Sherdog.com’s 2015 Round of the Year

2. Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino, Round 1
World Series of Fighting 19
Saturday, March 28
Comerica Theatre | Phoenix
In the last 20 years, mixed martial arts has developed so much that it can sometimes seem less savage than it really is -- at least in comparison to the early days of the sport. However, no matter how refined our appreciation of it becomes, there is nothing like a good ol’ fashioned reminder that this is blood-sport entertainment. The first round of the first fight between Justin Gaethje and Luis Palomino at World Series of Fighting 19 was just that: a real back-and-forth donnybrook of a brawl.

There was no exchange of pleasantries; within two seconds, both fighters whipped leg kicks at each other. Gaethje continued to wind up with big kicks, and though they did not connect, they got the attention of Palomino and set up the next combination. The defending World Series of Fighting lightweight champion, Gaethje threw a fake and connected with a short left hand that momentarily wobbled Palomino. Gaethje saw the opportunity and started unloading, throwing every weapon in his arsenal at Palomino: punches, head kicks, a flying knee, you name it. The barrage culminated in a big slam takedown and a guillotine attempt. A minute and a half into the fight, and literally every phase of an MMA fight had been represented in a high-octane, aggressive manner.

That same opening pace almost never let up. For much of the fight, Palomino and Gaethje stood in the pocket playing human Rock’em Sock’em Robots. Mostly, “The Highlight” was the one putting on the pressure, but Palomino had his fair share of moments, forcing Gaethje to cover up from a salvo of huge uppercuts and winging hooks to the body and head. Whenever Palomino found his openings, however, Gaethje kept roaring back.

Gaethje blocked or bobbed his way out of receiving too much of the Peruvian’s pep, and even when Palomino clipped him, Gaethje always managed to force himself into the clinch. From there, he repeatedly battered Palomino against the fence until inevitably getting shoved off, whereupon the action would reset and start again with big exchanges in the pocket, both men putting everything they had behind their punches.

In the last 90 seconds of the fight, the violence came to a thrilling crescendo. Palomino stunned Gaethje and started chasing him across the cage, missing on a big left. Gaethje wrapped him up, pulled his grip around Palomino’s shoulders and absolutely yanked him to the ground. They scrambled to their feet, but Gaethje sent Palomino back to the ground in a hurry with a head kick-straight right combination. Gaethje was pouring it on, but Palomino kept coming forward.

Following a brief reprieve in which the referee separated them to give Palomino his mouth guard, they resumed the final 10 seconds of the fight in a pugilistic blur. Gaethje ended the round with a rolling somersault kick at the horn because, why not? He had hit Palomino with every possible conception his limbs could conjure, and nothing seemed to take the “Baboon” out of the fight.

After that first round of mayhem, Gaethje and Palomino went on to fight an additional 18 minutes and 27 seconds in back-to-back fights, both of which Gaethje won via TKO; and even though all 18 of those minutes were awesome, nothing could quite meet the standards set by the first five.

Continue Reading » Cormier vs. Gustafsson