Idle from the Octagon since 2015 due to a two-year suspension, former title challenger Chad Mendes made sure the UFC's featherweight division remembered his name on Saturday.

Mendes (18-4), who was giving up five inches in height to Myles Jury, needed less than three minutes to score an impressive TKO in his return at UFC Fight Night in Boise, Idaho. The fight was his first since a December 2015 knockout loss to Frankie Edgar in which Mendes positive after for a banned substance.

Can't get enough UFC? Subscribe to my podcast In This Corner with Brian Campbell where we break down everything you need to know in the Octagon.

"I'm back!" Mendes said. "God, I love you Boise and everyone who came out tonight. I'm so excited."

After a cautious start for the former three-time title challenger, the 33-year-old Mendes exploded with a left hook that caught Jury (17-3) to the side of the head and floored him. Mendes swarmed to hit a series of uppercuts from his knees before Jury covered up as Mendes unloaded from behind.

Referee Jason Herzog stepped in to wave it off at 2:51 of the opening round.

"He's a long dude and I just needed to find the timing and the range to feel what his speed was going to feel like," Mendes said. "I think he was doing a little mixing up and going slow with some stuff and I wanted to see if there was going to be anything explosive coming in. I saw my opening and just exploded in and took it."

Mendes has been a fixture in the 145-pound division for the majority of the decade and his only defeats in UFC have come against the elite. Besides his loss to Edgar, he was competitive in title losses to Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor.

Asked who he hoped to face next in the second stage of his comeback, Mendes opened with a timely joke.

"Brock Lesnar, where are you at?" Mendes said. "Nah, man. I'm just super excited to be back. Anyone in the top five, give it to me and let's go."