SAN JOSE >> Santa Cruz mixed martial artist Daniel Compton believed that his opponent, Santa Rosa’s Joaquin Lopez, didn’t have as challenging a road as he had to make the main event of Fight Night 2: San Jose on Saturday night.

He was intent on proving that Lopez didn’t deserve to be there, and called his opponent a “can crusher,” an insult in the fight game, leading up to the bout.

Word got back to Lopez, and he took offense to the comments. He took his frustrations out on Compton in their middleweight bout in front of a large, boisterous crowd at Tech CU Arena.

The fighters traded kicks and combinations early in their bout, and then Lopez made sure it didn’t last the scheduled three rounds.

“I know I hurt him a few times,” Lopez said. “And I knew it was going to be a matter of time before I landed the punch I needed to. The low kicks were working really good, and I was able to mask them with my punches. I don’t think he was expecting that. So, just work low-high and connect the shots.”

Lopez attempted a knee to Compton’s head, and when Compton pulled back, he was greeted with a devastating left hook that drew blood near his eye and a ferocious right jab that sent him to the canvas.

“I knew he couldn’t take the punch,” Lopez said. “I put a lot of people out and I knew it was eventually coming.”

Lopez continued with a flurry of punches at Compton, who laid on his back, his head partially supported by one of the ropes in the ring, but none met their intended target. Referee Frank Trigg made sure of that as he stepped between the fighters and called the bout at 2:07 of Round 1: Knockout.

Lopez (10-4) said he heard the pre-fight chatter from his opponent.

“I didn’t really pay attention to anything he said, ” Lopez said. “I know he likes to talk a lot with some other teammates and around the local scene. I don’t have to talk; I let my fists do the talking. Especially at 185 (pounds). I feel solid; I don’t feel drained. And it showed right there. A few people showed me what he was saying on there, and I was like, ‘Hey, he’s going to find out real quick in there, on the first punch I hit him with, that I deserve to be there. I’m here for a reason.’ “

It was a big win for Lopez, and a tough loss for Compton (8-4), who has one fight remaining on his contract with Fight Night San Jose. Compton hoped to close his pact with a pair of wins, and, in the process, gain some traction in his bid to compete in the UFC.

Lopez was more than happy to throw a wrench — as well as a couple of quick, but heavy hands — into those plans.

The former boxer looked at his fists in his post-fight interview with media, raised them slightly, and made a declaration.

“This right here, these hands right here, they’re different,” he said.

Compton elected to not speak with the media after his bout.

Compton’s bout was the final of 14 fights on the main card, which included four muay thai bouts. The majority of 2,000 fans in attendance — which included MMA celebrities Cain Velasquez, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Nate Diaz, and Gilbert Melendez, as well as San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga — didn’t stick around for the amateur card, which feature another nine action-filled fights.

Compton not only had the majority of the crowd in his corner, the 6-foot-3 fighter also held a distinct height and reach advantage. But his 6-1 opponent was more than happy to cut him down to size.

Lopez has earned knockouts in nine of his 10 victories.

In the co-main event, Vallejo’s Bobby Seronio III (5-0) won by unanimous decision over Rio de Janeiro’s Carlos Murta (4-2) in their bantamweight fight.

Other MMA winners on the main card include: Joe Kropshot (6-3) of Walnut Creek, Vadim Zadnipryanyi (1-0) of Ukraine, Mason Hartshorn (5-1) of Antioch, Gavin Hallinan (2-1) of Fairfax, Dupree Stewart (2-0) of Fremont, Kyle Clark (1-0) of Antioch.

Jessica Rose Clark (5-0) of San Jose, via Australia, Georgii Eivas (6-0) of Danville, Desiree Wodicker (3-0), and Janet Garcia Borbon (1-0) of San Jose earned muay thai wins.

Amateurs MMA fighters Ignacio Ureno (3-2) of Gilroy and Aaron Villa Carlos (5-1) of Vallejo also earned wins on the main card.