Michael Stanoff made sure that the only knockout at Eternal MMA 84 was a memorable one when he squared off with Rodolfo Marques in a lightweight matchup.
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One of Australia’s top regional promotions, Eternal MMA’s list of notable alumni includes Steve Erceg, who challenged Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight belt in just his fourth UFC bout earlier this month at UFC 301.
Eternal MMA 84 took place at Liberty Hall in Moore Parke, New South Wales, Australia and featured a women’s flyweight title bout at the top of the bill, but Marques nearly stole the show in the opening seconds of his fight with Stanoff when the Brazilian just barely missed his opponent’s head with a flying knee.
Flying knee to the chest. Ouch#EternalMMA84 pic.twitter.com/awKRiYqDla
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) May 24, 2024
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Undeterred by what could have been a fight-ending blow, Stanoff came out aggressive in the second round and battered Marques with strikes before he finally ended things with a huge right hand that left “The Nightmare” slumped against the cage.
STANOFF WITH THE BIG KO!!#EternalMMA84 pic.twitter.com/B6j6JcuK1O
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) May 24, 2024
A veteran of more than 40 professional MMA bouts, Marques’ return to Eternal MMA for the first time since 2019 saw the Brazilian get knocked out for the third time in a row as part of a lengthy run of losses that includes a 2018 meeting with current UFC featherweight Josh Culibao.
Stanoff entered the matchup with Marques on a two-fight skid after he was submitted in both of his fights last year, but the first knockout-win of the Australian’s pro career now brings his record to 4-3 and gives the lightweight a highlight-reel performance to build off of.
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