Missed Fists: Polish event features 3-on-3 MMA beatdown with stomps, head butt combo, more

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.

It’s that time again to check in on Poland’s The War, a promotion never afraid to push the limits of what we thought was possible inside the cage. Whether they ever stopped to think if they should do something as opposed to if they could do something is still up for debate, but there’s one thing I know for certain: I can’t look away.

(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.)

The War 4

In the fourth edition of The War series, we were treated to the usual multi-man madness, though call me crazy but I feel like we’re actually starting to see some technique and strategy in these contests compared to what has been displayed in the past?

That’s not to say we’ll be getting a Michael Lewis-style expose on the finer points of 3-on-3 MMA anytime soon, but there is actually action to break down in the above clip besides six goofs just flailing around.

• We’ve got takedowns and ground-and-pound right out of the gate
• We’ve got some effective divide-and-conquer tactics
• And then we’ve got the one guy — to steal a term from volleyball, I’m calling him the libero — who is just running around and stomping MFers

That said, again, you can probably put the telestrator aside when watching this stuff.

If that wasn’t enough, we also had a fight that apparently allowed for (and likely encouraged) head butts?

Give me one good reason that shouldn’t be legal under the unified rules.

Oh, you came up with, like, six good reasons? Well played.

If you want to get caught up with The War catalogue, check out the related links here:

Cedric Severac vs. David Karp
Kevin Del vs. Roggy Lawson

Say what you want about multi-man matches, what happens in them can’t be any worse than what Cedric Severac did to David Karp at MMA GP Évolution this past weekend.

Forget walk-offs, Severac gave us the wave-off! Au revoir, mon ami.

Also at that Paris event, Kevin Del picked up a beautiful inverted triangle submission of Roggy Lawson, adding in some thudding elbows for good measure.

And in case you missed it, make sure you check out kickboxing legend Jerome Le Banner’s unbelievable (like, literally, I don’t know if I believe that this was a legitimate fight) comeback against Adnan Alic in the main event.

Yuri Neles vs. Maicon Almeida

If you’ve never watched Fight Circus before, you’ve probably never seen a kicks-only fight. It’s exactly what it sounds like and while it usually gives two fighters the opportunity to break out some flashy strikes, it doesn’t always have a satisfying ending.

This kick exchange between Yuri Neles and Maicon Almeida from an Arena Global event in Rio de Janeiro, however? Very satisfying.

I’m not a doctor nor am I a professional MMA judge, but I’m willing to state that Neles got the better of that one.

Leandro Carrasco vs. Rodrigo Kamikaze

While we’re in Rio, why not check out the latest goings on in the Favela Kombat promotion?

That’s an absolutely brutal one-punch KO by Leandro Carrasco. Watch how there’s no telegraphing of the punch, no wind-up, just pure timing and accuracy. A thing of beauty, even if the aftermath is kind of ugly for Rodrigo Kamikaze.

Speaking of Kamikaze, the Brazilian fighter lived up to his name once again. He is now 3-8 in his career, with none of his bouts going the distance. That said, looking at that record, I do wonder if he may want to think about more than branding and maybe adjust his strategy a touch. Then again, perhaps he aspires to be South America’s answer to Jay Ellis and if that’s the case, then more power to him.

Jimmy Quinn vs. Kashaan Khan
Paulius Totoraitis vs. Wilf Kelly
Jon Furuheim vs. Rafail Skouras

In Colchester England this past Saturday, Cage Warriors held one of its Academy South East events designed to showcase amateur and up-and-coming pro fighters. Amateurs Jimmy Quinn and Paulius Totoraitis showed out in the most savage way possible.

Quinn got fancy with it, smoking Kashaan Khan with a spinning wheel kick, while Totoraitis reached out and touched someone for the full-extension head kick KO.

In pro action, 20-year-old Norwegian featherweight Jon Furuheim had a dream pro debut, putting Rafail Skouras away with a Peruvian necktie.

Istvan Vereb vs. Zarko Golubuvic

The submission depths were particularly deep and treacherous this week folks as we had arguably the best tap-out of this feature, courtesy of Hungary’s Istvan Vereb.

From Real Fight Arena 4 in Slovice, Slovakia:

The official word is first-round submission by neck crank, but to me that’s just some unnamed nastiness that Vereb’s future opponents should definitely prepare for.

Luis Carlos de Brito vs. Lucas Xavier

In Algeciras, Spain, the Ansgar Fighting League and La Batalla del Estrecho organizations teamed up for a Road to AFL event and there’s a good chance that they at least took down Luis Carlos de Brito’s contact information after the heavyweight clobbered Lucas Xavier.

For some reason, the unnecessary and mostly ineffectual ground-and-pound afterward just kills me.

One more from the ICYMI department, Venator FC held an event this past weekend that featured not one, but two insane aerial knee knockouts that you should definitely check out.

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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 – @AlexanderKLee – using the hashtag #MissedFists.