Watch: UFC fighter gets knocked out so bad he knees himself in the face
Brazilian jiu jitsu is not a martial art traditionally associated with vicious knockouts in the MMA octagon. Its technical nature tends to lead to more decision wins or tapouts from submission holds rather than decisive strikes.
But apparently, nobody told Gilbert Burns this.
Burns knocked out Dan Moret early in the second round of their fight Saturday at UFC on Fox 29 in Glendale, Arizona, according to Bleacher Report.
The punch that did the trick was just plain nasty:
And the lights go out ..
What a KO for 🇧🇷@GilbertDurinho #UFCGlendale pic.twitter.com/CVNvfeIQ7O
— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2018
Adding insult to injury, in one of those moments that combines brutality with hilarity, Moret managed to knee himself in the face after he got floored by the punch.
The sequence was itself a classic example of how an MMA fight can turn in a single moment.
Burns landed a clean right hand that stunned Moret, which served as his cue to amp up the pressure.
Moret withstood most of the would-be punishment, covering up and surviving while he got his wits back about him.
But before he could recover fully, an uppercut got through, and that’s how Moret ended up limp as a rubber chicken on the floor of the arena, his night over and the victory assured for his opponent.
If they didn’t already, folks are going to have to respect Burns now, as this is the second fight in a row he’s won by a powerhouse knockout.
Furthermore, it’s the first time since 2014-15 that Burns has picked up back-to-back wins.
From another angle, you can watch the play develop and see just how Burns was able to gain the advantage:
GILBERT BURNS!!!@GilbertDurinho FLOORS Moret here in round 2 to close out the @UFCFightPass prelims! WOW!!! #UFCGlendale pic.twitter.com/Xrjy96tLL1
— UFC (@ufc) April 14, 2018
As the UFC commentators pointed out, Moret was looking to close distance and get the takedown on Burns so he could win the fight in the ground-and-pound game.
Burns controlled distance, and even as the announcers were cautioning him against relying too heavily on striking, Burns was setting the trap.
And when he sprung that trap and caught Moret clean with one of those strikes, the fight was over in a flash.
It will be very interesting to see what UFC has lined up for Burns next.
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