Now, that was a knockout! Ateba Gautier has long earned respect from fans thanks to his explosive knockout power, imposing 6’4″ frame for the 185-pound division. Not to mention, he was often referred to as the ‘middleweight Francis Ngannou’ by fans because of their shared Cameroonian heritage and brutal fighting styles. At UFC 320, Gautier further proved the fans right when he squared off against short-notice replacement Tre’ston Vines.

The preliminary card of the event in T-Mobile Arena saw Ateba Gautier deliver a lightning-fast finish against Tre’ston Vines. From the opening bell, Gautier took control, pressing forward while Vines stayed on the back foot. Vines’ first takedown attempt came from too far out, allowing Gautier to counter with a perfectly timed knee that dropped him. From there on out, there was no coming back for Vines.

Kamaru Usman and Terrance McKinney react to Ateba Gautier’s KO win at UFC 320

Vines tried to recover by driving for another takedown against the fence, but Gautier stayed composed and unleashed two crushing elbows to the side of Vines’ head. After a brief delay, Vines went stiff, prompting the referee to step in as Gautier landed a few follow-up shots. The stoppage secured Gautier an emphatic first-round knockout victory. 

Afterward, r/UFC shared a picture of Vines knocked out on the canvas, expressing their confusion about how quickly the fight came to an end, writing “WTF???????????????” Meanwhile, Kamaru Usman hopped on X to share his first thoughts. “That was straight African Power sheesh,” Usman wrote. Meanwhile, Terrance McKinney also shared his immediate reaction. 

“That looked like he beat up his lil brothers friend he just ran until he couldn’t anymore,” McKinney wrote on X. Regardless, fans quickly drew comparisons to the Cameroonian former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. 

Francis Ngannou would be proud of Gautier, fans claim

One user thought there was something wrong with Vines because of how quickly the fight ended at UFC 320. The user asked, “Did bro just glitch to a hard reset what happened?” He was utterly dominated. 

Another user was quick to bring up Francis Ngannou. The user asked, “Francis Ngannou in disguise?” It’s yet to be seen whether Gautier can match Ngannou’s achievements in the UFC.

Meanwhile, this user criticized Vines for his performance. The user felt, “That was one of the worst performances in ufc history.” However, it’s not his fault that Gautier was so much better. 

Someone else took the opportunity to mock Vines. The user commented, “The man flopped. He didn’t want any smoke.” Unfortunately for Vines, he never got the opportunity to recover. And he may never get another UFC opportunity either.

A fifth user also felt Francis Ngannou was in the cage in the form of his fellow Cameroonian fighter. The user claimed, “We got middleweight Ngannou before gta 6 lol.” GTA 6 is, of course, slated to release in May 2026 and the game’s release date getting extended has become a running meme. 

That being said, it appears Ateba Gautier continues to further his image as the new Francis Ngannou of the UFC. Only time will tell whether his performance continues to have the same results.