MMA fighter steals spotlight with brutal head kick KO after early UFC Shanghai card

Entering the night with an undefeated record, Aydin was scheduled to welcome Daniel Gorea to the pro ranks in a 192-pound catchweight bout after Gorea went 1-1 as an amateur fighter at the 2022 IMMAF World Championships.

Gorea unfortunately found himself on the wrong side of a sensational highlight in his pro debut, as Aydin sent his opponent on the retreat during the second round before he connected with a stunning head kick that immediately took Gorea’s legs out from under him (h/t to the one and only @Grabaka_Hitman).

Undefeated Prospect Has Finished Every Opponent He's Faced

Aydin moved in quickly once Gorea hit the canvas in case he needed to land any follow-up strikes, but the 25-year-old quickly realized his opponent was out even before the referee ran over to formally end the fight.

BFL 1 marked Aydin’s first appearance of 2025 after a previous booking at Spain’s WAR MMA 6 fell through in June. The Turkish middleweight is now 4-0 and has quickly established himself as a major finishing threat, as he won his pro debut in just 57 seconds last year before adding two more finishes within weeks of each other while competing for Turkey’s MMA Pro League.

Aydin’s walk-off head kick certainly wasn’t the only big finish of the weekend’s loaded MMA slate. Half of the fights scheduled for UFC Shanghai ended inside the distance, and upset-knockouts from the likes of Kyle Daukaus, Charles Johnson, and headliner Johnny Walker generated plenty of buzz among fight fans.

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