Missed Fists: Wild MMA fight involves 5 men, little people, and a rope

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.

I know I speak for many when I say I was left feeling a little flat from the UFC 326 main event. All due respect to Charles Oliveira, who was brilliant in victory with his unstoppable grappling, but I don’t think your average fan is going to be adding the Max Holloway rematch to their greatest fights playlists anytime soon.

Still, as much as we harp on the dire state of the UFC product, keep in mind it can always be worse and weirder out there.

(Big thanks as always to @Barrelelapierna for their weekly lists of the best KOs, 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.)

Offensive? Progressive? Absolute nonsense either way? You be the judge.

If you’ve followed Missed Fists at all over the past few years, the above scene shouldn’t be remotely shocking to you as Poland has become the home of gimmick fights. People of all shapes and sizes are welcome and it’s not uncommon to see one person-either a low-level fighter, influencer, or adult film performer (perhaps all three)-having to fend off two or more opponents at the same time. That’s in addition to other oddities, such as intergender fights, openweight matchups where the competitors are hundreds of pounds apart, and whatever all this is.

Last week, it was Short MMA in Ilow cooking up the viral clips, as we had a team of four men (including three little people) going up against a large fellow named Norasxxl. The four-man squad was also equipped with a rope for some reason.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the numbers won out, continuing the incredible win streak of the team’s tallest member, 51-year-old Marek Jowko, who also submitted Paulina Dziedzic that same night.

That UFC White House card isn’t looking so bad now, is it?

If you’re curious (and I know some of you are), you can order Short MMA on pay-per-view for a little less than $8 USD.

Ollie Schmid vs. Jeffrey Mesa
Abraham Del Toro vs. Raul Navarrett
Roman Guillen vs. Isaac Martinez
Kenia Enriquez vs. CaySea McBride

Our next segment concerns the matter of spinning and winning, which is always great, except when the spinning does not lead to winning. You’ll see what I mean in a moment.

First, let’s celebrate success. From Shuriken Fight Series 4 in Auckland, New Zealand:

Ollie Schmid threw a high kick that caught Jeffrey Mesa a little, and followed with a spinning backfist that caught Mesa a lot. Down to the floor Mesa went, face-first, and in the first clip you get a great angle of just how disoriented he was after eating that shot. Probably thought the floor was the ceiling at that point.

Over in Porterville, Calif., Abraham Del Toro smacked Raul Navarrette with a spinning elbow set up by a beautiful crouching feint.

Nearly knocked the pink out of his hair.

That KO came from 599 Fights 122, available for replay on UFC Fight Pass.

If you’ll allow us a slight detour from spinning and winning to swangin’ and bangin’, here’s Roman Guillen dropping Isaac Martinez from that same show.

Just dudes being dudes, swinging away until someone goes THUD on the canvas. Love it.

And now, when hitting that 360 goes wrong.

Kenia Enriquez is a former WBO champion with a 28-1 pro boxing record, competing in her third MMA bout for Combate Global. Unsurprisingly, she’s got hands in the cage. And zero tolerance for spinning stuff.

Her opponent CaySea McBride throws a half-hearted spin kick and Enriquez goes nuts on her, just firing haymakers like a prime Mike Tyson. It’s a sneaky body blow that spells the beginning of the end for McBride, though the referee was ready to step in at any point during that finishing flurry as Enriquez threw eerie punch with bad intentions.

Moritz Barth vs. Silvan Hobbins

At a German MMA Championship event in Gelsenkirchen, Moritz Barth showed no mercy to Silvan Hobbins, who sounds like he was transported in from Middle Earth. Fitting, because it looks like Barth tried to send him to the center of the earth with this slam.

Scary, but don’t worry, he’s OK!

Jesse James vs. Wayne Roberts

Speaking of finishes that had me worrying for the defeated fighter’s health, here’s Jesse James at a Fusion Fight League show with a standing knockout that should be outlawed (see what I did there?).

Not my best work, but don’t let that take away from James’ entertaining display of fisticuffs here.

Lee Chee Lu vs. Kelen Huang

Lee Chee Lu picked up a win at a WOTD event in Taipei City, using the rarely seen “elbow-elbow-elbow” combo to secure a victory.

I’ll be real, guy should have looked out for that elbow.

Hunter Smith vs. Elliot Hebert

Hunter Smith’s weapon of choice was his trusty left, which he landed twice en route to capturing an American Kombat Alliance lightweight title.

You can see the first left hook rock Elliott Hebert, putting him in fight or flight mode. His body chose fight and it didn’t go well as a second left hand on the button had him face-planting on the mat.

Anthony Morel vs. Paul-Emmanuel Gnaze
Mathilde Aschenbrenner vs. Diana Muzychenko

Heavyweights, it’s dire times right now, but we still appreciate you. What other division can deliver knockouts like this?

Right hand into a tackle and hammerfists. It ain’t pretty, but it don’t gotta be.

This next clip, also from Hexagone MMA 41in Eckbolsheim, Bas-Rhin, France, much more aesthetically pleasing.

Mathilde Aschenbrenner was piecing Diana Muzychenko up on the feet and had no issue switching things up when Muzychenko wanted to turn their fight into a wrestling match. A few slick adjustments later and Aschenbrenner had her tapping out to a Peruvian Necktie.

That’s three submission wins in three fights for Aschenbrenner, who turned pro just 14 months ago.

Kevin Blackman vs. Erick Batista

Blackman vs. Batista sounds like some fantasy booking you’d do in a WWE 2K game, but no, this is as real as it gets.

From Combat Fusion League 3 in Panama City, Panama.

Kevin Blackman just brings it over the top and levels Erick Batista with a right hand, immediately shutting his lights out. Uncle Steve* would be proud.

(*Fine, I’m pretty sure Kevin has no relation to “The Lethal Weapon” Steven Blackman, but I just wanted an excuse to post this.)

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.