Niko Price had the momentum.

But Abdul Razak Alhassan had the great equalizer: power.

Power won. Convincingly.

The Texas-based native of Ghana entered the Octagon at American Airlines Center in Dallas to the less-than-imposing strains of Elton John's "Circle of Life" on Saturday night, but the song had barely ended by the time Price was left defenseless -- giving Alhassan a devastating 43-second stoppage in a scheduled three-rounder at welterweight.

Price became the first fighter in UFC history to win by a KO from his back just two months ago, and came out firing against Alhassan, but the once-beaten 33-year-old replied back with his own salvo, highlighted by a pair of right hands that drove Price back to the cage wall.

The Floridian tried to escape by moving to his right, but the exit strategy put him right in the path of two freight-train left hands, leaving him slumped to the floor and prompting a humane rescue from referee Jacob Montalvo.

"(Price is) the kind of person, you think you're winning, and then boom, all of a sudden he's got you," Alhassan said. "When somebody throws back at me, I don't know what it is, I just get mad and I want to throw back. When I saw him move I just threw (the left) and it caught him at the right time."

Price dropped to 12-2 with one no contest.

For complete results from UFC 228, click here.