Christian Edwards claimed his first UFC victory on September 26, 2026, stopping Rodolfo Bellato with a third-round knockout at UFC Fight Night 289.
The light heavyweight followed strategic corner advice to press forward aggressively in the final round.
After ten minutes of back-and-forth action, Edwards entered the third round and landed a decisive left hand in the center of the cage that dropped Bellato to the canvas.
A sequence of ground strikes followed, prompting referee Blake Grice to stop the fight at 1:47 of the final round.
Corner Advice Sparks Decisive Finish
Edwards credited his Jackson-Wink MMA corner team for the instruction to push forward.
"F*ck it," Edwards said, describing his mindset before stepping into the center of the cage to press forward in the final round.
The stoppage marks a crucial turnaround for Edwards, an eight-fight Bellator veteran who held a 9-6 overall record.
He had previously lost his UFC debut via split decision against Modestas Bukauskas after taking the fight on short notice earlier this year.
Bellato dropped to 13-4-1 overall and 2-2-1 in the UFC with the loss.
