The UFC world was eagerly awaiting the debut of Zimbabwean-born New Zealander Blood Diamond.
But the hype deflated almost instantly as Blood Diamond was brutally choked unconscious by Jeremiah Wells on the preliminary undercard.
Kiwi star Israel Adesanya takes on Robert Whittaker in the UFC 271 main event in Houston, Texas, which also features Aussie Tai Tuivasa in one of the biggest fights of his career against cult-hero Derrick Lewis.
Blood Diamond fights out of City Kickboxing, the Auckland-base of Adesanya, where he was the UFC middelweight champion's training partner.
However, his UFC debut didn't go to plan.