Fighter taps out one second into MMA bout, cites motorcycle crash
Michel Pantoja walked to the center of the cage at a Lions Fight event in Manaus, Brazil, touched gloves with opponent Matheus Kokama, then dropped to his knees and tapped the canvas.
One second. That was the entire fight.
According to MMA Fighting's Alexander K. Lee, referee Dioclemar Neto failed to acknowledge the tap immediately, pushing the official time to seven seconds on Tapology's records. TMZ Sports later reported that Pantoja blamed injuries from a recent motorcycle accident for his decision to surrender without engaging.
Kokama left empty-handed after instant submission
The incident leaves Kokama with a win on paper but no actual fight experience and, as Lee put it, a situation where his time was completely wasted. Pantoja reportedly appeared for the bout despite being unable to compete, raising questions about whether the promotion should honor his contract under such circumstances.
The stoppage joins a growing catalog of ultra-quick finishes on the regional circuit. At Fierce FC in Utah, amateur Brock Adams needed just eight seconds to knock out Cameron Stephen with repeated right hands. At ONE Championship, Paul Elliott dropped Regan Upshaw with a head kick in six seconds.
Lions Fight has not announced whether Kokama will receive a replacement bout on its next card.
Original reporting:
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