Missed Fists: Mackenzie Stiller nearly takes head home with wicked bulldog choke |

19/09/2025 15:00 -

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.

Nobody wants to have their brain rattled or arm broken or their ligaments torn in a fight, but I have to think those outcomes would be preferable to literally having your head removed from your shoulders.

Case in point…

(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.)

Mackenzie Stiller vs. Cristina Brador
Cheyanne Bowers vs. Maritza Sanchez
Mitch McKee vs. Pedro Nobre

Bulldog chokes aren't the easiest submission to finish, but once they're cinched in there are few holds that are more viscerally terrifying. At LFA 127, Mackenzie Stiller hit a perfect bulldog choke, which forced a quick tap from Cristina Brador.

Stiller has had a number of memorable submissions already in her young career, but this vicious effort might be at the top. I can't imagine any fight fan criticizing Brador for signaling her submission as soon as possible. Stiller was going to take that head back as a trophy.

The women were doing damage that night as Cheyanne Bowers also continued her hot streak with a clinical rear-naked choke of Maritza Sanchez.

That's seven wins in Bowers' past eight fights, with her only loss during that stretch coming via split decision to fellow UFC flyweight hopeful Shannon Clark.

In the main event, bantamweight prospect Mitch McKee had a fun brawl with veteran Pedro Nobre that ended with Nobre going night night.

You can catch a replay of LFA 217 on UFC Fight Pass.

Kurban Zainukov vs. Muhammad Amirzoda

We had some serious spinning and winning at a BetCity Fight Nights event in Nevinnomyssk, Russia, and I'm not talking about online roulette. Kurban Zainukov loaded up and landed on the button, instantly flooring Muhammad Amirzoda.

Zainukov set that up beautifully with winging left hand that Amirzoda bit on, possibly expecting a hook or a even spinning backfist as Zainukov continued to twist. But instead, Zainukov lifted his leg high and caught Amirzoda dipping right into a kick. That will do it.

Moreno Kacapor vs. Abu Bakr Bathily
Mohamed Soumah vs. Alka Matewa

Over at Ares FC 34 in Paris, it was the right hand that was la frappe du jour, as Moreno Kacapor and Mohamed Soumah so wonderfully demonstrated.

Kacapor caught Abu Bakr Bathily right across the chin, then proceeded to just fall on him and unleash ground-and-pound hell. Eventually the referee woke up and stopped the fight, making Kacapor the new Ares FC heavyweight champion. He adds the belt to a collection that includes two other regional titles.

Soumah went full baseball pitcher with a windup and throw that landed squarely in the strike zone.

Based on the results, I'd say he hit about 92 on the radar gun.

Drew Arpin vs. Trevor Sullivan

While we're tracking numbers, let's get the stopwatch out for Drew Arpin, who rushed Trevor Sullivan in an amateur bout at Cage Warriors 73.

The official time of the stoppage: Nine seconds! And you could honestly shave one or two off because Sullivan was out way before he hit the mat.

Matthias Lohner vs. Ludwig Wolper
Elvis Prince Grohmann vs. Tolga Atik

For the consideration of the Department of Swangin' and Bangin', here's Matthias Lohner.

Lohner let that left hand fly with no setup, which might not be pretty, but it worked. He followed up by driving right hand through Ludwig Wolper's chin, leaving him limp on the canvas. That was apparently a 150-pound catchweight bout, but that's a heavyweight KO if I've ever seen one

Seriously, these German MMA Championship dudes were punching each other so hard.

Elvis Prince Grohmann cornered a floundering Tolga Atik and it wasn't long before Atik crumbled to Grohmann's furious fists. Like with Brador above, you won't catch me judging Atik for tapping out to strikes, not when the punches are coming in with that much heat.

David Dvorak vs. Mohammed Walid
Khalid Taha vs. Edgar Delgado
Henrique Madureira vs. Nikolaos Serbezis

OKTAGON 76 goes down Saturday at noon ET in Frankfurt, Germany, and you can check it out on Oktagon.tv for a little over $15 USD. However, if you missed this past weekend's action in Hannover, don't worry, they've got you covered there, too.

Former UFC fighters David Dvorak and Khalid Taha made strong cases that they have plenty left to offer in the cage, with Dvorak bouncing Mohammed Walid's head every which way with a slugging overhand, and Taha just leaving it all out there in an attempt to make Edgar Delgado's head one with the mat.

Middleweight journeyman Henrique Madureira may have stolen the show though as he utilized a sharp feint to set up a thudding knockout right.

You can hear someone in the audience screaming, a sound that will surely haunt everyone in the immediate vicinity for years to come.

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.