After getting a short notice call to make his Octagon debut at UFC 247, Khaos Williams made a big statement in a short amount of time in Houston.
Williams stepped in on less than two weeks notice to replace the injured Dhiego Lima and finished Alex Morono with a vicious KO in just 27 seconds. In a night of controversial judging and scorecards, the 25-year-old Michigan native left no question unanswered.
From the walk to the Octagon, to Bruce Buffer’s introduction, Williams was as comfortable as can be in his first fight under the bright lights.
“It was a dream come true,” Williams told BJPENN.com. “It was something I’d been waiting on, something I had been preparing myself for and just the experience was surreal.”
Morono headed into the bout in his home state of Texas on a three fight winning streak, which included victories over Kenan Song, Zak Ottow and Max Griffin. Despite having less than two weeks to prepare, Williams and his coaches were ready for whatever Morono was going to bring.
“Me and my coaches looked at him, we studied him a little bit and we knew what he was coming with,” Williams explained. “We knew what his strengths were before he even did it. We knew he would throw that check hook, he did and he caught me with it. I ate it and, like I said in my interview with Joe Rogan, if somebody makes a mistake they’ve got to pay. It’s nothing personal, it’s just punishment. I knew, at the end of the day, we’re gonna test that chin out. I know I’ve got power in my hands, I can knock anybody out at 170 if I hit them the right way and that’s just the facts.”
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Most fans were in awe of Williams’ finishing sequence, hammering Morono with heavy shots to the head and body until he eventually dropped. According to Williams, the flurry was certainly devastating, although it didn’t tell the whole story.
“It was pretty fast, man,” Williams said. “People didn’t even see that I set it up with that body kick. The body kick threw it all off and that’s when I caught him with the right, then caught him with the left hook. After I saw his eyes roll in the back of his head, I had to move forward, I had to finish. I’m a finisher and I just want to continue that momentum.”
“The Oxfighter” enjoyed his victory after the fight in Houston with friends and family that traveled to the Lone Star State from Michigan. Once that was complete, Williams was done smelling the roses after picking up his seventh consecutive victory and sixth career finish.
“I don’t admire my work for too long,” Williams said. “I stay hungry, I stay humble and I try my best to stay healthy. I know my plan, I’m not in a big rush, but I know where I want to get to. I know where I came from and where I’m trying to go. I’ve got to stay hungry, I’ve got to stay working. I’m here, man.
“This is my life,” Williams continued. “When I’m not doing real estate, all I’ve got is time. I’m just eating, sleeping, s**tting, and mixed martial arts, man. This is what I’m doing. I’m just trying to get better. A lot of people, they may be sleeping on me. They think I may be one-dimensional, that I may be [just] a knockout artist. I have these hands, but I continue to get better, continue to improve and I’m just ready to show it.
“If the fight goes 15-minutes, you better believe I’m gonna show up. If it goes 30-seconds, you better believe I’m gonna show up. Put me in there against anybody and I’m gonna show up.”
It was as good of a debut as it can get for Khaos Williams: fighting on ESPN, taking out a hometown fighter in enemy territory, getting a highlight reel KO, a $50,000 bonus and very little damage taken during a short night at the office. Now that he has had his taste of the hallowed Octagon, Williams wants more of it as quickly as it can happen.
“Dana White, I need another fight so I can spend more than 30 seconds in that Octagon,” Williams said.
“I want to get back as soon as possible. Just give me a month. If I can get on that Columbus, Ohio card March 28, that’s more than enough time. The fight didn’t even last 60 seconds, so I do spend more than 60 seconds in that Octagon to show a little more edge and add some more highlights to the tapes.”
Who would you like to see Khaos Williams fight next in his second UFC fight?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/27/2020.