Stittgen knocked out in UFC debut

LAS VEGAS | The odds were seemingly against Dan Stittgen from the start.

The Schaumburg-based welterweight made his UFC debut Saturday at UFC 143 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in a short-notice fight against a renowned kickboxer who had never been beaten. And he got what many people expected.

Stittgen ate a right kick to the head from Thompson that he never saw coming and was knocked out at 4:13 of the first round.

"I took the fight on late notice and didn't perform my best," Stittgen said. "I should have listened to my coach more. I'm very disappointed with what happened out there, but I will certainly be back better."

Stittgen (7-2, 0-1 UFC) has been pro since 2009, including a win at the Hammond Civic Center in just his second pro fight in 2009, a first-round TKO win over Steve Styx at Total Fight Challenge 15. The product of Midwest Training Center in Schaumburg entered his UFC debut on a three-fight winning streak.

But his first round was spent trying to figure out the highly unorthodox karate style of Thompson, who came in with a perfect kickboxing record of 56-0 - with 40 knockouts, plus a 5-0 record in MMA.

Though he held his own for much of the first, looking for his range, he ultimately ducked away from a hook from Thompson that led to the high right kick to the head he never saw.

"No words can describe how I feel right now," Thompson said. "I'm beyond happy to have this win. It's my first win in the UFC and I can't wait to get back out there and do it again."

Thompson (6-0, 1-0 UFC) said the pressure of his UFC debut, as well as some of the hype behind his somewhat legendary kickboxing background, led him to a patient game plan.

"I took my time and felt him out," said Thompson, a training partner of UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre in Montreal at the same Tristar Gym East Chicago's Miguel Torres trains at. "GSP is my training buddy, and before the fight he gave me some words of encouragement and told me to focus on what I am going to do and block everything else out. That was amazing advice, and exactly what I did."