Watch: MMA Fighter Lands Spinning Wheel Kick Knockout in Just 20 Seconds
Featherweight MMA standout Alibek Kuzhbaev delivered a knockout-of-the-year contender this weekend while competing in his home country.
While it was a relatively quiet weekend with no UFC or PFL events to keep us entertained, there was plenty of action for hardcore MMA fans on the regional level. Emanating from Aktau, Kazakhstan, Naiza Fighting Championship delivered a 10-fight card headlined by an NFC middleweight championship scrap between Ramazan Gasanov and Igor Svirid.
However, it was the co-main event that had everyone talking when Kuzhbaev, a winner in three of his last four, returned to the cage for a scrap with Ali Gharedaghi.
20 seconds into the contest, Kuzhbaev uncorked a spinning wheel kick that caught Gharedaghi clean on the chin and sent him crashing to the canvas.
MMA prospect Alibek Kuzhbaev now has five finishes in seven victories
The win moved Alibek Kuzhbaev to 7-3 in his mixed martial arts career with five of his victories coming inside the distance, including three submissions and two KOs.
Kuzhbaev previously attempted the kick during fights against Elvis Martins and Bagdog Olzhabay. Clearly, the third time was the charge for the rising prospect from Kazakhstan.
Kuzhbaev is the latest in a recent surge of noteworthy talents coming out of the Central Asian country, the most notable being top-five ranked UFC welterweight contender Shavkat Rakhmonov. Going 18-0 with a 100% finish rate, ‘Nomad’ is favored to challenge newly minted 170-pound champion, Belal Muhammad, even if ‘Remember The Name’ is desperately trying to push Kamaru Usman onto the Kazakh first.
