Check out the video of Frankie Edgar getting starched in 28 seconds by Cory Sandhagen and you will marvel once again at the science behind the knockout.
This was one of the featured bouts at last week’s UFC Fight Night 141. Edgar, who surely will be a hall-of-famer when he decides to hang up the gloves, was caught totally unawares and was knocked out horrifically. You can see the referee immediately motion for the medics to come up and take a look at the senseless Edgar.
SCIENCE. At the start, both fighters meet at the center of the octagon and Sandhagen misses with a front leg kick. He resets immediately and as Edgar comes forward, in a flash Sandhagen meets him by jumping in the air, holding on to the back of Edgar’s head —simultaneous with a flying right knee which catches him dead smack in the jaw. Of course, the fact that he is much taller also provided him with an inherent advantage in leverage.
As with any other quick, violent knockout, timing is everything and in this case, Sandhagen was able to anticipate Edgar’s movement.
That pre-cognition might come from many places—perhaps Sandhagen did his homework and burned the midnight candle watching tape of Edgar’s movements and then applied it feverishly while training.
Or maybe it’s just his natural combat instinct honed by years of training and fighting. In such a case, everything becomes instinctive and the fighter is able to adapt and react in a split second to what his opponent presents.
After all, this is the same fighter who, in his previous fight, also knocked out Marlon Moraes with a spinning wheel kick which the latter never saw coming.
Whatever the case, it was an early candidate for 2021’s KO of the Year honors.
CONOR. And then there’s also that video of Conor McGregor being hand-fed a steak by Chef Salt Bae in Dubai.
Nothing to see there really, except that it pretty much shows you that Conor is in that state of contentment and refinement reserved for celebrities.
He’s not just a fighter anymore—he has become bigger than his capacities in the ring.
Not saying there’s something wrong with that. But I am just putting some context that at this stage of his career, he doesn’t need to fight anymore. And he may not want it as bad as before.
VERBATIM. “Props to Cory Sandhagen, he landed a perfectly timed and executed bomb on me. Luckily, I don’t remember it much LOL” — Frankie Edgar (www.bloodyelbow.com)
LAST ROUNDS. Are on two beautiful ladies, Dara Espina and Jingle Fabroa-Knight, who recently celebrated their birthdays. Cheers!