As MMA fans around the world remain in lockdown, many of us have been relying on social media to provide some much-needed excitement and entertainment. This week, one fight video has taken the internet by storm – a spectacular two-second knockout punch delivered by Xavier Horton at an event in Washington state.

The bout took place at CageSport 84 last Saturday night and pitted Horton against local favourite Nick O’Brien. There was plenty of pre-fight hype surrounding the contest, with both fighters exchanging verbal jabs prior to entering the cage. As soon as referee Steve Mazzagatti signalled for them to begin fighting, it was clear that this was going to be a short encounter – however few could’ve predicted how quickly it would be over!

As soon as the bell rang out, Horton moved forward with utter confidence and threw a huge overhand left straight away. The punch connected perfectly on O’Brien’s chin, dropping him instantly before he had even thrown any strikes of his own! It all happened so fast that some viewers were left wondering whether they had simply witnessed a highlight reel stoppage – but thankfully for us all it proved real enough upon further inspection!

After replays showed that ‘The Great One’ had indeed recorded his 13th professional win via first round knockout, audiences across social media platforms quickly began hailing him as their new favourite fighter; praising not only his technical striking abilities but also his humble post-fight interview where he expressed sympathy towards O’Brien following such an emphatic defeat: “I don’t really like knocking people out like that…it’s just part of our sport.”

Even though this is certainly one of Xavier Horton’s biggest wins yet (which will no doubt be remembered fondly by MMA enthusiasts) I think we can all agree that what makes this particular clip truly special is its awe-inspiring brevity. In today’s age when fights often go beyond five rounds or more than five minutes into each round (not to mention those seemingly never ending decision verdicts), watching something end so abruptly is almost surreal! Hopefully in time we will get another chance to see these two warriors face off again – perhaps for longer next time…

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