Mousasi finishes Belfort in 2nd round for 40th career win

In his 10th trip to the Octagon, Gegard Mousasi gave a renowned knockout artist a taste of his own medicine.

Mousasi landed a barrage of ground-and-pound on Vitor Belfort to notch a second-round TKO in their middleweight tilt at UFC 204 in Manchester, England, on Saturday. The Dutchman introduced Belfort's head to his shin with a head kick before unleashing a relentless flurry of fists that sent "The Phenom" to the ground. Mousasi pounced on the Brazilian and sealed his fate with a bevy of punches midway through Round 2 for his 40th career victory.

"The Dreamcatcher" kept his killer instinct at bay in the opening round, seemingly out of respect for Belfort's fast hands. The Brazilian's penchant for first-round finishes didn't deter Mousasi from pressuring him, though, as the Dutchman consistently initiated the striking exchanges with his vaunted kickboxing.

In a recurring script throughout Belfort's 20-year career, "The Phenom" began to fade after Round 1, with Mousasi turning up the aggression accordingly. The Brazilian was left stunned by Mousasi's head kick and ate a hefty dose of punches before having his head bashed against the canvas for the stoppage.

The victory extends Mousasi's streak to three, the longest undefeated run of his UFC tenure. Belfort, on the other hand, has dropped two straight and three of four.