Missed Fists: Kate Bacik locks in surprise kneebar to cap off comeback at ‘Combate Female’

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.

When we talk about “hectic times,” we’re talking about stuff like Combate Global holding an all-women show in the middle of the week, which could easily be missed in the news shuffle. “Combate Female” went down Thursday in Miami, so let’s check out a couple of the best finishes from the event, which is available for free on YouTube.

(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.)

Kate Bacik vs. Maritza Sanchez
Claudia Pizarro vs. Sharon Martinez

Headliners Kate Bacik and Maritza Sanchez did not disappoint, delivering a back-and-forth thriller in under half a round that saw Bacik hurt early before locking in a terrifying kneebar to score the comeback win.

Bacik is a submission specialist and, unsurprisingly, when she saw an opening to grab a leg, she took it. Still, Sanchez made her work hard for the finish, as this became a real battle of wills once it hit the ground, a battle Bacik convincingly won.

Speaking of taking their time, referee Ramon Ramos was in no hurry to end this fight between Claudia Pizarro and Sharon Martinez for some reason.

You can’t question Martinez’s toughness, but ref, you may want to jump in there a half dozen or so punches earlier next time.

Sergey Bobryshev vs. Jefferson Goncalves

Have I mentioned how much I love when fighters throw spinning back elbows out of nowhere? Because I really love it.

That’s Sergey Bobryshev taking out Jefferson Goncalves at an MMA Series event in Moscow. He made Goncalves pay for not backing off, bouncing an elbow off his head and then bouncing his head off the cage.

Bobryshev is on a hot streak right now with knockouts in his past four wins, so when the odds are in your favor like that, you throw whatever you want, whenever you want.

Makhmud Muradov vs. Yasubey Enomoto

Remember Makhmud Muradov? His UFC run ended with an unceremonious eye poke (and then an infection later forced him out of a pivotal matchup with Michel Pereira), but he’s bounced back with Oktagon MMA.

At a show in Stuttgart, Germany, Muradov had his man dancing.

If Yasubey Enomoto was just trying to use rope-a-dope to fool Muradov, that didn’t work either, because he shot right into a beautiful counter knee. That’s called having your man scouted.

Thomas Juarez vs. Emanuel Obenat

Speaking of dancing, young Thomas Juarez was styling and profiling in his pro debut as he popped Emanuel Obenat’s head back like a bottle cap at a Circuito Argentino de MMA in Buenos Aires.

At just 20 years old, Juarez could be one to watch in the featherweight division.

You can catch the full CAM event for free on YouTube.

Bobby Williams vs. Collin Holt
John Gunther vs. Cullen Sanders

Island Fights rarely disappoints when it comes to pure action and the promotion kept its reputation with another fun event in Leland, Miss.

In a 175-pound amateur bout, Bobby Williams needed just 16 seconds to throw out a high kick that struck gold.

“Gold” in this instance meaning opponent Collin Holt’s head.

Shout-out to pro debutant John Gunther (no relation, as far as I know) as well for this sweet scarf hold that put Cullen Sanders away in a little over 90 seconds.

Ernesto Schisano vs. Hudson Melo

At a Mad Fight Stadium event in San Sebastian de los Reyes, Spain, Ernesto Schisano stole the show with a flying knee of Hudson Melo. You know how we know this? Because Schisano posted the clips himself! More fighters should do this!

Yohan Lainesse vs. Keanan Patershuk
Giuseppe Ruggeri vs. Orlando Wilson Prins

Stopping over at UFC Fight Pass, we had a couple of awesome knockouts from Samourai MMA 13 in Quebec, Canada, and Cage Warriors 183 in Rome.

Former UFC fighter Yohan Lainesse improved to 2-0 since returning to compete in his native Canada and moving up to middleweight. He made a major statement with this face-plant drubbing of Keanan Patershuk.

Over in Italy, 25-year-old featherweight Giuseppe Ruggeri improved to 9-1 with some savage ground-and-pound following a crisp knockdown.

Sergiusz Zajac vs. Michal Dreczkowski

And last, but never least, let’s check in on the happenings at KSW 104 from Gorzow, Poland, where Sergiusz Zajac showed how dangerous a fundamental Thai plum can be.

Just squared his man up and annihilated him.

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 X — @AlexanderKLee — using the hashtag #MissedFists.