George Staines Slams Loai Abushaar for First-Round Knockout
George Staines ended Dana White’s Contender Series Week 8 with a slam that put Loai Abushaar on the canvas and kept the English lightweight unbeaten.
The finish came in the opening round of the featured lightweight bout Tuesday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The card streamed on Paramount+.
Staines lifted Abushaar and drove him into the mat. The referee waved it off as Abushaar stayed down, and the broadcast clock was still inside the first minute.
“George Staines, the first round knockout!” the call went as Staines stood over the Arizona fighter.
Abushaar entered 7-1 with every win coming by finish. The 6-foot-4 prospect known as Savage Bull trains at The MMA Lab in Glendale and had been dangerous early in fights on the regional circuit.
Staines walked in undefeated after wins in Cage Warriors and Oktagon MMA. His last outing was a second-round rear-naked choke of Conor McCarthy at Cage Warriors 207 in Manchester on June 20.
The 26-year-old from Hull fights out of Next Generation MMA in Liverpool and carries the nickname Saint. He has spent time as a sparring partner for Paddy Pimblett.
That connection was not lost on the broadcast. After the stoppage, the commentators framed Staines as another British name worth remembering.
“Remember the name, George Staines, because he could be the next big star to come out of the UK,” one said as Staines circled the cage.
Another described the finish in simpler terms. “That was a mat return!”
Dana White was shown at cageside as the slam landed. Contracts on this show are announced after the full card, and no official offer had been confirmed when Staines left the Octagon.
The result still did the job the Contender Series asks of a prospect. Staines took a taller finisher down and ended the night before the first round could settle.
Week 8 had already produced early stoppages. Aieza Bertolso submitted Camila Reynoso in Round 1. Ian Escuza stopped Luca Borando in 32 seconds. Adama Diop needed a second round to TKO Zaurbek Sabanov.
Staines closed the night with the most spectacular finish of the four. A slam knockout is the kind of tape that travels, especially from an undefeated lightweight with Cage Warriors and Oktagon experience.
Abushaar had finished opponents by knockout and submission and came in as a live underdog because of his length. The first exchange that mattered was the one that put him on his back.
Staines is now the latest British lightweight to put a highlight in front of White in Las Vegas. Whether that becomes a UFC roster spot is a decision that comes after the show, not during the celebration.
For one night, the story was simple. The slam landed, the referee stepped in, and George Staines never had to see a second round.
