Melvin Manhoef pulls off a first round TKO win over Misaki in Japan

Melvin Manhoef scored perhaps the most impressive win of his MMA career today, handing a first round TKO defeat to the dangerous Japanese star, Kazuo Misaki at Dynamite!! 2009 in Japan.

Manhoef clearly fancied his chances on the feet and came out looking to throw bombs, backing Misaki up at every opportunity. A powerful flurry just short of the second minute mark saw the Dutchman back-up Misaki into the corner before dropping him to the canvas. The referee immediately stepped in much to the disappointment of the Japanese star.

Manhoef will now head to the United States to begin a new chapter in his career with Strikeforce, armed with yet another impressive win over a dangerous opponent. Can this powerful striker be a relevant threat in the middleweight division? We’ll certainly have fun finding out in 2010