Heavyweight Chris Barnett finally made his return to action at UFC 308, taking on former light heavyweight talent Kennedy Nzechukwu at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Barnett, who has battled injuries and the tragic death of his wife in considerable years, was scheduled to fight Waldo Cortes-Acosta earlier this month but was forced out of the fight when Hurricane Milton ravaged Tampa, where Barnett lives .

The height difference between the towering Nzechukwu and the relatively stocky Barnett was apparent early on. Barnett tried to mount a spinning attack early on, launching overhand rights as Nzechukwu looked to move inside. Barnett fluttered a spinning top kick at the two-minute mark, drawing gasps from the crowd.

Nzechukwu, fighting in a more traditional style, targeted the body, but he mixed things up by missing a head kick of his own. More effective were kicks to the body, with Nzechukwu softening Barnett throughout the first round. Barnett also appeared to favor one leg, possibly the same Achilles injury he suffered during his time off. Nzechukwu sensed Barnett was sick and unloaded while Barnett covered himself up. He tried to swing back, but couldn’t, nearly falling over when his leg seemed to come out and catch the limb.

With the win, Kennedy Nzechukwu snaps his two-fight skid and improves to 7-5 in the octagon. Replays, meanwhile, showed Barnett favored the leg just after the fighter’s introductions, after he jumped when Bruce Buffer called his name.

Official result: Kennedy Nzechuku def. Chris Barnett by technical knockout, round 1, 4:27