We’re approximately five weeks deep into 2013 and we’ve already seen some remarkable knockout finishes. If 2013 continues the early-established theme of severely violent finishes, we could be in store for one wild year.
When you examine some of the immediate upcoming events, it’s not hard to imagine a roller-coaster of a year, crammed full of highlight reel material.
The second World Series of Fighting event gets underway on March 23rd, and with Andrei Arlovski battling Anthony Johnson (in Johnson’s first heavyweight fight) and Tyson Nam toeing the line with Marlon Moraes, a spectacular knockout certainly isn’t out of the question.
The same could be said of UFC on Fuel TV 7, which features bouts pitting Renan Pegado against Michael McDonald, Cub Swanson versus Dustin Poirier, Jimi Manuwa against Cyrille Diabate and James Te Huna versus Ryan Jimmo.All of those men possess the kind of power to bring conclusion to a fight in the blink of an eye.
UFC 157 will feature a fight between known finishers Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson. UFC on Fuel TV 8 is headlined by a collision of power punchers in Brian Stann and Wanderlei Silva. These are men known for the dynamite in their fists.
Bellator 88 unravels tonight from Duluth, Georgia, and guess who fronts the show? Known finishers Alexander Shlemenko and Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves. These dudes throw in sinister fashion, in constant pursuit of a dramatic finish.
The point is, the next month or so could produce a wealth of jaw-dropping knockouts. The fact that we’ve already got a solid handful of amazing stoppages to revisit after only 38 of 365 days having passed in 2013, is a wonder to behold.
I’d say the future looks bright for the sport, but those destined to wake in a murky darkness, unaware of their surroundings, confused by the multitude of voices raining down on them, would probably disagree.