Outside Source
Kaue Fernandes chopped down Harry Hardwick at UFC Paris. | Getty/UFC
On Saturday night at the Accor Arena, Brazilian fighter Kaue Fernandes, representing Nova Uniao , delivered one of the most spectacular knockouts of UFC Paris: he dismantled England’s Harry Hardwick with a brutal sequence of leg kicks, sealing the fight by TKO in the very first round. The rare and devastating performance joined a short list of only 19 finishes of this kind in UFC history.
Fernandes landed precise and powerful strikes to Hardwick’s calves. Despite his attempts to endure the punishment, the Englishman couldn’t remain on his feet. After the final barrage, Hardwick collapsed and was unable to stand, forcing referee Herb Dean to wave off the fight. The severity of the assault left Hardwick being carried out in a wheelchair — a shocking scene that even prompted Michael Bisping to call it possibly unprecedented.
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Backstage, in an interview with reporter Evelyn Rodrigues, Fernandes revealed his biggest idol and source of inspiration: “I was very inspired by Jose Aldo’s kicks.”
Legacy, Inspiration, and the Aldo Connection
The precise and lethal striking of Aldo, a former UFC champion and a legend of Nova União, has left a lasting imprint on Kauê’s training philosophy. Just as Aldo built his legacy with surgical, bone-crushing low kicks — most famously against fighters like Urijah Faber — Kauê is now following in those same footsteps, refining the art he learned from watching his teammate shine.
The similarities between Aldo and Fernandes goes beyond technique: both represent the tradition of excellence at Nova Uniao, a team renowned for producing unforgettable knockouts. If Aldo paved the way with his legs as weapons, Kaue is now reaffirming that same school of thought.
“The kicks I learned by watching Jose Aldo helped me set up this TKO,” Fernandes said.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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