Featherweight MMA fighter Piero Pineda added to his 100% finishing record with a highlight-reel knockout at Fusion FC 97.
Much of the attention of MMA fans this week has understandably been centered on Saturday’s UFC 321 card that is headlined by a heavyweight title clash between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, but there’s also been some high-profile regional action from promotions such as UAE Warriors and ACA in the days leading up to that event.
FFC 97 also went down in Barranco, Lima, Peru last night and featured a jaw-dropping finish in the night’s headlining title bout, but two fights before that it looked like Pineda’s knockout-win on the main card might have stolen the show at Centro Convenciones Barranco.
Matched up with fellow Peruvian Roy Quispe, Pineda was making his first appearance of the year at FFC 97 after he competed three times in 2024.
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The 23-year-old’s last outing at FFC 85 saw Pineda knock out Llyan Escalante with an uppercut with just three seconds remaining in the opening round, which marked his fourth first-round knockout out of four pro wins. That record was extended at FFC 97, as Pineda sat back and let Quispe throw some wild strikes before he staggered “El Inka” with a head kick and slept him with an uppercut after just 30 seconds of action.
“The Killer” landed one nasty hammer fist to a prone Quispe before the referee threw himself across the cage to stop the fight. Now on a two-fight win streak, Pineda improved his overall MMA record to 5-3 and hasn’t seen the judges’ scorecards since his professional debut in 2021.
Quispe’s record fell to 5-10 with what was his seventh-straight loss. That losing run includes a 2019 meeting with current UFC standout Daniel Marcos at 300 Sparta 30 where Marcos won the fight via doctor’s stoppage after the second round.
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MMA fans have already been spoiled by some incredible finishes this week, and there’s a strong expectation that the UFC 321 main event should also provide some more violence given that UFC Heavyweight Champion Aspinall has only gone past the first round once since he joined the UFC in 2020.
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