HOUSTON – A missed left hook from Islam Makhachev, a well-placed counter right from Adriano Martins, and the fight was over almost as soon as it had started.
After dropping Makhachev (12-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with the clean right hand, Martins (23-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) added one extra hammerfist before referee Frank Colazo moved in to call a stop to the bout at the 1:46 mark of Round 1.
The lightweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 192 event at Toyota Center in Houston. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.
For Martins, the decisive blow was the result of a patient response to Makhachev’s early aggression. As Makhachev attempted to walk Martins down, the American Top Team fighter took his time and measured the distance, staying just out of range of the wide left hand from the oncoming Makhachev.
That missed strike proved to be all the opening Martins needed to land a short right of his own, which crumpled Makhachev’s leg underneath him and sent him crashing to the floor. Martins would move in to add one more right, but by then the referee Colazo seemed to have already resolved himself to stop the fight, moving in to shove Martins off just as Makhachev tried to sit up and defend himself.
With the TKO victory, Martins has now won three straight in the UFC. Makhachev loses for the first time in his professional career.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 192 results include:

• Adriano Martins def. Islam Makhachev via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 1:46
Rose Namajunas def. Angela Hill via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:47 Sage Northcutt def. Francisco Trevino via TKO (elbows) – Round 1, 0:50 Sergio Pettis def. Chris Cariaso via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28) Derrick Lewis def. Viktor Pesta via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 1:15

For complete coverage of UFC 192, check out the UFC Events section of the site. (MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Houston.)