Missed Fists: Fighter actually pulls off jumping switch kick, knocks out opponent instead of injuring himself

A roundup of overlooked regional MMA highlights from the past week showcased several impressive finishes and unexpected moments from gyms and promotions across the globe.

Noah Starowicz made an impressive professional debut at Ultimate Battlegrounds 29 in North Carolina, executing a textbook jumping switch kick to flatten Jahrael Cromartie—a move that Conor McGregor famously attempted but failed against Max Holloway at UFC 329 just days earlier, blowing out his knee in the process.

At Open Fighting Championship 67 in Moscow, Sabrina Van Damm improved to 2-0 with a 90-second triangle choke submission over Liliya Platova. The finish was so effective that Platova appeared disoriented afterward, briefly scuffling with referee Dmitry Valuevich before her team intervened.

Other notable regional moments included Luke Bracey's crisp seven-second knockout of George Wheeler at Fusion FC 46 in England via front kick—described as "weirdly adorable." Elijah Woodroof landed a brutal knee just 30 seconds into his bout at Legends Fight Series 2 in Ohio against Cory Dulaney, while Ethan Hatcher's knockout of Wayne Baker at Combat Night Gainesville occurred in the opening seconds, though timing details varied between sources.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Zhan Beleniuk—an Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling—made his MMA debut, impressively defeating Bellator and BKFC veteran Haim Gozali. The transition of elite wrestlers into MMA remains a compelling storyline worth monitoring as these athletes apply their technical grappling foundations to the sport.