Outside Source
It was one of the most memorable knockouts of all time, and—according to the man on the receiving end—it only becomes more impressive the closer you look at it.
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Former Professional Fighters League light heavyweight champ Impa Kasanganay recently analyzed his 2020 fight with Joaquin Buckley, which ended in sensational fashion Buckley knocked Kasanganay out cold with a close-quarters spinning hook kick that was immediately lauded as one of the greatest finishes in MMA history.
Kasanganay, who suffered his first professional loss in that fight, credits Buckley for the knockout, and maintains that it was much more than simply a display of fast-twitch athleticism. According to “Tshilobo,” the attack wasn’t a fluke but a strategic move. Analyzing the finish with Home of Fight on the fifth anniversary of UFC Fight Night 179, Kasanganay noted that Buckley was landing multiple kicks that went unanswered. When Kasanganay finally caught a kick, Buckley capitalized on the opportunity and spun around to land the knockout blow. Kasanganay said:
“It initially seemed like a WTF moment right. But if you actually look at it and if you watched the fight, it was shown before it happened. Pattern recognition. Shoutout to Buckley. I know he’s gonna keep doing big things. Maybe we’ll see each other again. I’m down if he’s down. Buckley’s always landing his kick and then you block and catch the same. After a while Buckley’s like, I’m not answering the kicks. And then I catch one, he spins, boom.”
👀 ImpaKasanganay shows that Buckley’s viral KO win over him wasn’t just a fluke.
Impa broke down what actually happened in that fight. He came back after that and went to win PFL Light Heavyweight championship and $1,000,000 dollars 💵
Check full video on our YT.
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 11, 2025
Kasanganay (19-6) was released from the UFC in 2021 following a knockout loss against Carlston Harris. The Congolese-American signed with the PFL, where he moved up to light heavyweight and won the 2023 world championship. Most recently, Kasanganay scored a stoppage win against Andrew Sanchez that saw him rebound from back-to-back losses.
Meanwhile, Buckley (21-7) went on to rise up the UFC middleweight rankings, leaving the likes of Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Colby Covington in his wake. “New Mansa” suffered a unanimous decision loss against former champ Kamaru Usman this past June, snapping a six-fight win streak.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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