphy

“One shot. One kill!”

Jimi Manuwa had his celebratory promo thought out long before he got his hand raised in the main event of UFC London.

Manuwa was tasked with taking on accomplished wrestler Corey Anderson in Saturday night’s headliner and the Brit ended it in stunning style as he steamrolled his opponent.

The light heavyweight showdown was always going to boil down to the classic match-up that is striker vs. grappler.

After a tentative opening, Anderson tested the waters with a few half-hearted takedown attempts but Manuwa’s defence held firm and he kept the fight on its feet.

Anderson would have been drilled to circle away from Manuwa’s powerful right hand but, as it turns out, there’s no real great way to circle against ‘The Poster Boy’.

As the American aimed to get his back off the fence, he was cuffed by a left hook from the Londoner and Anderson was out before he hit the canvas.

It was the second highlight reel knockout in a succession for Manuwa, who announced that he wanted the winner of the upcoming light heavyweight title fight between Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson next.

And that wasn’t all he wanted.

The 37-year-old closed out his conversation with commentator Dan Hardy by claiming that he is also keen on moving to the boxing ring to meet none other than David Haye.

Haye, a former world heavyweight and cruiserweight champion, is currently recovering from the ruptured Achilles that hindered him so badly in his grudge match with Tony Bellew last month.

Given that the notion of mixed martial artists switching to boxing is all the rage nowadays, with talk of Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather growing more credible by the day, who’s to say that Manuwa vs. Haye doesn’t become a reality?

We’d certainly watch it.