A highly anticipated lightweight scrap featuring Kevin Lee taking on Gregor Gillespie kicked off tonight’s UFC 244 main card action from New York.

Kevin Lee (17-5 MMA) will be returning to the Octagon for the fist time since suffering a submission loss to Rafael dos Anjos in his welterweight debut at May’s UFC event in Rochester.

After a 9-1 stretch inside the UFC, ‘The MoTown Phenom’ has since gone just 1-3. Prior to being submitted by ‘RDA’, Lee was coming off a unanimous decision loss to lightweight staple Al Iaquinta.

Meanwhile, Gregor Gillespie (13-0 MMA) kept his perfect record in check by scoring a second round TKO victory over Yancy Medeiros at January’s UFC event in Brooklyn.

‘The Gift’ has gone a perfect 6-0 since joining the UFC ranks in September of 2016.

Round one begins and both men meet in the center of the Octagon and exchange jabs. Gregor misses with a right hand and shoots in for a takedown. Lee replies with a jab and then another. He is using a very low stance in hopes of defending Gillespie’s shots. Kevin Lee with a crisp jab. Gregor replies with a right that partially lands. Both men with good jabs. Lee lands another. He is sticking that left jab nicely early on. Gregor responds with a nice jab of his own. That may have caused a cut on Lee. Gillespie with a nice low kick. Lee comes forward and lands a right. He follows that up with a head kick and Gillespie crashes to the canvas out cold. WOW!

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1190816918548156416

Kevin Lee via Murder #UFC244 pic.twitter.com/gF13fwE2IS

— Matt (@m_tbeck) November 3, 2019

Official UFC 244 Result: Kevin Lee def. Gregor Gillespie via KO in Round 1

Who would you like to see Kevin Lee fight next following his KO victory over Gregor Gillespie at tonight’s UFC 244 event in New York? Sound off in the comments section PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com November 2, 2019