UPDATED, 11:30 a.m.

Former Mizzou wrestler and St. Louis native Tyron Woodley is the new Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion after wasting no time against Robbie Lawler with a first-round knockout at UFC 201 Saturday night in Atlanta.

Woodley (16-3) clocked the champion Lawler (27-11) with a clean right hand then followed with a burst of blows for the knockout in the UFC pay-per-view event at Phillips Arena. Woodley, fighting in his first match since January 2015, delivered the knockout in 2 minutes, 12 seconds, the fastest in UFC welterweight title hitsory.

It was Woodley's third straight win since he lost to Rory MacDonald at UFC 176 on June 14, 2014.

After the fight, Woodley, 34, told reporters he spent time alone in the Octagon Saturday afternoon and visualized wearing the championship belt.

"I was just nervous that I wasn't nervous," he told reporters. "Something told me that you've just got to enjoy this moment. I've been in this sport for 10 years and I'd never enjoyed the moment. I felt confident to enjoy this moment because I knew I'd be the world champion. ... I saw myself several times knocking him out in several different rounds."