'Don't look crazy at me': Georgia's Roman Dolidze OBLITERATES Russian UFC rival with knee KO on Fight Island (VIDEO)

Undefeated Georgian fighter Roman Dolidze announced himself on the UFC light heavyweight stage in spectacular fashion as he finished Russian rival Khadis Ibragimov in the first round of their Fight Island showdown in Abu Dhabi.

Dolidze took exception to a particularly intense stare-down from his Dagestani opponent at the weigh-ins, but exacted revenge on Ibragimov in brutal style once the pair stepped inside the octagon.

The Georgian landed a perfectly-timed left knee flush on his rival's chin, sending him onto the mat in a heap.

As Ibragimov desperately covered up, Dolidze continued to rain down blows before referee Herb Dean stepped in to call off the contest with 45 seconds remaining of the first round.

The 32-year-old Dolidze, a former World Warriors Fighting Championship veteran, firmly gained the attention of pundits and Twitter fans with his explosive UFC debut.

While Dolidze's concussive knee strike ultimately wasn't enough to secure a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, it did ensure he continued his remarkable run of finishing each of the seven opponents he has faced in professional MMA. 

Afterwards, the Georgian said he had been pumped up following Ibragimov's weigh-in antics, where the Dagestani had strode forcefully towards his opponent's face. 

"I don't like when someone at the weigh-ins looks at me crazy," Dolidze told the assembled media at the post-fight press conference, including RT Sport.  

"It's disrespectful. A lot of guys in the UFC act like chickens. I'm from the country, Georgia, it's near Dagestan, we don't do like that. We just do our job, nothing more."

"I was surprised [he did that], because he's from the same area, we have one mountain separating us.

"I hope [I sent a message], because things like that motivate me. In the cage I'm a different person." 

A fired-up Dolidze had screamed in the direction of his dazed and confused opponent after finishing him – a gesture he later apologized for.

"I think it was a bit unnecessary. It stemmed from the intensity at the weigh-in... But these things only help me in the octagon, I'm a completely different person than in life," he told the media, this time speaking in Russian.   

"We'd met before and then he came up to me [with a crazed look], and I though 'what happened?' It was an unusual situation for me.

"I apologized to Khadis [for my reaction after victory], because it was wrong."

The defeat for Ibragimov was his third straight loss in the UFC, as he will now fear for his future in the promotion.

In contrast, Dolidze will set his sights higher up the 205 lbs rankings as he bids to build on an impressive octagon debut.