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.
Listen, I hear you. It’s a rough time out there for the average fight fan with every other story being either about Tom Aspinall’s poked eyeballs or, worse, Isaac Dulgarian and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad fight. These aren’t fun things to think about.
So I invite you to sit down, get comfy, and let the worries of the world drift away for a few minutes while you admire some awesome knockouts (and a few sleep-inducing submissions, just for kicks).
(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.)
Nathan Haywood vs. Lukas ChotenovskyRadek Rousal vs. Corey FryIon Surdu vs. Andrej KalasnikVasek Klimsa vs. Jessy Joaquim
Aaaaah… don’t we all feel better now?
Nathan Haywood has been waiting a long time to make his sophomore OKTAGON appearance after an unsuccessful promotional debut in January 2024. Twenty-one months later, Haywood stole the show in Brno, Czech Republic, with that beautiful hook kick you see above.
His opponent, Lukas Chotenovsky, did his best to stay in the fight, but Haywood struck with ground-and-pound that was just as accurate as his knockdown kick and put Chotenovsky out cold. That’s the kind of martial arts mixing we appreciate around here.
Like Chotenovsky, Corey Fry is also probably too tough for his own good.
Radek Rousal was putting it on Fry, landing blow after blow, but Fry would not stay down even though his brain was probably begging his body to drop to the canvas. Made the eventual knockout that much worse.
In the main event, veteran Ion Surdu had to make up for missing weight, a mistake that caused him to be stripped of his welterweight title. Normally, I’m the one wagging my finger the hardest when a fighter fails at the scale, but… man, this is a sweet KO.
I certainly hope Jessy Joaquim can forgive Vasek Klimsa for putting him to sleep.
Joaquim is our latest victim of the dreaded Von Flue, the submission that has put a lot of fighters out before they realize what’s happening. Huge respect to Klimsa for breaking the hold well before the referee stopped the fight and then trying to help send blood back up to Joaquim’s head.
OKTAGON events are available to watch with a subscription to OKTAGON TV.
Juntaro Ushiku vs. Asuka TsubakiShunki Mitsui vs. Naoki Tanaka
Did someone say Von Flue?
At a DEEP event in Tokyo, Juntaro Ushiku trapped Asuka Tsubaki against the cage and then locked him into an impossible-to-escape position. Moments later, nap time.
The fighting arena wasn’t kind to Naoki Tanaka as his head hit the canvas so, so hard after a Shunki Mitsui left caught all of his chin.
Shun Okamoto vs. Tae Geun Ha
Zipping over to BLOOM Fighting Championship in Fukuoka, Shun Okamoto sized up Tae Geun Ha and blasted him with a monster knee.
That’s what we call cutting the puppet strings, folks. Lots of unnecessary shots after, too, thanks to a referee who somehow thought Ha was still intelligently defending himself after that? OK.
Joey Lopez vs. Michael Gardner
At American Kombat Alliance 50 in Ruston, La., Michael Gardner looked comfortable walking Joey Lopez down in their amateur lightweight bout.
Maybe a little too comfortable.
Outta nowhere, Lopez fired in an uppercut and Gardner ducked right into it. Instant T-pose for Gradner and a big win for Lopez.
Kohl Laren vs. Brandon Olson
Lastly, let’s shout out Kohl Laren, who made an impassioned plea to Dana White and the UFC following a big knockout at Lights Out Xtreme Fighting 28 this past weekend.
Laren got the better of a smiley Brandon Olson, crowning him with a right hand that looked like it gave Olson an instant migraine. Probably felt worse than that, actually.
Afterwards, Laren called for his UFC shot. Anyone who has earned the nickname “Mr. Violence” (all of Kohl’s wins are by KO/TKO, all his losses by decision) should at least get Contender Series consideration, but his 6-4 record might be a tough sell to the brass.
Oh, and ICYMI, Little Nog beat the stuffing out of an influencer in a boxing match. See? Combat sports are fun!
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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