BLAENAVON mixed martial arts fighter Mason 'the Dragon' Jones got back up from a first round knockdown to beat Bolaji 'the Zulu Warrior' Oki with a second round TKO at UFC Paris.

It caps a brilliant return to the Ultimate Fighting Champinship for Jones, who came back from three years away to beat American Jeremy Stephens in Wells Fargo last May.

He got his Belgian opponent down on the floor after recovering, and finished the lightweight contest off with several unanswered strikes for a sixth straight win and the ‘Performance of the Night’ award.

"I don't think I was hurt, I started slow. It happens, but I put it on him. He slowed down and I didn't," said the 30-year-old.

"The wrestling was plan B. I like to cause damage – I would have liked to stay standing for a bit longer, but he wanted to wrestle so I showed him how to wrestle."

Jones, who won one of of his three fights in his first UFC stint, refused to touch gloves at the start of the contest, and soon found himself on the end of a barrage of big blows in the octagon, forcing him to the ground.

But he recovered quickly, got back on his feet and sent 29-year-old Oki sprawling before nearly finishing things off in the first round with a kimura.

And Jones came on strong again in the second round, scoring a takedown and finishing the contest off with several ground strikes.

Jones' first spell in the UFC from 2021-2022 came after a 10-0 winning run that included the Cage Warriors lightweight and welterweight titles.

Over 18 months, he fought four times, winning once with one no contest when he was well on top, before deciding to head back to the regional circuit to work on some things that needed addressing, and give himself a better opportunity to make the most of the second chance he was certain he would earn.

He told ufc.com before his return: “It’s all about doing it right this time. I’m more mature, I feel stronger, I’m hitting harder, my gas tank is good."

And now after victory in Paris, he wants to be the first Welsh fighter to top a UFC card.

Before heading into the octagon to face Oki, he said: "My goal is to be the first Welsh fighter to headline a card.

"That is my next goal, I think I'm about two fights away from it. Get a good finish here, another good one before the end of the year and I think I'm in a good place where I can headline a card.

"I don't care if it's the Apex [in Las Vegas] or anywhere, I'm interested in headlining a card.”

Jones began martial arts as a young boy, having been banned from playing rugby and football by his dad because he said he was always getting into fights, who took him instead to a kickboxing gym.

"I knew right away this was what I'd been looking for and began to train,” he recalled, “adding other disciplines such as judo, boxing, and jiu-jitsu to my arsenal, with the end goal of becoming a professional MMA fighter.”

And Blaenavon Blues FC showed their support following his latest victory, posting: “Congratulations to Blaenavon's very own Mason Jones on his UFC win by TKO!”