//

Missed Fists: Brazilian prospect Laura Fontoura wins flyweight title with 18-second armbar

April 30, 2021
Laura Fontoura applies an armbar on Eliane Britto at a Centro Oeste Fight event in Brasilia, Brazil, on April 24, 2021 | @Barrelelapierna, Twitter

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.

Lightning fast knockouts usually lead the show here, but this week we have a pair of submissions that had two fighters tapping before they even knew what hit them. It takes a lot of skill, aggression, and luck to catch someone in less than 30 seconds, but that’s exactly what we saw happen twice last weekend.

Laura Fontoura vs. Eliane Britto
Canaan Kawaihae vs. Jake Childers

AL: Coming in with the fastest submission by a hair is 20-year-old Brazilian prospect Laura Fontoura, who improved to 5-0 and captured a vacant Centro Oeste Fight flyweight title last Saturday with an 18-second armbar of Eliane Britto.

This wasn’t exactly Kimura vs. Gracie as far as grappling contests go, but there’s no arguing with the quickness. It’s also worth noting that Britto was making her pro debut here, so Valentina Shevchenko probably doesn’t need to be worried about Fontoura for another five years or so (if ever).

JM: Not gonna lie, I did not see that one going like that. When Fontoura sort of just fell backwards I thought, ‘Well, this woman sure can’t fight.’ Little did I know that she can certainly grapple. That was a pretty sick reversal to roll to mount and then a smooth transition to the arm. Good stuff!

AL: Just a touch slower, but more impressive in my opinion, was Canaan Kawaihae’s ridiculous ninja choke submission of Jake Childers at LFA 105 last Friday. This one clocked in at 20 seconds!

JM: It’s not just your opinion, that is an objectively better submission.

Though I will say, the phrase “ninja choke” has always been a pet peeve of mine because it feels like it’s trying too hard. “Power guillotine” is much more evocative of what this move really is. Ninja choke sounds like some off-brand 10th Planet nomenclature.

AL: To that, all I have to say is this: Go ninja, go ninja, go!

Centro Oeste Fight 11 is available for free on YouTube, while LFA 105 can be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Benny Bajrami vs. Manuel Klimt

AL: The Missed Fists knockout of the week easily goes to German MMA Championship’s Benny Bajrami.

Talk about being a step slow here. Manuel Klimt was still reaching down to try and catch the body kick before the spinning doom blew his face off.

JM: You are correct, that is definitely the KO of the Week. Bajrami Baj-rammed his foot into that dude’s face. Very slickly too, I might add.

German MMA Championship events are available to stream with a paid subscription to their YouTube channel.

Christian Floyd vs. Myles Bryant

AL: Subs of the week, KO of the week, what’s missing? Ah yes, the Humpty Dumpty award.

With apologies to Myles Brant, this indeed was a great fall at HR MMA 120.

That’s Christian Floyd teeing off on Bryant, who absorbed a couple of extra shots there when his body failed to recognize that he was out on his feet.

JM: TIMBER!

Seriously, Bryant was somehow completely unconscious yet still standing perfectly upright. Beautiful follow up shots on the blank canvas.

Derrick Krantz vs. Nolan Norwood
Josh Nealy vs. Justice Lamperez
Reba Klimt vs. Maddie Emmons

AL: Heads were ringing at American Kombat Alliance 14 (prelims available on Facebook, main card on UFC Fight Pass) in Bossier City, La., last Friday, led by UFC and LFA veteran Derrick Krantz splattering an over-matched Nolan Norwood in the main event to win a middleweight belt.

That was ugly. Does Krantz need to pull up early there or was this poor officiating? Or a perfect stoppage?

JM: I think it ultimately ended fine. That final shot was not really necessary and the ref probably should’ve jumped in right before that but that’s the kind of thing I’m not gonna nitpick because heat of the moment stuff is hard. Nice of Krantz to kind of check that last shot though. He knew it was done.

AL: There was no controversy in the Josh Nealy vs. Justice Lamperez fight. Just Nealy trying to throw a right hand through Lamperez’s chin.

JM: Honestly, you can’t blame Lamperez here. Nealy has a lot going on in the tattoo department. He was likely distracted trying to decipher the myriad pieces on Nealy’s chest and back.

Speaking of which, I am waiting for the day that a fighter tattoos a bullseye on their shoulder as a distraction for opponents. Sadly, no one in this sport is COMMITTED TO WINNING.

AL: On the amateur portion of the card, Reba Klimt capped off a whupping of Maddie Emmons with a high kick that thankfully stopped this one early in the second.

JM: Those two women do not look to be in the same weight class. Not that it would have mattered much as Emmons clearly had no answer for the kicking game of Klimt.

Bekhzod Usmonov vs. Grigory Dontsov

AL: At an RCC: Intro show in Ekaterinburg, Russia, we found out that Bekhzod Usmonov doesn’t play around when it comes to ground-and-pound. We’ve seen his opponent Grigory Dontsov get cute with his grappling in the past (check out his sweet heel hook submission here), but Usmonov was having none of it.

So simple, yet so effective. Head-body-head-body-head-HEAD.

JM: You can see how that fist body shot really hurt Dontsov. He winced and dropped his left arm to cover up there and when you do that, then there’s nothing between you and a head shot but hopes and dreams.

Ion Surdu vs. Kacper Koziorzebski
Aleksandar Ilic vs. Adrian Dudek

AL: And not overlooked, but often underappreciated, we close out with KSW 60 in Lodz, Poland, which became Headkick City for one night.

Obviously, Ion Surdu landed the cleaner KO, but boy, Aleksandar Ilic’s head kick to hammerfists finish wasn’t nothing nice either.

JM: Yeah, Surdu’s head kick was definitely the cooler one but it’s also the one I’d have rather been on the receiving end of. At least with that shot, you’re just unconscious. Dudek ate a couple head kicks there and took them off the forearms as well, before then being beaten like an old rug. Dudev is gonna wake up smarting for a week.

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 – @JedKMeshew and @AlexanderKLee – using the hashtag #MissedFists.

Post a Comment

No comments

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )