Missed Fists: Dinu Bucalet puts foe to sleep from inside guard, XFC returns from 5-year hiatus, more

Dinu Bucalet (top) applies a submission to Tyrone Elliott (bottom) at a Polaris event in Southampton, England, on Nov. 7, 2020 | @UFCFightPass, Twitter 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.
Normally we’re all about the viral KOS here at Missed Fists headquarters for obvious reasons, one being that we’re bunch of sick puppies beyond rehabilitation. But this is one of those weeks where we can’t ignore the gentle art of jiu-jitsu especially when it sends fighters to dreamland in such elegant fashion.
[h=2]Dinu Bucalet vs. Tyrone Elliott[/h]AL: I can’t remember the last time I used the word “elegant” to describe anything fight-related, but what else to call Dinu Bucalet’s ezekiel choke of Tyrone Elliott from a Polaris event in Southampton, England, this past Saturday (available for replay on UFC Fight Pass)?
Look at how Bucalet immediately recognizes that Elliott is out, cradles his head, and delicately (another word we don’t see in MMA often!) lays him flat on the mat.
JM: You and I have very different definitions of the word “elegant.”
Snowflakes are elegant. A well-performed waltz is elegant. Roger Federer’s entire being is elegant. But a man strangling another man unconscious with his own shirt is not quite what I’d call elegant. I’m pretty sure anytime one party to an event starts foaming at the mouth, the word “elegant” gets thrown out the window.
[h=2]Benjamin Sehic vs. Ivan Vicic[/h]AL: Ezekiels, Saint Preux chokes, and twisters have to be on the short list of submissions that always warrant mentioning when they happen. I’d also include omoplatas on that list, especially when they’re done by heavyweights.
Here’s Benjamin Sehic scoring one in just 52 seconds against Ivan Vicic at Serbian Battle Championship 29 (full fights available on YouTube).


What exactly goes into a successful omoplata?
JM: Mostly, the ineptitude of the guy you’re applying it to. Don’t get me wrong, omoplatas are an excellent sweep, but it’s rare to see one finished as a true submission both because it’s difficult to get the leverage necessary and because the body naturally wants to do the right thing and roll out of it.
Vicic avoided the triangle but just left his arm in there and never tried to stop any of it, allowing Sehic to press down on the shoulder and collapse Vicic’s body to the canvas where there was no method of escape available.
AL: That’s a fun one to get in just your second pro fight. Actually, this was Sehic’s second fight of the night as he scored a 53-second submission of Marko Dordevic in the opening round of a tournament.


