UFC 139 Results: Ryan Bader Blows Away Jason Brilz to Stave off Elimination

Ryan Bader and Jason Brilz, both coming into UFC 139 on Saturday nursing two-match losing streaks, fought for their mixed martial arts lives in San Jose, but only Bader emerged with his livelihood at the top level of the sport still intact.

And, realistically, only Bader could have after knocking out Brilz less than two minutes into the fight. The former "Ultimate Fighter" winner caught "The Hitman" with an uppercut from his powerful right hand that didn't seem to have much impact at first, but likely proved to be Brilz's undoing. Bader followed that up by forcing Brilz into the cage, where he came with another strong right to Brilz's temple.

That proved to be enough to end the fight, as Brilz crumpled to the mat, at which point Bader jumped on his helpless opponent just before referee Jason McCoy could stop the fight at the 1:17 mark of the first round.

For Bader, the win puts him back on the map in the light heavyweight division, though he still has quite a distance to climb out of the hole he dug for himself in back-to-back losses to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz. That being said, this victory gives Bader something to build on going forward, a confidence boost that could make his name one to watch for in his weight class once again.

As for Brilz, he figures to get the axe from UFC president Dana White after Saturday's subpar showing. The loss—Brilz's third in a row and the fourth in his last five fights—would've been bad enough in and of itself, but doing so by knockout for the second consecutive time only cemented The Hitman's exit from the Octagon at 36 years of age.