A Detroit fighter is trying to emerge as the next crown jewel in one of the UFC’s most complicated and dangerous divisions.
Kalinn Williams, nicknamed “The Oxfighter” and also known as “Khaos,” earned a $50,000 performance bonus at UFC Fight Night on Saturday after knocking out Carlston Harris with a right hook that landed in the sweet spot. The Jackson native fighting in Detroit landed one more finishing blow on a stunned Harris to secure the first-round submission after 90 seconds.
“I’m different,” Williams told the Free Press after the win. “I’ve been saying this – I’m a diamond in the rough just waiting to be cut out and shown to the world that I’m here.”
Williams moved to 6-2 in his UFC career, which began in 2020, after he caught Harris with a sharp kick while throwing two punches to the head. It was the fourth knockout of Williams’ career, three of them in the first round, and the second consecutive victory to move up the welterweight division.
Williams’ power and ability to end a fight at a moment’s notice has been profitable for him thus far, earning four performance bonuses to supplement his salary for each fight appearance and victory. The five-figure bonus is given to fighters who impress UFC management with their individual performances, and Williams’ knockouts have always attracted attention.
“He wasn’t messing with me when it came to striking,” Williams said of his opponent. “There are levels to this and I just had to prove it.”
WINDSOR: The Detroit Pistons need bold changes. Tim Connelly wouldn’t be ‘afraid’ to provide just that
Williams emerged as one of the exciting talents in his weight class after starting combat in Michigan. He was born in Indiana but grew up in Jackson, Michigan and started out in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He began his professional fighting career at two King of the Cage events held in Wyandotte in 2017, winning both by knockout. He continued fighting in local MMA events in Grand Rapids, Lansing and the Detroit area until making his UFC debut in 2020.
“I ended up buying property in Detroit and staying in Detroit,” Williams said of his early fighting career. “I was fighting more in Detroit and that’s where I became bigger.”
Williams went 9-1 from 2017-2019, catching the attention of the UFC. He stepped in to replace an injured fighter in February 2020 and instantly made a name for himself with a 27-second knockout against Alex Morono in short order. He won his next fight before falling to Michel Pereira via unanimous decision. He won two more fights, one by knockout, before losing to Randy Brown by decision in May 2022. Since then, he has won two fights in a row, including last Saturday.
He continued to fight outside of Detroit during his four years in the UFC.
“It means a lot, I love the man about town,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of history when it comes to Detroit… There’s a lot of talent here and it’s a drug lord city, man. We put that Detroit buzz and it’s different.”
Although he is developing a heavy-handed reputation in the UFC, Williams said he is a versatile fighter, not a “one-trick pony” but someone who can win in multiple ways, pointing to his kick and jab combinations previously. the fight to score the opening. But this trick was effective once again, putting his opponent to sleep immediately.
He gave credit to his training camp and gym, Murcielago MMA, based in Lansing, for preparing him for the fight and pointing out Harris’ tendencies as well as allowing him to train against other fighters like Joaquin Buckley who also trains with Murcielago in Lansing and is ranked 11th in the welterweight division.
“When a plan is executed, it always feels good,” Williams said.
Before this fight, he spent time training in Lansing, but also picked up extra work at Jiu-Jitsu gyms near Detroit, such as Vision BJJ at Wixom. He also traveled to other cities like Denver and Albuquerque to make sure he was prepared and growing as a fighter.
“I go all over Michigan — from here to here,” Williams said. “It’s not like I can put everything in one place, so I have to put the pieces together.”
It was only Williams’ third fight in the last three years because he is focused on other “investments” outside of fighting, but intends to be more active in the future, including the possibility of adding another fight in 2024. He falls out of the top 15 first placed in their weight category, but wants to continue fighting against increased competition to try to prove their worth and move up. As for specific names, Williams isn’t picky; he’s ready for any challenge the UFC programmers throw at him.
First, he must heal his hand, which “messed up a little” in one of the two punches that ended the fight against Harris. After healing from the injury, which he believed to be a bruise, he is ready to continue trying to climb the ladder.
“Whoever they put in front of me, they have to catch the smoke,” Williams said.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Detroit UFC fighter Kalinn ‘Khaos’ Williams making a name for himself
