Welcome to the latest edition of Missed Fists where we shine a light on fights from across the globe that may have been overlooked in these hectic times where it seems like there’s an MMA show every other day.
Compared to the outlaw days of the early ‘90s, MMA technique has come so far that it’s almost unrecognizable to the O.G. cagefighting fan. Overall, your average fighter is more technical, more prepared, and more well-rounded, but one can’t help but feel like we’ve lost that spark of improvisation at the heart of some of the game’s best moments.
That comment mostly applies to the higher levels of competition, so thankfully we still have the outskirts of MMA to provide us with some truly insane moments.
(Big thanks as always to @Barrelelapierna for their weekly lists of the best KOs and submissions, and to @Grabaka_Hitman for uploading many of the clips you see here. Give them a follow and chip in on Patreon if you can.)
Leandro Jobu vs. Fernando Cesar Silva
Joaquin Buckley fights at UFC 307 this weekend and even though he’s regrettably developed a reputation for making statements that are high in noise and low in logic, he should still be appreciated for authoring arguably the greatest knockout of all time.
To this day, it inspires fighters, or at least that’s what I’m assuming happened with Leandro Jobu at a Brothers Fight Championship event in Sao Paulo:
Hopping on one leg, Jobu just let it rip and flung his foot into the sky. It landed with brutal precision on Fernando Cesar Silva’s head and the referee probably could have jumped in for the stoppage right there. Fortunately, Jobu didn’t go for any follow-up strikes, opting instead to finish with a rear-naked choke (which probably didn’t feel all that great either).
Call it a fluke if you want, but Jobu’s team isn’t hearing it.
Mironshokh Khusenov vs. Didar Nagmoldanov
Ruslan Kasymaly uulu vs. Anar Azizli
At an Octagon League event in Almaty, Kazakhstan, poor Didar Nagmoldanov suffered brain freeze at the worst possible moment.
Mironshokh Khusenov popped Nagmoldanov with a right hand that made him temporarily forget where he was. As he attempted to fix his mouthpiece like he was in the middle of a training session, Khusenov mercilessly finished him off with a jumping knee to the face. It’s hard to protect yourself at all times when you have no clue what the hell is happening.
In the main event, Ruslan Kasymaly uulu put an absolute beatdown on Anar Azizli.
Azizli wasn’t all the way out, but the referee had no choice but to step in there. That was a lot of unanswered strikes, just stretched out over half a round as opposed to the kind of flurry we’re used to seeing end fights. Kasymaly pitched a shutout.
Octagon League 63 is free to watch on YouTube.
Daniel Delgado vs. Eduar Perez
Speaking of shutouts and shutdowns, Daniel Delgado battered Eduar Perez to score one of the nastiest knockouts of the weekend.
That lunging uppercut seemed to have Perez out on his feet and then Delgado knocked him out, like, three more times before he hit the ground.
More fights from Strike Warrior 11 are available for free on YouTube.
Alessandro Martinez vs. Jorge Juarez
One more from the “Frozen Like Elsa” (ugh) department:
Alessandro Martinez and Jorge Juarez met in a Budo Striking rules match (essentially Muay Thai with MMA gloves), which ended with Martinez hitting Juarez’s off-switch. They might need to check Juarez’s wiring though, because it took an extra second or two for his body to respond.
Budo Sento Championship 25, which was actually comprised of a striking-only card and an MMA card, is available on UFC Fight Pass.
Bilal Hasan vs. Jose Leon
Frank Rayford vs. Jeramy Titsworth
We talked about creativity at the top of this feature, so let’s close with another fun display from a Cage Fury FC flyweight title fight.
Bilal Hasan, all of 23 years old, stepped over beautifully into this choke and now owns a shiny belt in just his fifth pro bout.
As for the post-fight dance-off, I’ll call that one a draw.
Bravo, fellas!
And we can’t go without mentioning Frank Rayford’s fast finish of Jeramy Titsworth.
According to commentators Geena Lucille and John Morgan, Rayford wasn’t even supposed to be fighting on the card. He was in North Dakota to corner a teammate, but threw on a pair of gloves when a spot opened up.
Lucille later added that Rayford actually lost his job ahead of the fight.
Maybe we’re not as far off from MMA’s outlaw days as I thought.
Lastly, ICYMI, make sure to check out the unbelievable battle between Lewis McGrillen and Dean Garnett that took place at a PFL Europe event this past Saturday. Now free on YouTube!
Without exaggeration, that might be the best fight of 2024 so far.
Poll
What was the most memorable Missed Fists moment this week?
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Leandro Jobu goes vertical
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Daniel Delgado freezes Eduar Perez
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Bilal Hasan’s choke and dance-off
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Lewis McGrillen and Dean Garnett go to war
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Other (leave comment below)
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0 votes total
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If you know of a recent fight or event that you think may have been overlooked, or a promotion that could use some attention, please let us know on X — @AlexanderKLee — using the hashtag #MissedFists.
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