This Week in Knockouts: ONE Championship’s fight of the year & a strong night for Contender Series

The UFC may have been off this week, but their Tuesday Night Contender Series is still delivering a whole heap of MMA violence for fans looking to get a fix. And of course, that’s buoyed by the rest of the combat sports world that never stops ticking. Bellator 201 went down last Friday with Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defending her flyweight title, and ONE Championship returned with a middleweight title fight for the ages Aung La Nsang defending his belt.

As always, keeping the rest of the us abreast of all this violence are the stalwarts of combat sports highlight Twitter. Day in and day out, they watch every bit of face punching that crosses that flows through a TV set or computer screen and pick out the best moments. This week Caposa, Kyle Johnson, and Jolassanda are providing the bulk of the definitive moments. So, give them a follow and you’ll stay up to date on the best that fighting has to offer.

BELLATOR 201: MACFARLANE vs. LARA

It may not have provided the most singular moments of the week, but Bellator was still the biggest name event in MMA. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defended her title and a twelve fight card saw eight bouts end inside the distance, with four coming by KO.

Featherweight Juan Archuleta hit an impressive 19-1, posterizing UFC vet Robbie Peralta with an overhand right and followup hammerfists. Peralta fell to 19-9 on the loss.

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DANA WHITE’S TUESDAY NIGHT CONTENDER SERIES

In terms of pure violence per-fight, DWTNCS continues to impress. The potential to earn a UFC contract and immediately become a promotional favorite in the world’s largest MMA organization has brought non-stop violence to the UFC’s Tuesday night fights.

Flyweight Antonina Shevchenko (6-0) made the Octagon family friendly, joining her sister with a UFC contract, having polished off Jaymee Nievara (7-4) with a brutal series of knees.

Lightweight Te Edwards bumped up to 6-1 and earned his own UFC contract, after sending Austin Tweedy down to 10-2 with a walk-off right hand.

Heavyweight Josh Parisian (7-2) picked up a spot on a future TUF roster with a spinning backfist upside the head of Greg Rebello (24-9).

Featherweight Julian Erosa got to 22-5, but failed to earn his UFC return, despite a slick headkick KO of Jamall Emmers, who dropped to 13-4 on the loss.

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ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR

One of Asia’s largest MMA promotions returned to action this week with a middleweight title fight. Aung La Nsang defended his title and five of the night’s seven bouts ended inside the distance.

Middleweight Aung La Nsang (23-10) put the stamp on a potential Fight of the Year contender against longtime DEEP vet Ken Hasegawa (16-3) with a short right uppercut late in round five.

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SHOOTO BRASIL 85

Shooto Brasil was the other promotion to bring a glut of entertaining violence last week, with eight stoppages in twelve bouts.

Bantamweight Kaique Modesto took his record to 4-1 behind one the prettiest short right elbows you’ll ever see, dropping Vinicius Salvardor to 9-2 in the process.

Featherweight Andrey Augusto (4-1) caught Diego Borges (3-1) leaping in with a quick flurry of straight punches and some followup GnP in the frist round for a quality win.

Bantamweight Lucas Sousa also fought his way to 4-1 with a right leg to the top of the head of Jaciel Lima, who’s record dropped to 4-4 on the loss.

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OTHER MMA

Featherweight Landon Quinones (2-0) took out Reinaldo Inocencio (1-1) at Titan FC 50: Manfio vs. Outlaw, with a bevy of right hands and two big knees behind them.

Flyweight Yuya Wakamatsu beat longtime regional vet Mamoru Yamaguchi with an extended flurry of punches at Pancrase 297, to take his record to 9-2. Yamaguchi fell to 31-12-5 with the loss.

Bantamweight Kenta Takizawa (9-4) landed a combination right body kick to right hook to get the KO over Toshinori Tsunemura (13-8-4) at Pancrase 297.

Heavyweight Ryo Sakai climbed back up to 7-8 at DEEP 84 Impact, after walking a dazed Yusuke Kawaguchi onto a short left hand. Yusuke is now at 19-13 after the loss.

Bantamweight Masato Kobayashi (9-7) got Takuya Hasegawa (1-2) stanky legged behind a left hook and a right hand, even if the stoppage was a touch early at DEEP 84 Impact.

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KICKBOXING & MUAY THAI

Konstantin Gluhov landed a perfect spinning wheel kick to the head of Maxim Bolotov, earning a fourth round knockout for his troubles at Tatneft Cup.

Vladimir Kuzmin picked up the 4th round KO over Diogo Neves with a shocking spinning backfist at Tatneft Cup.

Super Lightweight Hasumi Hikari landed a bombing right hand and a left uppercut to follow, putting away Nobu Makoto in round 1 at Krush Kickboxing 89.

Sankom Sangmanee Gym landed a perfect step knee to the body to stop his opponent at MX Muay Xtreme.

Chamnansuek Nor. Narissorn with a pair of left hooks to get the KO win at MX Muay Xtreme.

Kaneko Daiki flattened his opponent at the latest Lethwei in Japan event, with a clubbing overhand right.

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BOXING

Super featherweight Robson Conceicao (8-0) has been following up on his amateur success, including an Olympic gold medal, with a slick body-head knockout combo on Gavino Guaman (5-3).

Heavyweight Trey Morrison (15-0) picked up a KO over journeyman Byron Polley (30-22-1) with a leaping left hook in round 3.

That’s all for now. But, This Week in Knockouts will return in mid-August to pick up the slack once again, when the UFC is kind enough to give us another break in their seemingly non-stop schedule. Until then!