If Jenni Kivioja ever goes pro, this is going to be the backbone of her highlight reel. The IMMAF amateur competitor took on Jessica Forslund Reis at the Senior European Championships in Bucharest, Romania, where she landed this stunning high kick KO that sent her opponent crashing to the mat.
As can be seen in the video above, Reis showed a tendency to swing her left hand out wide when throwing kicks. She was mid-low kick when Kivioja went up top, over her shoulder, to put a right foot square on Reis’ jaw.
It’s the same kind of right high kick that former UFC bantamweight champion and featherweight title contender Holly Holm used to KO Ronda Rousey – with her KOs over Bethe Correia, Juliana Werner, and Allanna Jones all coming off the left side. Not a bad comparison to strike for a fighter making her amateur MMA debut.
Kivoja went on to take a silver medal in her featherweight tournament bracket (h/t MMA Mania), following a decision loss in the final round. But, she can count herself the big winner in terms of media coverage, having scored the viral highlight of an event that featured 125 bouts over five days total.