Losene Keita one-upped a phenomenal knockout with an even more memorable celebration. By the time Muhammad Naimov hit the mat in the pair's main card opener at UFC Fight Night in Paris, Keita was halfway out of the Octagon to sit in the crowd and applaud his own work.
It's hard to stand out in the modern UFC landscape, where there's an event almost every week. Keita assured he wouldn't be forgotten from the moment the bell sounded. It was three minutes of escalating destruction. He immediately rocked Naimov, subsequently knocked him down with a jab, and punctuated it moments later with a one-punch, walk-off KO.
The post-fight celebration will linger even longer than the picture-perfect finish. Keita leapt over the Octagon walls and found an empty chair Octagonside. He took a seat and approvingly applauded his own work. It spoke volumes louder than anything he could have said on the microphone, although he made the most of that time too.
THAT'S HOW YOU BOUNCE BACK!Losene Keita puts on a SHOW and makes a new celly in the process 🤣[ #UFCParis | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/G3Us4VRu9x
Keita celebrated his second UFC appearance, saying the split decision loss in his debut was a warm-up. He proceeded to deliver a scathing callout of Lerone Murphy, the No. 3-ranked featherweight contender, in two languages. According to Keita, Murphy claimed he'd never win a UFC fight. Keita understands that he's worlds apart from Murphy in the rankings, but promised he'd one day shut his mouth.
Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse headline UFC Fight Night on Saturday. For Parnasse, it marks his UFC debut on home soil against a perennial contender in Hooker.
