'King of Kung Fu' incredibly scores sixth spinning kick KO of his MMA career at UFC Macau
Today at 08:39 AM
Muslim Salikhov scored a sensational spinning wheel kick knockout at UFC Macau.
The 40-year-old welterweight squared off against hometown favorite Song Kenan during a wild card of fights, which saw one fighter stretchered out of the Octagon, at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China on Saturday.
Salikhov landed an incredible spinning kick to his opponent’s jaw midway through the first round. A few follow-up punches closed the show in front of a stunned crowd, who had a muted reaction to the KO of the year contender.
That may have something to do with a Chinese fighter getting knocked out, or the fact that ‘The King of Kung Fu’ has landed the rarely-seen kick so often it’s not a surprise anymore.
Muslim Salikhov is famous for his spinning kicks
Muslim Salikhov scored back-to-back spinning kick knockouts on the Russian regional scene in 2016.
By the time he had an 11-1 record, three of Salikhov’s wins had come via the spectacular strike.
US fight fans became aware of Salikhov’s love of spinning kicks when he put UFC veteran Melvin Guillard to sleep with the shot in a 2017 win that earned him a contract from Dana White.
A dozen UFC fights later, he boasts an 8-4 record in MMA’s premier promotion where he has made history by becoming the first person to score two spinning kick KO’s [UFC total 15] to take his career total to six.
In November 2022, Salikhov took out André Fialho with the strike during UFC Vegas 65. Two years later, his opponents are still falling victim to his spin attacks, which he called his ‘favorite’ during a post-fight interview with Michael Bisping.
“I always have his kick in my pocket,” Salikhov said.
“But I never expected that I’d finish this fight with something like that.
“This is my favorite kick. I did it for many years. All of China knows it’s one of my best kicks.
“That’s beautiful. I’m very happy to get a win like that.”
What’s next for Muslim Salikhov?
Despite being in his forties, Muslim Salikhov feels like he’s still got a lot of fights left in him.
The 26-bout MMA veteran has been mixing it with the very best 170lb fighters for years and wants to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.
Salikhov added: “You know, I’m just beginning. I’m just understanding what is going on here.
“Let’s do it. More, better fights. I want more fights. I’m ready and I train hard.
“I’m still good. So, UFC… “
