Debuting MMA fighter obliterates opponent with jaw-dropping KO sequence

Kevin Candoni made sure that MMA fans will remember his name with a sensational victory in his professional debut at Thunder Fight 54.

Although a boxing event that saw Anthony Joshua knock out Jake Paul after Anderson Silva also stopped fellow former UFC titleholder Tyron Woodley dominated a lot of the attention of the combat sports world last weekend, there were still plenty of MMA events for fans to take in during the UFC’s ongoing break before 2026 and the promotion’s new deal with Paramount.

KSW and the PFL put on events on Saturday that were certainly on the higher-profile end of the MMA spectrum, but Sunday also saw Brazilian MMA promotion Thunder Fight hold its final event of the year at Thunder Fight Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Kevin Candoni Brutalizes Opponent In Pro MMA Debut

Featuring an eight-fight card largely showcasing rising MMA talent from Brazil, Thunder Fight 54 saw Cadoni step into the cage to make his professional MMA debut opposite the significantly more-experienced Thiago dos Santos in a welterweight contest.

Representing both Italy and Brazil, Cadoni’s only amateur MMA experience came when he scored back-to-back first-round finishes in one night at an amateur event in Pordenone, Italy last year. Dos Santos came into their matchup with a total of 20 fights of professional MMA experience, but he’d also been knocked out just week earlier when he took on two-fight UFC veteran Kaynan Kruschewsky at MMA University 3.

It was fairly clear that Cadoni also had a knockout on his mind with the way he went after dos Santos during the opening round. After visibly rocking “TKS” with a dynamic wheel kick, Cadoni connected with a vicious left hand that put the MMA veteran face down on the mat (h/t @WCK252660).

Cadoni actually missed with a follow-up right hand as his opponent fell to the mat, and the debutant quickly turned back to the center of the cage before tossing his mouth guard to celebrate one of the month’s nastiest MMA highlights.

The stunning knockout featured as part of what ended up being an action-packed night at Thunder Fight 54. The card opened with back-to-back submissions before Leandro Solano defeated Vitor Zmish in the night’s only decision, and from there the card’s remaining five fights all ended via stoppage.

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