While MMA fights can go down several ways, there's something truly special about a definitive, brutal knockout.
2024 gave the fans some amazing Fight Club Rush finishes and as the year nears its end it's time to highlight the best knockouts!
8: Bajad Damarkani vs Valentino Kovac - FCR 20
FCR 20 kicked off with a bang as two talents from Gothenburg duked it out in Västerås in Bajad Damarkani vs Valentino Kovac. While Damarkani was the more credentialled out of the two it was Kovac who took the lead early, blitzing in with vicious combinations. Damarkani stood his base, though, landing heavy return fire, eventually landing a vicious body shot that dropped Kovac. With a few follow up shots the bout was over in the first round, setting the tone for a great event to follow.
7: Abdurakhman Nasrutdinov vs Giorgi Liparteliani - FCR 20
MMA can at times make one as: "How the hell did he take that shot?!" That was definitely the case this past summer as Sweden's Abdurakhman Nasrutdinov landed a horrific body kick to Georgian Giorgi Liparteliani that sounded like the stuff of nightmares.
Shockingly Liparteliani pulled through and fought back making the bout competitive. Nasrutdinov would however go on to prove why he is such a hot prospect, finding the TKO win and adding another finish to the already stellar FCR 20.
6: Kevin Mickelsson vs Fredrik Ljunglund - FCR 19
The element of surprise and shock really can add to the overall feeling that a finish brings with it. Heading into FCR 19 everybody knew that Kevin Mickelsson, as a former Muay Thai star, brought knockout power with him. While Fredrik Ljunglund was a promising prospect that flew somewhat under the radar.
The fight started off as some might expect, with Mickelsson landing a thunderous punch that dropped Ljunglund early. Just when it seemed as if Mickelsson would land the ground and pound needed to stop the fight, Ljunglund got a reversal, top position and began landing brutal shots of his own, getting the first round stoppage.
5: Theodor Berggren vs Moe Ahmadi - FCR 21
The FCR 21 main event saw two fantastic welterweights coming off impressive submission wins square off in Stockholm as Theodor Berggren met Moe Ahmadi. After a walk in for the ages, courtesy of the always hilarious Ahmadi, the bout began.
Berggren pressed forward early and as they clinched up Berggren lifted his opponent up, slamming him down on his head. Ahmadi, as the true warrior he is, tried his best to remain in the fight, but the onslaught from Berggren was too great and he kept his insane first round finishing rate intact.
4: Baysangur Makaev vs Erik Wahrolen - FCR 19
The lightweight battle between Baysangur Makaev and Erik Wahrolen was deemed "The People's Main Event" and for good reason. Both brought with them intensity as former training partners turned opponents and the whole angle really brought the fight a lot of attention.
The first round was a great one with both fighters exchanging on the feet and landing heavy shots. With both fighters coming from grappling backgrounds, it was impressive to see their development on the feet.
However, Makaev proved to be the sharper striker as in the second round he landed a gruesome kick to the body that would be the beginning of the end, as his follow up shots sealed the deal and propelled Makaev into stardom.
3: Mashrab Mamadaliyev vs Alejandro Toutparfait - FCR 21
The welterweight scrap between Mashrab Mamadaliyev and Alejandro Toutparfait made the FCR crew regret not putting it on the main card, that's how good it was.
The two exchanged vicious strikes and kicks on the feet, titillating the crowd with their gorgeous violence. Mamadaliyev seemed to land with greater success, though, giving the opposing corner some things to think about heading into the second round.
When the middle round commenced Mamadaliyev simply continued pouring it on in an unrelenting show of offence, eventually drowning Toutparfait in a sea of strikes in the best fight of the night.
2: Jonny Touma vs Rohullah Yousofi 2 - FCR 20
No matter what someone prefers in an MMA fight, everyone can appreciate a good story. One of the best stories in all of MMA is that belonging to Rohulla Yousofi, who more or less walked from Afghanistan to Sweden seeking a better life, promising his father that he would become an MMA champion. As Yousofi's father tragically passed away, that promise became even more important. He became a rival with the former FCR flyweight champ Jonny Touma - and it is currently perhaps the best rivalry in FCR history.
The two had a great first fight at FCR 18, which Yousofi took on short notice, as Touma pulled off a solid decision win. In the rematch, Yousofi came prepared and put it on, dropping Touma. Despite that Touma showed championship mettle, securing takedowns and display that diverse set of skills that made him champ in the first place.
In the third and final round Yousofi would land a brutal shot that dropped Touma once again. With a slew of strikes that followed it up, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. Yousofi was crowned champ, fulfilling the promise to his father.
1: Zelim Zubairaev vs Mika Kallio - FCR 19
Short notice? No problem! At least that was the case for Zelim Zubairaev who stepped in on a few weeks notice to take on the polished Finnish boxer Mika Kallio. It was the Finn that took the lead early, putting his fantastic boxing skills on display, but Zubairaev was not far behind, as his great skillset made him dangerous in any position. At the end of the first round a clash of heads opened a cut on the forehead of Kallio, raising the stakes heading into the second.
In the second round Kallio threw a kick which was caught by Zubairaev - who then threw a flat out brutal counter, flatlining the Finn before he reached the canvas.
In a display that was equal parts gorgeous technique and vicious brutality, Zubairaev stepped into the spotlight as he scored the best FCR knockout of 2024.
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