Jaron Lathrop could not have imagined a more impressive start to his professional MMA career.
Friday night saw Xtreme Fighting Championship 52 take place at the Xtreme Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. While the fight card featured numerous experienced MMA veterans, it was a debuting flyweight who truly captivated the audience with a knockout for the ages.
Lathrop faced Yevgeni Shinkarevsky in a featured main card fight. The American flyweight completely stole the show, defeating Shinkarevsky in the very first round with a sensational jumping spinning back kick. The knockout was strikingly similar to Joaquin Buckley’s famous “Ninja Kick” from 2020, which earned the prestigious Knockout of the Year award. Shinkarevsky had just caught a body kick from Lathrop, but “Protect Ya Neck” responded instantly with his devastating spinning attack that came out of nowhere.
See the incredible highlight below.
Given the sheer impressiveness of this knockout, Lathrop is undoubtedly a contender for this year`s Knockout of the Year honors and has certainly put himself firmly on the radar of major MMA promotions with such a memorable performance.