Missed Fists: Boxer scores wild comeback knockout seconds after near-finish

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.

As much as I occasionally joke about keeping the martial arts apart (#KeepTheMartialArtsApart, get it trending!), few things in life make me happier than the diversity of finishes that you see in a sanctioned cagefight. From blistering one-shot knockouts to tornado kicks to the face to submissions that we can’t even name, there are truly 1,001 ways to win and lose in MMA.

That said, sometimes you’ve just got to tip your cap to our brothers and sisters of the sweet science, because a traditional boxing walloping can be hard to beat.

(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.)

Tyson Koki vs. Deok No Yun

At a boxing event in Tokyo, Tyson Koki and Deok No Yun told one of the craziest one-round stories of the year as Koki battled back from nearly being counted out to earning a Knockout of the Year-worthy win.

This is such a textbook case of over-pursuing a finish and catching an L instead of a W. As fans, we are often frustrated when we don’t see a fighter go in for the kill, but there’s a reason for that: the consequences of a miscalculation are dire. Here, Yun figured that Koki was no longer a significant threat after touching canvas, and he was so, so, so wrong.

Yun confidently walked Koki down, allowing no deviation from his game plan even as it became increasingly clear that Koki had regained his senses and was firing back. You can see how composed Koki was as he slipped the worst of Yun’s power punches before throwing the perfect counter right hand. Instant shutdown, and Yun suddenly found himself in direct communication with the spirit realm.

Azamat Bekoev vs. Chauncey Foxworth
Ty Miller vs. Ryan Charlebois
David Mgoyan vs. A.J. Robb

Not to be outdone, LFA middleweight champion Azamat Bekoev closed the show in style, letting his right hand fly until it hit the mark and put Chauncey Foxworth away in Round 2.

Admittedly, this finish contradicts all of the cautionary words I wrote above as Bekoev was throwing with completely reckless abandon. But counterpoint, that knockout ruled!

As did Ty Miller’s thumping of Ryan Charlebois, which earns our Humpty Dumpty Fall of the Week award.

That left hook had Charlebois reaching and then the straight right had him sleeping.

And for all you sickos out there, yes, there will be blood, and plenty of it courtesy of featherweights David Mgoyan and A.J. Robb.

This one was waved off with 30 seconds left to go in Round 1 and I do not blame anyone for making that decision.

LFA 186 is available for replay on UFC Fight Pass.

Elexis Rodger vs. Kelly Tate
Oden Muscat vs. Moses Deng
Blair Bretag vs. Nick Kepu

Man, there were a lot of good one-punch KOs this week.

Staying in Fight Pass Land but heading over to Queensland, Australia, Eternal MMA 86 opened with amateur Elexis Rodgers scoring his first-ever win, and he did so by clobbering Kelly Tate.

I’m sure this is little consolation, but props to Tate for having great hair, which combined with the sweat flying off of his head, made for a truly memorable knockout loss.

If you prefer your walk-off KOs to be of the left hand variety, amateur Oden Muscat has you covered.

Muscat caught Moses Deng dipping into his power and with one good swing, sent him falling in the other direction. A slight point deduction for what I think was a foiled attempt to fire off a few Alex Pereira arrows. Don’t blame the referee for bumping into him, a bow is a ranged weapon, take a few steps to the center of the cage before celebrating!

One fighter who made sure to get up close and personal is Blair Bretag.

A high right spelled the beginning of the end for Nick Kepu, with a stiff left hand accelerating his crash to the canvas. And all in just 39 seconds.

Fernanda Guersone vs. Cintia Natiely
Gabriel Gilthon vs. Claudionor Junior

Don’t log out of Fight Pass just yet as we have two more finishes from Shooto Brasil 123 in Rio de Janeiro, both featuring winless fighters performing about as well as expected.

Featherweight Fernanda Guersone was matched up with 0-2 Cintia Natiely, who is now 0-3 after getting absolutely trucked.

Can’t fault the referee too much there, feels like he had a good grasp on the situation and stepped in right after Guersone landed her most damaging punch. Guersone previously competed as an amateur for the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, and is now 1-0 as a pro.

Gabriel Gilthon wasn’t quite as favored on paper, but he still took advantage of an 0-1 opponent, catching him with a rare arm-triangle from bottom position.

I can’t tell if that is absolutely beautiful jiu-jitsu by Gilthon or absolutely atrocious jiu-jitsu from Claudionor Junior. I choose to believe the former.

Talgat Khalmuratov vs. Amriddin Khojiev
Suhrobbek Atajanov vs. Claudeci Brito
Murtazali Magomedov vs. Sardor Khudoyberdiev

At Octagon League 59 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Talgat Khalmuratov made the bold choice to reveal that he might actually be a mutant with psychic powers living among us in secrecy.

Or he’s just really good at fighting.

Amriddin Khojiev was a step too far and a step too slow to catch Khalmuratov off guard and he paid the price, big time. A truly brilliant read by Khalmuratov.

We just talked about Gilthon’s impressive arm-triangle, but Suhrobbek Atajanov might have it beat.

I can’t remember the last time I saw someone straight muscle down their opponent right into a choke like that. Atajanov locked it in right away and Claudeci Brito tapped quick, too.

We can’t leave out Murtazali Magomedov, who is now 8-0 after securing a delightful triangle choke submission against Sardor Khudoyberdiev.

Magomedov had full control of Khudoyberdiev’s posture before making his move, popping his legs free and immediately locking his legs up. From there, it was just a matter of time until Khudoyberdiev had to admit defeat.

Octagon League 59 is available for free replay on YouTube.

Corey Shelly vs. Makhsudov Sarvarbek

We featured some Australian amateurs earlier, so why not close out with an amateur highlight from Kingdom Combat Championship in Liverpool, England?

Corey Shelly stayed light on his feet and that strategy paid off as Makhsudov Sarvarbek left an opening for a fight-ending head kick that Shelly did not miss.

Amateur fight, professional finish.

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.