Uriah Hall had been searching for a signature win since falling short on "The Ultimate Fighter" season 17, and he finally had his moment on Saturday night with an explosive TKO finish against top-10 ranked middleweight Gegard Mousasi in the UFC Fight Night co-main event from Japan.
Hall (12-5) accepted the fight with Mousasi (37-6) just a few weeks ago after Roan Carneiro was forced off the card due to injury. Hall, who picked up a win at UFC Fight Night in Nashville in early August, jumped at the chance to face Mousasi in Japan, and the gamble paid off huge.
The fight was going Mousasi's way early as the veteran took Hall down almost immediately and began passing his guard to advance his position. Hall tried to counter with a Kimura and an armbar from the bottom, but Mousasi was too slick defensively and he slipped out while maintaining his spot on top.
Mousasi nearly pulled off a rear-naked choke late in the round, but the horn sounded and both fighters returned to their corners.
As soon as the second round started, Mousasi ducked his head to look for another takedown, but Hall was ready this time as he uncorked a spinning heel kick that caught the former Strikeforce champion flush in the face.
Mousasi stumbled backwards and Hall exploded forward with a flying knee that sent both men crashing to the canvas.
Hall's assault never stopped, and he continuously threw punches until the referee finally swooped in to stop the fight before Mousasi took any more damage.
"My favorite kick, the spinning-jump kick," Hall said after the win. "I follow up with the flying knee; it's pretty simple."
Hall picks up the most significant victory of his UFC career while answering a ton of questions about his ability to win on the biggest stage.
If Saturday's performance was any indication, Hall finally may have turned a corner and he's ready to live up to his full potential.