Two submissions in under a minute to start your career. Nice work if you can get it.
JM: I have watched that over a dozen times and still have no idea what forced the tap. Sehic is in S-mount and clearly looking to set up a triangle, a la Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the tap comes well before that and the grunt of pain from Dordevic makes me think it wasn’t a choke that caused the tap. It also doesn’t look like he had an angle for an armbar there either. I know Tapology lists it as a triangle armbar but I have my doubts. Perhaps a wrist lock? Seriously, I’m confused.
AL: I’ll file it under “Submission (opponent was jiu-jitsu-ing much).”
[h=2]Llorvic Acevedo vs. Payton Hayes[/h]The third submission we want to highlight this week is memorable not just for the winner’s execution, but for the bucking bronco-like defense of its recipient.
From Sparta Wyoming 4 this past Saturday, amateur Payton Hayes did everything in his power to avoid suffering his second straight loss by armbar and while he failed, he deserves our respect for trying so damn hard.
JM: I got seriously nervous watching that clip the first time because when Hayes goes for the slam at first, his arm is DEEPLY locked in under the elbow and I couldn’t help but think he’s going to snap his own arm and it won’t be pretty. But he didn’t and he went on to struggle for another minute or so. In vain, but still, can’t knock the man’s heart.
[h=2]Kurt Holobaugh vs. Joziro Boye
Carson Hardman vs. Steven Newell
Bobby Nash vs. Spencer Jebb[/h]AL: In other regional news, Xtreme Fighting Championships got back in business on Wednesday night in Atlanta, holding their first show in nearly five years. You can read more about the comeback here, including the promotion’s plan to offer stock as incentive for winning and putting on exciting performances.
JM: I legitimately had no idea this happened in Atlanta and it was at the f*cking Tabernacle. Had I been paying any attention whatsoever I would have attended this illustrious event. Yo, XFC, next time let your boy know.
AL: There were a handful of UFC veterans on hand, including Andre Soukhamthath and Danielle Taylor who picked up split decision wins in the main event and co-main event, respectively (Taylor actually beat former World Series of Fighting champ Jessica Aguilar).
But the big highlights came earlier in the show, including Kurt Holobaugh’s brutal TKO of Joziro Boye, which was a case of one guy just being too tough to go down.
JM: Yeah, that first knee should’ve put him down. Everything afterwards was just icing on the cake. Remember kids, there’s no shame in admitting defeat. You can’t put a price on brain cells.
AL: I’d be remiss if we didn’t show this knockout from Carson Hardman, both because of the hard punches he was able to land from unorthodox angles and the fact that he has a fantastic name.
JM: That may legitimately be the first time I’ve ever seen a guy get dropped while doing a treetop takedown. It’s one of those things they tell you in training, “Hey, if both arms are on the leg your face is undefended,” but usually the other guy is too preoccupied with staying upright to jaw you. It appears Carson was “Too Hard of a Man” to care much about that though.
AL: Speaking of great names, pour one out for Spencer Jebb “Meshew” who had a chance to add UFC vet Bobby Nash to his hit list, but ended up taking a right hand down the pipe instead and then having Nash dribble his dome like, er, Steve Nash.
JM: Man, I missed a good night of fights. Damn you, XFC, for not letting me know!
For anyone else who missed out, XFC 43 is available for PPV replay on FITE TV, with the prelims available for free.
[h=2]Wdison Costa vs. Ricardo Souza
Vanilton Antunes vs. Jose Heraldo Souza[/h]AL: Let’s take a quick stop at Shooto Brazil 103 to check on some young gunners, 26-year-old lightweight Wdison Costa (12-5) and 25-year-old welterweight Vanilton Atunes (12-4). Both fighters are building up their resumes the right way and they looked sharp on Sunday, punching out their respective opponents inside of a round.
I was particularly tickled by Antunes’ finish, as his opponent Jose Heraldo Souza came at him throwing wild and that just seemed to make him angry. Hence the completely unnecessary follow-up punches.
JM: Dude, Antunes-Souza was friggin’ gas. Just a total disregard for their own health and personal safety. Gotta love that.
Wdison was the opposite: a total disregard for his opponents health and safety. Sheesh is right, Caposa.
[h=2]Sergei Kharitonov vs. Oli Thompson[/h]AL: At a Parus FC show in Dubai this past Saturday, Sergei Kharitonov celebrated his 40th pro fight by doing what he does best: clubberin’ a fool.
That’s UFC vet Oli Thompson getting the face-plant treatment.
JM: I can’t believe I’ve never noticed this before but Kharitonov does give off some serious Ben Grimm vibes. Great, now I’m gonna spend the rest of the day trying to figure out who the rest of the MMA Fantastic Four is.
AL: Ryan Hall has got to be Mr. Fantastic, that’s all I know.
Shout out to @pdlmma for tweeting out the perfect description of why Kharitonov is still such a fun fighter to watch.
[h=2]Jasurbek Sabirov vs. Safarali Sharipov[/h]This week’s winner of the Auditory Assault award comes to us from Strong Spirit Series 2 in Vanakyulya, Russia
Turn my headphones up!
This was Jasurbek Sabirov’s first MMA fight, but you know he’s got to have a legit kickboxing background. Combat sports noobs don’t land head kicks like that.
JM: I am ASTONISHED that homie got up from that. That is a clean head kick that knocked his damn mouthpiece out but not his consciousness. That is impressive as hell. I’d be in a coma.
[h=2]Carly Holman vs. Rebeka Laws[/h]AL: Remember the regrettable Estrada-Adkins incident from a few months back? Well, we have a solid runner-up for worst women’s boxing KO of the year and our clear winner of this week’s “She Fell Funny” award.
I present to you, Carly Holman vs. Rebeka Laws in Gone in 28 Seconds.
JM: This clip is incredible because literally right after the commentator says “She got up pretty good from that knockdown,” Laws gets flatlined. She ain’t getting up good from that second one, that’s for sure.
AL: I confess I don’t know enough about either boxer’s background to know if this is as gross a mismatch as the one Miranda Adkins was caught in, but the optics are certainly not good. I wouldn’t have blamed the ref for waving things off after the first knockdown, no matter how innocuous it seemed in the moment.
JM: I mean, I don’t think the ref should’ve stopped it. Laws did get up pretty good from that first knockdown!
AL: Stop.
JM: She just ran into a brick wall afterwards. Sometimes you find your limits the hard way.

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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 Twitter – @JedKMeshew and @AlexanderKLee – using the hashtag #MissedFists.


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