Missed Fists: Fighter pulls off incredible comeback, disqualified for holding on to choke too long

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.

Leading us off today, we have a rare case of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and then shoving said victory right back down defeat’s gullet.

(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.)

Ruslan Sariev vs. Ilmiyamin Dzhavatov

At an Alash Pride event in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, Ilmiyamin Dzhavatov was so close to pulling off one of the best comebacks of the year before going full MMA (you NEVER go full MMA) and ruining it.

His opponent Ruslan Sariev was absolutely putting the wood to him, just pouring it on to an extent that would have resulted in a stoppage 90 percent of the time in most promotions. I don’t have a huge issue with the referee’s decision-making here because Dzhavatov was intelligently defending himself, but we’ve all seen fights stopped for less.

Watching the clip, you can actually see Sariev’s gas tank emptying in real time and his whole flow was completely ruined when Dzhavatov benefited from a good ol’ fashioned mouthpiece drop. That led to Sariev attempting to go back on the offensive, but then suffering an ill-fated slip. He was completely exhausted at that point and just let himself get choked, which should have been the end of our story and a triumphant moment for Sariev.

Instead, Sariev refused to release the choke and the referee was quick to forcefully break up the fighters. By the time the official decision was read, Dzhavatov was rightfully disqualified. He looked genuinely apologetic and embarrassed at the end, so let’s hope that he learns something from this regrettable incident.

In the co-main event, we had a schooling of another kind.

Lightweight Nurkhan Zhumagazy improved to 3-0 with this one-punch detonation of Eduardo Castro, who definitely regrets stepping into the cage with Zhumagazy after this face-planting.

Alash Pride 87 is available for free replay on YouTube.

Mate Sanikidze vs. Losene Keita
Jamie Cordero vs. Gabriel Torok
Lazar Todev vs. Wallyson Carvalho

Oktagon MMA held a pair of events this past weekend (confusingly both called Oktagon 45 and available for reply on DAZN) and they were memorable, to say the least.

Saturday’s event was headlined by a featherweight title unification bout between Mate Sanikidize and Losene Keita and while an undisputed champion was crowned, it wasn’t in a way anyone would have wanted.

A little over a minute into the fight, Keita pulls up with a leg injury and this one was waved off. The previously undefeated Keita later wrote on Instagram that he broke his leg on the first kick of the fight.

The good news for Keita (or the bad news, depending on your thoughts on this sort of thing) is that he lost his title, but gained a fiancee! Following his loss, Keita stuck around, hopping on one leg before still managing to get down on bended knee and propose to his girlfriend.

Love rules.

Jamie Cordero scored the best knockout of Oktagon’s weekend, taking out Gabriel Torok in just 22 seconds with a head kick at Saturday’s show.

Scary moment for Torok right there, spiking his own head into the mat as he fell. Glad to see Cordero had the wherewithal not to follow up.

That said, major props to Lazar Todev for going for the kill in his fight with Wallyson Carvalho. Todev was in control at the end of Round 1, but rather than settle for a 10-9, he went all in on a leg lock and scored the tap-out with three seconds left.

Karol Skrzypek vs. Joel dos Santos

Also from the “1000 Ways To Lose A Fight” department, welterweight titleholder Karol Skrzypek scored a truly wicked ground-and-pound knockout of Joel dos Santos at a Thunderstrike Fight League event in Konskie, Poland.

We all acknowledge that back control is the most dominant position you can have in MMA… well, all of us except for Skrzypek. He simply slipped out of trouble and immediately turned into dos Santos’ guard throwing haymakers. And it worked really, really well.

A free replay of Thunderstrike Fight League 27 is available for free replay on YouTube.

Shamil Musaev vs. Alexey Kunchenko
Boris Medvedev vs. Gleison Tibau

Over at RCC 16 in Tyumen, Russia, Shamil Musaev continued his run of dominance with this sweet knockout sequence, started off by a spin kick to the body.

Musaev put UFC veteran Alexey Kunchenko away inside of a round to improve to 16-0-1. He’s in his prime at 29 years old, so expect even bigger things from Musaev in the near future.

Speaking of UFC vets, Gleison Tibau competed for the second time in 2023 and it did not go well.

That’s Boris Medvedev brutalizing Tibau, with assistance from a referee who was apparently all too happy to give Tibau a chance to come back in a fight that was clearly over well before the bell actually rang.

Tibau, who turned 40 just a few weeks ago, has now lost four straight fights. I’m really hoping this isn’t a Bigfoot Silva situation where he’s doing this because he needs the money as opposed to sticking around for the love of the game. This man fought for the UFC 28 times. I want to believe he’s living comfortably, even though I’m well aware that’s likely not the case.

Anthony Morel vs. Adama Diop

OK, that was a downer. Let’s turn things around. Like, all the way around, 360 degrees.

Anthony Morel, show us how it’s done!

HEAVYWEIGHT SPINNING BACK ELBOW

I could watch this all day and probably will to forget about that whole Tibau thing.

Hexagone MMA 10 from Orange, France, (orange you glad you watched that KO?) is available for replay on DAZN.

Shane Jackson vs. Tey Kelley
Jake Wilkinson vs. Prella Hollie

Warrior Xtreme Cagefighting held an event in Southgate, Mich., last Friday called “Summer Smash.” Given the clips you’re about to see, it couldn’t be more appropriately named, nor closer to a WWE lawsuit.

Speaking of which, here’s amateur welterweight Shane Jackson executing a spinebuster that would make Arn Anderson proud.

And now here’s Jake Wilkinson to send us home on a high (and very loud) note:

Take care, everyone.

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 Twitter — @AlexanderKLee — using the hashtag #MissedFists.