Some context on the 3-seconds-knockout video

You’ve probably seen the 3-seconds-knockout clip making the rounds. This is the full video of the match.

This was an amateur bout in Melrose in Massachusetts and the fighters were both from the Greater Boston Muay Thai community (both having won fights before).

I attended the fight in-person, and have seen (in hindsight) this fighter and ‘coach’ drilling this particular knockout-move in the gym (I say ‘coach’ lightly because he is also her husband).

The way this move was drilled:

• you make sure to initiate the glove touch (given that touching gloves is not mandatory since it happens after the bell, but if you initiate your opponent will likely respond accordingly)
• when you are about to touch gloves, you stop moving and let your opponent come to and lean into you to actually touch gloves. This way you can use their momentum against them whilst you open up the opponent’s head and full body
• whilst the opponent leans in, you set up your kick right before the gloves touch, and when touching gloves you kind of push yourself of the opponents’ glove to generate extra momentum and further unbalance them whilst you throw the low kick (you low kick on the opponent’s right side because it’ll be fully open as you initiated the glove touch with your left arm)
• you follow up with the kick to the head to finish it off – using the element of surprise and momentum against an unbalanced opponent in an unfavourable position within striking range

It set the mood for the rest of the evening and the audience in Melrose certainly didn’t appreciate this.

‘Keep your guard up at all times’ but be very aware of the momentary lapse in guard when touching gloves, especially when trained for and exploited like this by a dirty fighter.

I hope in general – as in boxing – that touching gloves is agreed upon and done before the bell rings, and that the fight starts right after the bell. No more decoy moves like this to win fights.