Top 10 Global Knockouts of 2014

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Luis Santos vs. Alfredo Morales
XFC International 3
March 29 | Osasco, Brazil
Chris Nelson: Luis Santos is known for having one of the lengthiest records of any active fighter; as of this writing, the Brazilian welterweight’s ledger stands at 61-9-1. Even with dozens of wins and nearly 14 years of professional fighting under his belt, “Sapo” is still finding new ways to impress. His 60th victory in March seemingly came out of nowhere, when Santos appeared to be on his way to a grinding decision against Mexico’s Alfredo Morales.

Seconds after being restarted on the feet by referee Roberto Thomaz, southpaw Santos caught Morales slipping and swung his left leg swiftly up the center. The beautiful front kick caught Morales square on the jaw, immediately relieving him of his senses and sending him crumbling to the mat in a heap, his head bouncing off of his own knee on the way down.

James Goyder: There are mixed martial artists with striking credentials superior to those of “Sapo” but not many fighters have adapted their style of stand up to the cage quite as seamlessly. The Brazilian currently has 35 knockout wins to his name but the finish of Alfredo Morales at XFC International 3 might just be the most impressive of the lot. Santos was pretty much having his way with the Mexican but it was an unremarkable fight with no hint of the drama which was to follow in round three.

Santos' kick was a piece of precision violence executed to absolute perfection and the end result was Morales falling flat on his back having been separated from his senses. Any follow up shots would have been entirely superfluous: Santos just walked away nonchalantly with yet another highlight reel stoppage to add to his impressive personal collection.

Ian Robinson: “Sapo” has a knack for finishing lesser competition in extremely violent fashion, and this fight was no different. Santos' kick actually sent an enormous, misty cloud a sweat flying off Morales' head and his body crashing to the canvas on top of itself. Ever since Anderson Silva's iconic knockout of Vitor Belfort, the front kick has become a staple in the sport. Probably the cleanest front kick KO you'll see in MMA.

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