Missed Fists: Miguel Sanson breaks out The Rock’s ‘People’s Elbow’ ahead of slam knockout

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.

The only thing I’m more doggedly loyal to than The Ultimate Fighter is my UFC Fight Pass subscription, so it falls upon me to remind all of you that the online service is still worth having. Not just for the extensive library of fights either, but for the outstanding coverage of the regional and international scene.

Say what you want about the dreary march of the UFC machine, but if you still crave pure cagefighting, there’s plenty on offer if you load up Fight Pass and that was especially true this past week.

(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.)

Miguel Sanson vs. Chris Johnson
Taezhon Mason vs. Mason Lackie

Lead-off honors this week had to go to Miguel Sanson for his touching mid-fight tribute to The Rock.

Yup, you’re seeing correctly. That’s a people’s elbow.

Sanson might not have put as much sizzle on it as the great Dwayne Johnson, but it’s clear his intention was to entertain the millions (AND MILLIONS) watching worldwide with this rarely seen ground-and-pound technique.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison, courtesy of Happy Punch:

It has to be noted the elbow did not finish the fight (similar to how Rock’s signature maneuver didn’t always lead to a three-count), but Sanson’s opponent Chris Johnson was essentially done at that point. All it took was a big slam and some more ground strikes to cap off a memorable performance.

The 25-year-old bantamweight has now won three straight fights to improve his pro record to 7-2. Let’s hope Sanson goes on to have a more meaningful career than the last guy to attempt a Rock impression.

Earlier on the card, amateur featherweight Taezhon Mason didn’t exactly cue up the band for some Sweet Chin Music, but this is a lovely head kick knockout all the same.

Marcus Nash vs. Felipe Rocha
Artur Minev vs. Shane Keefe
Nico Echeverry vs. Devon Dixon

I don’t know what was going on in Houston this past Sunday, but folks were getting FLATTENED in all kinds of ways.

Marcus Nash brought the brutality to Felipe Rocha, who wanted no part of it. After seeing the uppercut that Nash blasted him with, you can understand why.

Once Rocha started desperately throwing his hands up, no one would have blamed the referee if he stepped in to stop the fight right then and there. It could have saved Rocha a hospital bill.

Artur Minev didn’t give Shane Keefe a chance to react as he wound up from a mile away before uncorking a 102 mph fastball (hey, baseball is back!).

Oh, you thought you were out of range? WRONG.

And then there’s what Nico Echeverry did to Devon Dixon.

Just straight-up chalk outlines in the Fury FC cage that night.

An Tuan Ho vs. Jimi Natividad
Dylan Mantello vs. Ednilson Santos
Joe Giannetti vs. Leonardo Limberger

It wasn’t much better for defeated fighters at LFA 204 in Mashantucket, Conn.

An Tuan Ho needed just 16 seconds to take out Jimi Natividad.

A hard head kick started off the knockout sequence and front kick up the middle appeared to sap whatever fighting spirit Natividad had left. The finishing flurry was elementary from there.

In the penultimate bout of the evening, Dylan Mantello caught Ednilson Santos with a clean combination that had Santos doing a textbook stanky leg.

Rashad Evans would be proud. Or embarrassed all over again. I’m not sure.

Missed Fists veteran Joe Giannetti got back in the win column with this slick usage of the triangle choke to score a TKO from bottom position.

Giannetti has been putting in work for years since falling short in the TUF 27 Finale back in 2018. Is it time for the UFC to give him a call back? He spoke to My Best Friend Mike Heck prior to Saturday’s fight and it sounds like he has his head in the right space should he get another opportunity to step into the octagon.

Mateus Rodrigues vs. Diogo Ferreira
Patrick Gomes vs. Lucas Caldas

At Shooto Brasil 128 in Rio de Janeiro, Mateus Rodrigues spun Diogo Ferreira all the way around with a precision right to the temple.

When a strike puts you on the ground facing away from your opponent, I’m going to say that’s a good stoppage.

Finger of Shame to Lucas Caldas for this illegal stomp that resulted in his disqualification.

In fairness, we here at MMA Fighting feel somewhat responsible when things like this happen as we’ve frequently espoused the virtues of cheating in a fight. However, we always emphasize not getting caught and this infraction was as clear as day. It’s only good cheating if it doesn’t cost you the fight, man!

Jair Perez vs. Marco Reynoso
Sofia Montenegro vs. Jhovanna Ruiz
Gustavo Navarrete vs. Raymundo Olvera
Carlos Perez vs. Miguel Calderon

Budo Sento Championship took place in Mexico City on Thursday (I think there’s some other rinky-dink promotion in town as well) and the striking match portion of the card was unbelievably violent.

For those who don’t know, BSC striking matches are essentially kickboxing with MMA gloves, which leads to moments like this:

That first knockdown by probably ends in a finish for Jair Perez in an MMA fight, but instead, we get a standing eight-count and because Marco Reynoso is too tough for his own good, he answers and gets right back out there. Then he gets pulverized even worse.

Sofia Montenegro ran through Jhovanna Ruiz, leading to a “no más” moment if I’ve ever seen one.

If your opponent’s attack has you slowly slumping against the cage, I’m calling that a strong indicator that the fight is over.

As was this:

Gustavo Navarrete caught Raymundo Olvera’s kick and fired a right hand down the middle for the one-shot KO.

And in another “we really didn’t need the count” moment, Carlos Perez turned Miguel Calderon inside out with a scythe-like spin kick to the body.

Stop counting and start calling the ambulance!

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.