Issue 137

January 2016

James Moontasri could have won twice with his spinning back-kick and spin-fist combo

As a taekwondo specialist who started training at the age of eight, James Moontasri always had the potential to do something special in the Octagon, but he just didn’t pull the trigger until his UFC 193 showdown with Anton Zafir. It was the perfect time to do so, as the 27-year-old showed the record-breaking crowd of more than 56,000 people at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, what nearly two decades of martial arts training looks like when it’s put into practice.

‘Moonwalker’ admitted after the fight he was hamstrung in his unimpressive 1-2 start to his UFC career by a taxing weight cut. “When I was competing at lightweight my whole camp was focused on getting me down to weight,” he says. “When I used to compete for the national taekwondo team I had more success at welterweight, so I feel more myself. I walk around to 195-200lb. This was a condensed camp, but we were able to work on making me a better martial artist.”

That extra training paid dividends, as Moontasri was able to survive the threat posed by his foe on the ground and patiently work his way back to his feet. Once in his comfort zone, he was able to unleash a devastating spinning back-kick to Zafir’s liver. And before he hit the mat in agony, his assailant instinctively whipped a spinning back-fist into his face to finish the job.

The Team Black House product was elated with his effort, which he said was a dream come true: “This was the best experience of my life. In 2000, taekwondo was an official Olympic sport for the first time in Sydney, Australia and as a little kid I had dreams of competing in that. Now that I’m here in Melbourne with a big KO I almost feel like this is my Olympic gold medal.”

Hat-trick

Three fighters in UFC history have earned a finish stemming from a spinning back-kick to the body: Moontasri, Dennis Siver and David Loiseau.

Timing is everything

“As he was on top of me I could feel him using so much energy. When the time was right I stood back up and I did what I was trained to do.”

Play to your strengths

“I feel the majority of people aren’t comfortable striking with me, so I knew he was initially going to use a lot of energy to take me down.”

Out of his shell

“It’s something I’ve been capable of with my taekwondo background, but my coaches have helped me embrace my style. Now I can incorporate techniques people have never seen before.”