Vinicius Oliveira shocks with horrific flying knee knockout in UFC debut (Video)

It was a challenging start to Vinicius Oliveira's UFC debut at UFC Vegas 87, but he rallied late to land one of the most devastating knockouts in UFC history.

Oliveira and short-notice opponent Benardo Sopaj clashed in a highly-anticipated matchup between two top bantamweight prospects. Sopaj filled for the injured Yanis Ghemmouri on days' notice to make his UFC debut.

It was also the UFC debut for Oliveira, who earned a UFC contract via Dana White's Contender Series in 2023.

Surprising to many, Sopaj dictated the opening minute of the fight. He controlled Oliveira with wrestling and nearly finished the fight early with brutal ground-and-pound.

Oliveira bounced back in a big way towards the end of Round 2, reversing ground position and catching an exhausted Sopaj with strikes as the round concluded. In Round 3, Oliveira continued to put on a clinic with his standup and closed the show with a flying knee knockout with 19 seconds left.

Vinicius Oliveira is Knockout of the Year candidate at UFC Vegas 87

Watch Oliveira's knockout below.

Sopaj was unconscious for a few minutes after the flying knee landed. He was also carried out of the Octagon by his coaches after appearing to suffer from a leg injury after taking a series of calf kicks.

Oliveira might've topped his first-round knockout on DWCS in September. He knocked out Victor Madrigal with a left hook to secure a UFC contract.

Oliveira has won three fights in a row since a loss to Ali Taleb at UAE Warriors 30. 16 of his 20 victories have come by knockout.

Oliveira adds another intriguing element to the stacked UFC bantamweight division. He'll face another tough test for his next UFC appearance, but he aced his first Octagon exam with flying colors at UFC Vegas 87.

FanSided MMA has you covered with all the up-to-date live results and highlights from UFC Vegas 87.