Chas Skelly‘s 19-Second UFC Finish Remains Unbroken Nearly a Decade Later
Nine years ago in Austin,Texas,Chas Skelly delivered a stunningly swift victory over Marlon Blanco,setting a UFC record that continues to stand.The featherweight bout concluded in just 19 seconds, a feat achieved through a rare adn brutal “club-and-sub” combination – a Sparta-kick followed immediately by an anaconda choke.
This record-setting performance isn’t just a ancient footnote; it highlights the unpredictable and explosive nature of mixed martial arts, and the enduring impact of a perfectly executed sequence.While numerous fighters have come close, no one has replicated Skelly’s speed in securing a submission victory at featherweight, making his 2015 win a benchmark for finishing prowess.The record underscores the razor-thin margin between victory and defeat at the highest level of the sport.
The fight unfolded rapidly after a scramble. Attempting to avoid a compromising position, Blanco found himself defending against skelly’s guillotine choke attempt. Capitalizing on the moment, Skelly transitioned to an anaconda choke, rendering Blanco unconscious and securing the win.
Skelly’s finish surpassed Thiago Tavares‘ previous featherweight record by 20 seconds. since then, Sodiq Yusuff’s 30-second submission against Don Shainis in 2022 represented the closest challenge to Skelly’s mark.
Interestingly, Blanco himself holds a place in the division’s quick-finish history, having secured a victory over Mike de la Torre in 2015.That stoppage was the fourth-fastest in featherweight history, trailing only Conor McGregor, Makwan Amirkhani, and ‘The Korean Zombie.’
