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.
Corner work is essential to the success of any fighter, whether it’s the lowest level amateur boxer or a world champion UFC fighter. It’s especially important for a coach to have a proper gauge of when it’s time to give a fighter a reality check.
Then again, as we all know, there are many, many, many times where keeping it real can go terribly wrong.
(Big thanks as always to @Barrelelapierna for their weekly lists of the best KOs, 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.)
Soma Kondo vs. Kei
A kickboxing match between Soma Kondo and Kei at a Krush event in Tokyo had a darkly comic ending as Kei’s corner aggressively tried to psyche him up with a power slap (hey, that’s kind of catchy) that certainly got the fighter’s attention.
Unfortunately for Kei, it might have done more harm than good, as Kondo later caught him with a kick to his already rattled head.
We should note the editing of this clip (shout-out to Happy Punch) probably makes the proximity of the events seem closer than they actually are, but there’s no shaking the visual of Kei getting rocked by his coach and then subsequently being put down for the count even if it was minutes later and not seconds.
Kondo later took to social media to joke about the incident, writing, “Wait, wasn’t it me who KO’d them?” according to Twitter auto-translation.
UFC legend Cub Swanson also weighed in, expressing his disdain for that kind of corner physicality.
A little advice for Kei’s team: Maybe work on the mental motivation more than just unbridled physicality next time.
We had a number of worthy candidates for Missed Fists Knockout of the Week, but the top 2 that stood out for us were Tyjani Beztati at Levels Fight League 24, and Miguel Soares at Martial Arts Championship 17.
Tyjani Beztati vs. Daniel Kolasinski
Miguel Soares vs. Heitor Santos
Beztati, a former Glory lightweight champion currently 4-0 since making his MMA debut in 2025, executed one of the best intercept knees in recent memory, driving his limb right up into Daniel Kolasinski’s face as his head dipped off of an overhand right.
Unlike some intercept knees that I believe are intended for the body and accidentally catch the head, I think Beztati was thinking knockout blow all the way here. What a strike, just sent Kolasinski crashing in the opposite direction. Beztati isn’t too bad at this striking thing!
LFL 24 is available for free replay on YouTube.
On the amateur side of things, how can you not get hyped for Miguel Soares after he face-planted Heitor Santos?
The emotion! That’s the love of the game right there.
And now, a flurry of Fight Pass finishes.
Cristiano Oliveira vs. Alex Keogh
IMMAF standout Alex Keogh made his second appearance for Cage Warriors and did so as a massive favorite, coming in at -2000 according to Tapology. He needed just 24 seconds to secure a submission in his pro debut, and was expected to make short work of Oliveira as well.
Folks, this is why they play the games.
Anyone can get caught, especially someone in just their second pro fight, and you have to give full credit to Oliveira for fighting like a massive underdog should: Just going in and swinging and hoping for the best. Oliveira went in there throwing stuff and it paid off as he caught Keogh with a clubbing right after stuffing a takedown and then left him limp with a couple of hammerfists.
There’s no substitute for experience.
Derek Rayfield vs. Oliver Moeckel
Israel Galvan vs. Devon Jackson
Back to the amateur scene at Tuff-N-Uff 157, where Derek Rayfield needed eight seconds to light up Oliver Moeckel.
Cocked that joint back and banged on him.
The event also featured pro bouts, with Israel Galvan closing out the evening with a first-round bludgeoning of Devon Jackson to claim a flyweight belt.
Pablo Colado vs. Vitor Enrique
Pablo Colado activated Muay Thai mode at WOW 32, bullying Vitor Enrique against the fence and leaving him face-down on the canvas with a Tsarukyan-esque elbow.
Lucas Ananias vs. Jameson Oliveira
We all love a good walk-off knockout, but we don’t talk enough about the walk-over.
At Shooto Brasil 140, Lucas Ananias brawled his way to a win, eventually dropping Jameson Oliveira with a left hand and recognizing immediately that his work was done.
Tony Cortez vs. Artem Belakh
Gabi McComb vs. Taylor Maudlin
Something is in the water with this The Ultimate Fighter 34 cast, man.
Artem Belakh bowed out of the TUF 34 bantamweight tournament with a submission loss to future finalist Mahammadali Osmanli in the opening round, and was already back in action at a recent 559 Fights event. As you know, Osmanli failed to win the tournament after landing a blatantly illegal kick on a grounded Ilimbek Akylbek, who himself made it to the final under less than ideal circumstances after his semifinal fight with Xavier Franklin ended in Herb Dean-related controversy.
It was a fine, but strange season.
As you can see above, that vibe carried over into Belakh’s first post-TUF fight as he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with a back take that went horribly wrong.
Also on the card, we’ve got to shine some light on flyweight prospect Gabi McComb, who improved to 5-0 with a nasty face crank over Taylor Mauldin. McComb is well known in the competitive grappling world and at 28, is one to watch for the future.
Jesus Hernandez vs. Roman Sandoval
At MMA Mexico 9, Jesus Hernandez showed his grit, eating a left hand and then firing back to flatten Roman Sandoval.
Ummat Jafarov vs. Nihat Kerimov
You know, just when you think you’ve seen all the ways a human body can fall in a fight, something new comes along. In case you missed it, definitely check out poor Jacob Tanner having a face-to-face meeting with the cage wall, but what I’m actually referring to here is an incident that happened at an Ased Fighting Championship show in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Ummat Jafarov landed a clean 3-punch combo on Nihat Kerimov, causing Kerimov to land in an almost perfect cross-legged sitting position on the mat. I mean, he didn’t, and actually suffered a few more painful punches before the fight was stopped, but credit to him anyway for inventing yet another way to fall.
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.
