
January 4, 2026
2025 Australian MMA Knockout of the Year - "Chili" Surapun Kancharee
Surapun Kancharee was a name most people did not have circled. From the outside, it felt like he was brought in for a fun fight, a solid test, but one that would ultimately suit Khan Deatta as he kept building momentum in the welterweight division. Khan had been in exciting fights, he looked like he was trending toward the next level, and it was easy to picture this being another step on the way to title contention.
Then it happened.
Eight seconds. One clean shot. Khan got caught in the most devastating fashion possible, and it instantly became the biggest “did that just happen?” moment of the entire year. That is what makes it Knockout of the Year. Not just the speed, but the context. A rising guy, real hype, real expectations, and then the lights go out before anyone has even settled into their seat.
It also shows how wild this sport is, because Khan had already scored a round one stoppage over Hoshi Friedrich at Eternal MMA 85. That same Hoshi went on to win the HEX title later, which tells you Khan’s level was real. That is why this KO landed like an earthquake. It flipped the script on someone who was genuinely dangerous.
And honestly, I do not even know how I would send Surapun this award. But if anyone is getting it, it is him.
Other notable knockouts in the mix (no order)
Sam Marles defeats Nate Law via KO, Eternal 95
Darcy Vendy defeats Blair Bretag via KO, round 2, Eternal96
Yaqoot Hakimi defeats Ran Deng via TKO - Eternal 101
Jake Piper defeats Pat Hill via KO (Then proceeds to smoke a cigarette inside the cage) - Hex Fight Series 35
Jamie Edenden defeats Jackie Cataline via KO, round 2, Invicta 61
Kim Tran defeats Almagul Zhorobekova via KO, round 2, ONE Friday Fights 134
