- Oct 16, 2026
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LFA 243 produced one of the strangest comebacks of the year when Lorenzo Figueroa battled back from controversy to stop Helton Jose.
Referee David Shurley halted the contest after Figueroa appeared to tap Jose's shoulder during a guillotine attempt. Following an extended cageside discussion, officials restarted the bout. Jose landed another hard shot and Figueroa recovered a second time, then marched forward, sent Jose's mouthpiece flying with a left hand, and finished him with punches.
The event was not the only one with referee issues. At Kevin Fernandez vs. Enrique Pacheco, referee Kane Vandal interrupted the action by making contact with both fighters, then allowed it to continue. Pacheco absorbed additional damage before Vandal's hesitation ended with Pacheco finished by knee.
Other notable knockouts included Joe "Cutthroat" Thurrott, Mason Hartshorn, Vinicius Rieger at Teuto Fight 8, amateur Joe Graydon at 51Fifty Fight Night in Livingston, Calif., Adam Soldaev at KSW, Takuya Kuramoto at DEEP in Shizuoka, Japan, and Truong, who landed a knee knockout as both he and Huy Hoang Do rose from the canvas.
UFC Edmonton's welterweight main event featured Joaquin Buckley against Mike Malott. An observer called the comeback among the most enjoyable ever seen in the sport.
Source: MMA Fighting - Sat Oct 17, 10:00 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).