Missed Fists – Rudson Caliocane and D’Arce fight to the death in their first fight after suffering from brainstem hemorhage

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.

Warm fuzzies aren’t easy to come by in this rough-and-tumble combat sports world of ours, but this past weekend we had a comeback story that everyone with a heart should get behind.

(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. )

Rudson Caliocane vs. Wesley Targino

Rudson Caliocane is a familiar name. You’ve likely been following Guilherme Cruz’s reporting of the harrowing story. Back in October 2019, Caliocane suffered a brain stem hemorrhage after a fight in his native Brazil. He consulted multiple doctors, one of whom told him he’d never fight again and another who said, “It’s going to be a miracle if you can walk again. You’re already miraculous .”

Caliocane spoke to MMA Fighting again ahead of his first fight in two and a half years and said, “To step into that cage already is a win for me regardless of how the fight goes.”

Update: Everything went well.

Solid D’Arce choke submission here and some great sportsmanship after to cap off a classy, well-deserved moment for Caliocane. It should be noted this was clearly booked to get him a win as his opponent Wesley Targino entered the bout at 5-8 with five previous losses by submission, but that’s a feature not a bug. You should promote more to create happy moments. )

If you want to see more of Caliocane’s bout and the rest of the Brazilian Fighting Series 9 card on which it took place, you can catch a free replay on YouTube or just watch his full fight here:

Mason Wester vs. Kasen Taylor

The next highlight will make your feel great in a new way. It’s similar to how we feel after watching some awesome MMA s ***..

At Showcase MMA 25 (events available to stream with a subscription to Spectation Sports), Mason Wester made a spectacular amateur debut with this third-round tornado kick knockout of Kasen Taylor.

It’s your first fight, what have you got to lose? If Wester doesn’t go by Mason “Twister” Wester from now on, then something went wrong.

Danny Barlow vs. Jordan Fowler
TJ Welch vs. Jordan Carpenter

Also available on Spectation Sports, Attitude MMA Fights 23 went down in Memphis, Tenn., last weekend and heads were rolling.

That’s Danny Barlow improving to 3-0 with a nasty switch kick knockout of Jordan Fowler. TJ Welch defeated Jordan Carpenter by a head kick two fights prior.

Keep your hands up and keep them tight for the future, guys!

Anthony Romero vs. Kenneth Glenn
Cristian Lopez vs. Oliver Jiminez
Melvin Panganiban vs. Sheldon Nicodemus
Marcus Coward vs. Cannon Tass

Over on UFC Fight Pass, Anthony Romero improved to 11-1 at Fury FC 60 in Houston with a beauty of a flying knee against Kenneth Glenn.

Romero previously won on the Contender Series, but was not signed, which is ironic given that the man he beat, Mike Breeden, is about to make his second appearance for the UFC this weekend. It’s time for a big promotion to give the 25-year-old Canadian another look.

This weeks most unusual knockout was courtesy of Cristian Lopez. He starred in the short film I call Got my Foot? Got Your Face!

Also on Fight Pass at Battle Fight League 72 in Vancouver, Canada, Melvin Panganiban picked up the most amateur-looking of amateur knockouts with a series of counters that left Sheldon Nicodemus floating on the surface of an invisible pool.

You know that’s our Humpty Dumpty Fall of the Week.

Marcus Coward’s kimura submission of Cannon Tass was well-executed, but they’re really here to accept another Fisty, the Jack Horner Those Are Great Names award.

Shoji Saito vs. Toshiomi Kazama

We’ve had issues with burying the lede sometimes and this week is no different as Shoji Saito’s stunning knee knockout from the Pound Storm event in Tokyo was arguably better than Romero’s effort.

Making Saito’s finish even better is that he entered this bout with a 2-2 record, while Toshiomi Kazama had won nine straight fights since dropping his pro debut. Unlike with Caliocane, this one probably didn’t go the way the matchmakers were expecting.

Elaman Shertaev vs. Erzhan Shapauov
Sergio Martinez vs. Jered Corman

These finishes would have made the top of any other weekend’s finishers, but they are similar to those from bigger events. This is one of many reasons you didn’t know about them.

At Naiza FC 39 (free replays available on naiza.tv) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Elaman Shertaev put Erzhan Shapauov to sleep with this standing ninja choke, but he did it the same day that Jessica Andrade muscled her way to a standing arm-triangle win in the main event of UFC Vegas 52. Tough luck there.

A day prior at B2 Fighting Series 157 in Lexington, Ky., Sergio Martinez landed what should have been recognized as the best uppercut of the weekend.

You might also have heard of one with higher stakes, and drew a larger audience.

Sumiko Inaba vs. Whittany Pyles

Welp, the show’s over this week folks so… wait, we still have a clip on the schedule. That’s right, it’s a postliminary highlight, from Bellator 279 in Honolulu!

Bellator’s social media teams did a great job of putting together highlights after Cris Cyborg’s brawl with Arlene Blencowe. It gave Sumiko Inaba, Hawaii, her chance to shine. That’s a no-doubter of a left hand and Inaba is now 4-0 with four finishes.

POSTLIMS ARE NEVER DATED!

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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 Twitter – @JedKMeshew and @AlexanderKLee – using the hashtag #MissedFists.