🥊 Fight For It 25 — Finishes of the Night
⚡ Knockouts & Technical Knockouts
Fight For It 25 delivered no shortage of highlight-reel finishes, and the strikers made their mark early and often.
On the professional striking front, Aaron Muro reintroduced himself to the regional scene with poise and precision, stopping Addison Hendry at 3:24 of Round 1 after a calculated barrage of strikes that left no doubt about his technical evolution.
Jacob “El Tortuga” Pais added one of the night’s most creative stoppages, finishing Tyler Kirkpatrick via ground-and-pound TKO in Round 2. From his guard, Pais turned defense into offense, using short elbows and transitions to force the stoppage in what might make Pais one of Fight For It’s most innovative fighters to date.
Henry Mercado of Carolina Combat Sports added another spectacular finish to his record, stopping Pedro Acosta 30 seconds into Round 2 with a perfectly timed counter.  In similar fashion, Osvaldo Gonzalez — the former kickboxing champion turned MMA standout — kept his perfect record intact, scoring a violent Round 2 KO over Arturo Castillejos. The Matrix MMA fighter’s power translated seamlessly to the cage once again, confirming his status as a legitimate title threat at 135 pounds.
Amir Haynes left a statement of his own, flattening Dakota Leatherman with a blistering knockout that left the crowd stunned as Leatherman fell face-first to the canvas. Haynes’s timing and precision were on full display as he improved to 3-0, extending Modern Warrior MMA’s strong night.
In lightning fashion, Collin Baker produced the fastest finish of the event, scoring a knockout in just 12 seconds of Round 1 over Gambriel Beasley. The punch landed clean, the crowd erupted, and Baker walked away with one of the most decisive highlights in Fight For It history.
Closing the list of striking finishes,     Liam Kirkpatrick improved to 3-0 with a Third-round TKO victory over Nelson Melendez, showcasing pressure, composure, and the kind of confidence that has made him one of the most promising young fighters on the rise.
Submission Finishes
While the strikers stole much of the spotlight, the grapplers reminded everyone that control can be just as devastating as chaos.
Trukon “The Gamedog” Carson made a ruthless statement, submitting Joshua Doster in just 27 seconds — but not before showcasing the pressure that defines his fight style. “The Gamedog” remains one of the most complete and dangerous athletes in Fight For It history.
Brandon Lantos added another first-round finish to his résumé with a slick armbar submission over Sam Solego, improving to 3-0 and continuing his streak of dominant performances for Modern Warrior MMA. His composure and timing reflected the depth of his gym’s training philosophy under coach Keith “Rockstar” Richardson.
Maddox Wendt also found his first victory in Fight For It competition with a Round 1 armbar at just 0:56, submitting Dagan Williams after a slick guard transition that brought the crowd to its feet. Wendt’s composure and timing proved he’s a natural problem solver on the mat and a name to watch in the amateur lightweight division.
The Takeaway
From lightning-fast knockouts to beautifully executed submissions, Fight For It 25 proved once again why it stands as one of the premier proving grounds in the Southeast. Every finish told a story — of evolution, confidence, and craft — as a new generation of athletes pushed the standard higher. Whether through power or precision, these competitors left no doubt: when opportunity knocked, they finished the fight.