Undefeated MMA prospect savagely taunts opponent after brutal uppercut KO

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 8:00 AM ET

(Fury FC)

A battle between light heavyweight prospects at Fury Challenger Series 13 ended with an absolutely brutal first-round knockout.

Texas-based Fury Fighting Championship closed out a busy weekend of combat sports action on Sunday with Fury Challenger Series 13, which took place at Imagen Venues in Houston, TX.

It might not be a Knockout of the Year contender like Randy Brown’s win over Nicolas Dalby at UFC Kansas City, but a light heavyweight bout at Fury Challenger Series 13 did produce one of the most violent highlights of the weekend.

(Zuffa LLC)

James Ford Sleeps Debuting Opponent In Houston

The card was headlined by a fight for the Fury FC strawweight belt between Andrea Amaro and Jéssica Delboni, and it also featured a matchup between light heavyweight prospects James Ford and Colton Emmerich.

Ford kicked off his pro career with back-to-back finishes in Fury FC last year, while Emmerich was making both his promotional and pro debuts after a perfect 5-0 amateur career where he stopped every opponent that he faced.

On paper, the matchup looked destined to produce a finish. After Emmerich ate a head kick and tried to shoot for a takedown, the two men ended up briefly trading uppercuts in the clinch before they separated and Ford backed his opponent up with pair of big punches followed by another head kick.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Clear Life Combat (@clearlifecombat)

READ MORE: Charles Oliveira to be recognized at UFC HOF ceremony for non-Octagon accolade

The impact clearly staggered Emmerich and encouraged him to try for another takedown, but Ford connected with a perfect uppercut and immediately realized that he didn’t need to land any follow-up punches when his opponent went face-first into the mat.

Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: