Heavyweight veteran Sergei Kharitonov squared off with Oli Thompson at today’s Parus Fighting Championship event in Abu Dhabi.

The result was a nasty first round knockout for the 40-year-old Russian legend.

As seen in the video below (courtesy of @Grabaka_Hitman), Sergei Kharitonov was able to clip Oil Thompson with a beautiful overhand right midway through round one which sent ‘The Spartan’ crashing face-first into the canvas.

Sergei Kharitonov KO's Oli Thompson 2:54 into R1 #ParusMMA pic.twitter.com/RQq8b6qC9g

— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) November 7, 2020

The victory marked Kharitonov’s second stoppage victory in a row, as he had defeated Fernando Rodriguez Jr. by knockout in his most previous effort this past February.

Sergei Kharitonov had previously made headlines in 2020 when he suggested to reporters that he hoped to contract the Coronavirus.

“Even if someone nearby coughs, I’m not particularly afraid of this,” Kharitonov said (translated by RT). “I even admit honestly that when I was in Moscow, I went to places where people cough. I wanted to try to get this coronavirus myself, to feel what it is like, what kind of virus it is.

“Unfortunately or fortunately, that did not happen,” he added. “Apparently my immune system works.”

Sergei Kharitonov has previously expressed his belief that the coronavirus pandemic is being overblown, stating in a Instagram post that “more people will die at the hands of criminals and starvation than from coronavirus.”

Who would you like to see Kharitonov fight next following his first round knockout victory over Oli Thompson at today’s Parus Fighting Championship in Abu Dhabi? Share your thoughts in the comments section PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.co on November 7, 2020