Imagine earning a contract with the world’s biggest mixed martial arts promotion with just one move. That’s what happened when MMA fighter Aalon Cruz knocked out opponent Steven Nguyen with a brutal—yet beautiful—flying knee to the face.
Words can’t do this move justice, so just watch the video below:
Cruz (6-2), of Florida, was competing in Dana White’s Contender Series, where up-and-coming fighters duke it out for a chance at a UFC contract. White, like everyone else, was visibly impressed with the flying knee and immediately signaled that he was signing Cruz to the company.
He later made it official. “Cruz just looks mean,” he said in his post-match announcement of which fighters had earned a contract. “When he’s in that Octagon, he looks mean, he fights mean, he’s nasty… and he’s exactly what I’m looking for.” If Cruz can pull moves like this on a regular basis, Cruz will be a force to reckon with in the featherweight division.
But wait, there’s even more flying knee action. In the very next fight that night, Aleksa Camur also got a flying knee on Fabio Cherant during the second round to remain undefeated and earn his own UFC contract.
While not as impressive as Cruz’s, Camur’s blow was nonetheless a sight to behold. Check it out:
“This kid is big, strong, and well-rounded,” White said of Camur. “You just saw a glimpse of what this kid is capable of doing.” We look forward to more highlight reels from these two fighters. Heavyweight Rodrigo Nascimento and flyweight Tracy Cortez also earned contracts that night.
