Stephens brutalizes Emmett for 2nd-round KO in UFC Orlando closer

Don't slug with a slugger.

Jeremy Stephens recovered from an early knockdown to drop Josh Emmett with a left hook before pouncing with brutal elbows that left him limp on the canvas in the second round of UFC on FOX 28's featherweight closer in Orlando on Saturday.

Stephens appeared to have grazed a downed Emmett's head with an illegal knee during the finishing sequence, with a cageside Daniel Cormier claiming some of his fight-ending elbows struck Emmett in the back of the head, but Stephens still left the cage with back-to-back knockouts (just 41 days apart), three straight victories, and the most knockdowns (18) in promotional history to his name.

Related: Did illegal blows lead to Stephens' KO of Emmett at UFC Orlando?

The 31-year-old - an 11-year UFC veteran - followed the statement victory with a plea for a long elusive shot at featherweight gold.

Stephens promptly took the center of the cage to open the contest, seeking a home for his feared mitts while Emmett darted in and out of boxing range with combinations of his own. The 28-fight UFC vet connected repeatedly with his right hook, but saw his old habits rear their ugly head as he charged at Emmett against the fence and ate a counter right hand to the kisser that planted him on his hind parts for his troubles.

Emmett followed with some nasty elbows, but Stephens recovered from the onslaught to hear the second-round horn, and the pair of featherweights were soon trading from the pocket against the fence once more. But it was Stephens that scored the knockdown this time. Much like in last month's win over Doo Ho Choi, the KO artist descended upon a rocked Emmett and rained elbows down on his dome until he'd put his lights out at the 1:35 mark.

The 32-year-old Emmett entered the bout as the UFC's fourth-ranked featherweight on the strength of his December knockout of Ricardo Lamas. His first stoppage loss snapped a two-fight win streak and dropped his promotional record to 4-2.