Carlos Mota is a bad man.
At LFA 140, Mota (8-1) crumpled opponent Rizvan Abuev (12-4) with a brutal, one-punch knockout to claim flyweight gold. The fight served as the main event of the card which took place Friday at 4 Bears Lodge & Casino in New Town, N.D.
The knockout blow, a wicked left hook, caused a stoppage at 3:14 of Round 1. Upon impact, Abuev was out cold. He thudded on the canvas with his left arm awkwardly tucked behind his back.
Abuev, 30, was down on the canvas for an unusually long amount of time as medical professionals attended to him. Eventually, he made his way to his feet to congratulate Mota.
“We’ve been training a lot,” Mota said in his in-cage interview. “I’ve been training with a lot of high-level boxers back in Vegas. Again, my coaches and I put the perfect game plan together. The belt is mine.”
With the win, Mota wins the promotion’s vacant 125-pound title in his second career attempt. Outside of a loss to current UFC flyweight Charles Johnson, Brazil’s Mota, 27, is unbeaten as a professional with four finishes in eight wins.
The full LFA 140 results include:
Carlos Mota def. Rizvan Abuev via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:14
Bahatebole Batebolati def. Ryan Leininger via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Richie Miranda def. Elijah Harris via TKO (ground-and-pound) – Round 2, 4:34
Ray Waters def. Leivon Lewis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Braden Pagaoa def. Dillion Cox via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Carlos Trinidad def. D’Ante Arnett via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:53