
Suddenly there’s a new contender for knockout of the year. Ross Pearson is well-known to hardcore MMA fans. A pioneer of UK mixed martial arts, he’s a respected veteran. He spent ten years on the books of the UFC, walking away with a record of 12 wins and 13 losses with the world’s biggest MMA promotion.
Pearson might not have been the prettiest fighter, but the lightweight was gritty and tough. He has powerful punches and is known to pull off an armbar now and again. After leaving the UFC to compete in professional boxing, he decided to return with Probellum in his native UK.
Probellum thought they were pulling off a coup by bringing Pearson back but they could never have expected what would happen. The British fighter was melted by a whirlwind of destruction. Check out this insane finish below. We’re literally talking ‘Rolling Thunder.’ This is straight out of a video game.
Davy Gallon KOs Ross Pearson with a ROLLING THUNDER in R3 at Probellum 1 in London. OH MY GOD #Probellum1 pic.twitter.com/Uza57ScMmH
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) November 16, 2019
Acrobatics
The former UFC fighter was fighting Davy Gallon in the main event of MTK: Probellum. Pearson had dropped six out of his last eight fights. However, his most recent professional bout was a boxing win. He definitely could not have foreseen what would happen against Gallon though.
In the third round of their clash, Gallon decided to enter the matrix. He went full capoeira/karate kid with a ridiculous ‘rolling thunder’ kick. In short, this was the perfect combination of timing, power and inventiveness. It takes some serious confidence to even consider attempting something like this. But Gallon executed it to perfection because Pearson was out before he hit the ground.
⚡️ Rolling Thunder KO TONIGHT!
Davy Gallon def. Ross Pearson
🏴 #Probellum
🎥RT: @ImShannonTho— Mikey Thomas (@MikeyThomasMMA) November 16, 2019
Insanity
Nobody could believe what they had seen. That included the commentary team who were almost literally left speechless by the epic moment. It’s an instant contender for KO of the Year. Jorge Masvidal’s five-second knockout of Ben Askren is probably better because of the stakes, but this is definitely up there.
The commentators’ reactions were hilariously human. One said, ‘Oh s—.’ While another said, “Oh … my … Goodness … me. I don’t even know what to call that!”
You’ve got to love it. This was straight out of a videogame such as Tekken or Streetfighter. Gallon should probably retire now because it’s going to be difficult to top that. Congratulations, you’ve gone viral so hang up the gloves.
Wow. Just wow. 💥@davygallon claims the big KO victory over @rosstherealdeal#probellumlondon pic.twitter.com/A072oEvUPu
— Probellum MMA (@probellum) November 17, 2019
Brutal
This is one of the most brutal finishes that we’ve seen in a long time. A ‘rolling thunder kick’ is like taking a sledgehammer. The attacker’s full weight comes soaring down in a dynamic movement. Pearson found out the hard way that if you time it correctly it’s absolutely brutal. In short, it was a rough night for the Brit. His overall MMA record is now 20 wins and 17 losses.
To sum up, many fans were depressed to see Pearson get so brutally knocked out. Well-respected in the combat sports world, he’s also an excellent coach. Furthermore, he regularly holds pads for Demetrious Johnson. It’s unfortunate that fighters feel the need to come back even when they shouldn’t really have to.