Daniel Cormier: UFC 332 winner Damian Pinas is single biggest power puncher ever
The UFC 332 broadcast team was in awe of Damian Pinas after his highlight-reel knockout.
Pinas (11-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) needed just 75 seconds to violently dispatch of Andrey Pulyaev (10-6 MMA, 1-4 UFC) in their middleweight bout at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, further adding to the hype around the 24-year-old from Suriname.
One short uppercut from clinch range was all that was needed to put Pulyaev unconscious, and it's now become clear that Pinas is going to be a problem for many at 185 pounds.
The cageside commentary team touted the ferocious knockout power of Pinas in the aftermath of his win, with UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier offering the strongest praise of what he'd just witnessed.
"I've never seen nothing like him, man," Cormier said. "I think he might be the single biggest power puncher I've seen since we started doing this."
Cormier's color commentary partner Joe Rogan stood behind that bold claim. Rogan has seen thousands of fighters step into that octagon, and he backed Cormier's notion that few, if anyone, compare to the power of Pinas.
"There's guys that just have God-given power," Rogan said. "Do you remember Julian Jackson back in the boxing days? He would hit guys and just like, 'What happened?' Damian Pinas has that. It's just extraordinary power."
It remains to be seen what type of step forward in competition this result will afford to Pinas. He made it clear following his win that he is coming for the middleweight championship as soon as possible.
Lead UFC play-by-play man Jon Anik also heaped praise on Pinas and his potential impact.
"Mark it back to Francis Ngannou against Alistair Overeem in Detroit," Anik said. "Damian Pinas: We'll see who they match him up with at 185 pounds next."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Daniel Cormier: UFC 332 winner Damian Pinas is 'single biggest power puncher' ever