You won’t find a bigger believer in Chas Skelly’s talent and toughness than his recent UFC 211 opponent, Jason Knight.

“That boy’s got some heart,” Knight said. “He’s got a lot of heart.”

On Saturday at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Knight (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) ultimately pounded out Skelly (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in the third round. However, Knight arguably set up the win in motion in the first round of the FX-televised bout with a series of submission attempts. He didn’t get the tap, but he knew the damage was done.

“That man is tough,” Knight said. “I broke his arm in the first minute and a half (of the fight), and he kept coming. (His arm) popped several times. Not only did I hear it, but I felt it pop. I knew it was broke as soon as I put him in that little armbar.

“That boy’s got heart.”

However, the finish didn’t come until the third round, when he floored Skelly and unloaded a series of followup shots to finally force the merciful stoppage (via Twitter):

Down goes Skelly! Jason Knight with the TKO! #UFC211 https://t.co/6K6MjYofHX — FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 14, 2017

“He would not give up,” Knight said. “The guy’s got a lot of heart. He came up to me right after that fight. The first thing he said to me was, ‘You broke my arm in that first round.’ I told him, ‘I know I did. Props to you because you kept fighting.’

“Most people, you get your arm broke, you give up. But that man’s like me. I don’t care if my leg is broken. I’m going to limp out there to the center of the cage, and we’re going to see what I can do with a broke leg.”

Knight has now won four straight fights since a UFC-debut decision loss to Tatsuya Kawajiri. Like the Alex Caceres victory before it, the Skelly victory earned him a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus.

The 24-year-old Mississippi native, who’s known by some fans as “Hick Diaz,” now wants a top-15 ranking – or at least the chance to fight someone in the top 15. And as much as he likes quick finishes, he knows a victory like the one at UFC 211 can prove some things to doubters.

“The quick finish is good because all the anxiety and all the bull(expletive) is over with,” he said. “But when you get in the cage and have a war, there’s nothing better. There’s no better feeling in the world than when you go out there and bang it out and you have a gritty, nasty fight and get your hand raised.”

Now, needing to heal from a mangled eye, and with a preplanned surgery set this week for a deviated septum, Knight will take a little time off. But he’s thankful for the opportunity and the challenge that Skelly gave him.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for the guy,” he said. “Any man that gets his arm broke and keeps fighting through it, you’ve got a hell of a lot of heart and you really want it.

“He went out there and showed me after that first round that he wanted that fight, but there ain’t nobody in the sport that wants it more than me. I guarantee you that.”

For more on UFC 211, check out the UFC Events section of the site.