Is This The Best KO Of The Year?

It’s hard to keep track of every knockout that occurs in the wide world of mixed martial arts (MMA), but fight fans were treated to a Knockout of the Year candidate earlier today (Sat., June 25, 2022) at JCK Night Cage Series.

The event took place early Saturday on UFC Fight Pass from Haikou, Hainan, China. While the entire event provided four memorable knockouts and a main event submission win there was one stoppage that stood out among the rest. Most may have missed it, but it is one of the best knockout finishes you will see all year.

It occurred during a welterweight clash between Aerdake Apaer and Guo Xu Yang. Neither fighter is well-known and Apaer actually came into this contest with a 0-2 professional record. Just 28 seconds into the very first round and Apaer launched a ridiculous spinning back kick that caught Yang directly in the face and instantly put him out. It was violent to say the least and a sequence that is rarely seen inside of the cage.

Check out the finish above courtesy of UFC Fight Pass.

We’ve seen some ridiculous knockouts this year in MMA including Michael Chandler’s front kick finish over Tony Ferguson, Zhang Weili’s spinning back fist over Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and Molly McCann’s spinning back elbow against Luana Carolina. We’re not sure where this spinning back kick ranks among them, but it certainly has to be included as one of the best knockouts of 2022 so far.