Boston Salmon got a victory in his LFA debut on Friday night, but he paid a hell of a price for it.

The former UFC competitor met up with Shawn West at LFA 84 in South Dakota in a 150-pound catchweight bout, and it was an entertaining scrap while it lasted.

Early in the second, though, things took a turn. West dropped Salmon with a right hand. He then sprinted full force at the still downed Salmon and drilled him in the head with one of the most blatantly illegal knees to the head you’ll ever see.

That goes into the books as a win at 38 seconds of the second round for Salmon, who snaps a two-fight losing streak. Courtesy our friends at UFC Fight Pass, you can see the nasty knee below:

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman returns to action at UFC 251 as he looks to defend his 170-pound title for the second time.

Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) will take on “BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal, who agreed to step in on six days’ notice to challenge for the undisputed title following Gilbert Burns’ enforced withdrawal due to a failed COVID-19 test.

It means the welterweight title matchup many fans had hoped to see is set to become a reality on “UFC Fight Island” as Usman and Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) get set to throw down at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Ahead of his main event clash with Masvidal on Saturday, we take a look at five fights that have helped define Usman’s UFC career so far.

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Hayder Hassan at The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale – Jul. 12, 2015

Usman’s UFC career kicked off via The Ultimate Fighter, where he formed part of The Blackzilans team that took on American Top Team in a battle of the rival Florida gyms back in 2015.

Usman defeated Michael Graves and Steve Carl earlier in the season to earn his spot in the final, where he faced ATT’s Hayder Hassan. And in a fight that saw the members of both teams surrounding the cage and screaming their support, it was Usman who prevailed as he used his superior wrestling skills to get the fight to the mat before eventually finishing Hassan via second-round arm-triangle choke.

The victory earned bragging rights for The Blackzilians, and punched Usman’s ticket to the UFC as he moved on to join the promotion’s 170-pound welterweight division as a dangerous new prospect.

Watch Kamaru Usman vs. Hayder Hassan on UFC Fight Pass

Next up: Leveling up

UFC “BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal steps into the main event spotlight on just six days’ notice as he takes on reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the main event of UFC 251.

Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) has agreed to step into the breach after Brazilian contender Gilbert Burns was forced out of the main event following a positive COVID-19 test. It means “Gamebred” will contest his first UFC title fight – and only his second fight for a major MMA title – in a 16-year career that has seen him face a who’s who of notable names throughout a career spanning a host of continents and promotions.

Ahead of his main event clash with Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) on Saturday, we take a look at five fights that have helped define Masvidal’s UFC career so far.

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Cezar Ferreira at The Ultimate Fighter Season 21 Finale – Jul. 12, 2015

After going 5-2 in the UFC’s lightweight division, Masvidal made the move back to welterweight for the first time in five years as he took on Brazil’s Cezar Ferreira in the finale of the American Top Team vs. Blackzilians season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Ferreira looked to rough up Masvidal early, and managed to get “Gamebred” to the canvas via a well-executed takedown. But Masvidal avoided any damage from the bottom and worked his way back to his feet, before starting to let fly with his strikes.

Ferreira looked to grab another takedown, but Masvidal was wise to it and kept things upright, even when shoved back against the fence. Once there, “Gamebred” bided his time, then exploded off the cage with a huge elbow that dropped Ferreira to the canvas. Four piston-like punches to the downed Brazilian closed the show and announced Masvidal as a dangerous new threat at 170 pounds.

Watch Jorge Masvidal vs. Cezar Ferreira on UFC Fight Pass

Next up: Shooting down “Cowboy”