Bellator welterweight Raymond Daniels arrived in the promotion with a reputation as one of the most spectacular strikers in martial arts, and it took the kickboxing champion five minutes of his promotional debut to produce a highlight-reel moment for the ages.
Daniels’ debut came almost 11 years after his only previous professional MMA bout, and he delivered a spectacular statement last year against Wilker Barros at Bellator Europe 2 in Birmingham, England, with a finish that has been played millions of times since.
Daniels (2-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) calmly found his range and assessed the movements of his opponent in the opening few minutes of the fight before exploding in the final minute of the round as he first dropped his man with a body kick, then finished him with a 720-degree right hand that knocked out Barros long before he hit the canvas.
It was one of the most spectacular finishes ever witnessed inside the Bellator cage and trended on social media as sports fans around the world played and replayed Daniels’ highlight-reel knockout online.
Daniels sat down in front of the Bellator cameras to relive that magical moment as he talked through his unforgettable promotional debut, from the moment he walked to the cage to the final flying, spinning technique he unleashed to claim his incredible first Bellator win.
Recap the fight, as described by Daniels himself, in the video above.
