Rory Singer took the necessary steps to ensure his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut would not be so easily forgotten. The SBG Athens patriarch swept aside Ross Pointon with a first-round triangle choke as part of “The Ultimate Fighter 3” Finale undercard on June 24, 2006 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Providing support for the Kenny Florian-Sam Stout main event, Singer drew the curtain a mere 44 seconds into Round 1. The two middleweights circled each other at the outset. Pointon dropped the Brooklyn, New York, native with a clean left and powered into top position for a potential finish. However, in his haste to bring their encounter to a close, the marauding Englishman became entangled in a triangle. Singer drew upon his extensive grappling experience, cinched the choke and forced his counterpart to capitulate. Nearly two decades later, Singer’s successfully sprung trap on Pointon still ranks as the fastest submission in the history of the UFC middleweight division. The best of the rest:

UFC 111 March 27, 2010 | Newark, New Jersey Palhares dispatched the “Gorilla” with a heel hook in the first round of their middleweight prelim at the Prudential Center. Drwal packed his bags 45 seconds into Round 1, as he suffered his first submission defeat in nearly six years. Palhares zeroed in on his adversary’s left leg when the Polish powerhouse slipped while throwing a front kick. He then wrenched on the heel hook with maximum torque. Drwal yelled out in pain, issued his surrender and limped out of the cage, albeit under his own power. It was the second of three career sub-minute finishes for Palhares.

UFC 163 Aug. 3, 2013 | Rio de Janeiro Ferreira took out the Tata Fight Team product with a guillotine choke in the first round of their middleweight showcase at HSBC Arena. A replacement for the injured Clint Hester, Santos waved the white flag 47 seconds into Round 1. Ferreira wasted no time getting down to business. He staggered Santos with a clubbing left hook during their opening exchange and proceeded to chase the finish. Santos dove for a desperate takedown, only to find himself trapped in an arm-in guillotine choke. Soon after, he asked out of the match.

UFC Fight Night 31 Nov. 6, 2013 | Hopkinsville, Kentucky Brunson put away the previously unbeaten Disorderly Conduct rep with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their middleweight prelim at Fort Campbell. A short-notice fill-in for Antonio Braga Neto, Houston conceded defeat 48 seconds into Round 1. Brunson connected with a head kick to the temple, then pounced on the dazed Riverdale, Georgia, native. Operating in the shadows of the Tim Kennedy-Rafael Natal headliner and Alexis Davis-Liz Carmouche co-main event, the Strikeforce veteran then put his underrated submission skills to work, weaved his arms around Houston’s neck and left the promotional newcomer no choice but to tap.

UFC on ESPN 2 March 30, 2019 | Philadelphia Hermansson dismissed the former two-division World Series of Fighting champion with a guillotine choke in the first round of their middleweight co-main event at the Wells Fargo Center. Branch clocked out 49 seconds into Round 1. Hermansson needed no feeling-out process. The onetime Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder forced Branch onto his back foot with an awkward but aggressive standup attack, secured a takedown and caught the arm-in guillotine when the Renzo Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt tried to escape to his feet. Hermansson bit down on the choke, forced the American to release a desperation fence grab and tightened his squeeze until the deed was done.