The world of combat sports has seen numerous brutal knockouts over the years. For a fighter, knocking out their opponent may be considered one of their greatest achievements. However, for the fighter who gets knocked out, it must be a terrible feeling. Recently, Asim Zaidi, the President of Karate Combat, discussed the head-kick KO of James Vick, which he witnessed live.
Karate Combat has been home to several former UFC fighters after their retirement. James Vick was another UFC veteran who took his chances at the newly formed combat sports promotion. In his recent fight at the KC, Vick suffered a brutal knockout, which slept him. President Zaidi, who was present, revealed some intriguing tales of the aftermath of that vicious KO.
I was there live and it was such a successful event, it (the KO) ruined my whole mood. I just couldn’t be happy after that. (He was out) for a couple of days. They put him (James Vick) in a self induced coma and he had a respiratory to make sure he stays breathing.
Asim Zaidi via Jaxxon Podcast
It was just another vicious knockout that happened in the sport. Zaidi also mentioned that Vick wanted to return to the ring following that. However, the President thought that wouldn’t be a wise choice for the UFC veteran. Since the knockout loss, James Vick has not returned to compete in the promotion. It appears they might wait a while before letting him back in.
James Vick’s knockout loss caused quite a stir in the community. As such, several top MMA fighters and Karate experts provided a detailed analysis of the fight. Stephen Thompson, in particular, praised Rafael Alves‘ quick switch kick to drop Vick. In doing so, ‘Wonderboy‘ also gave fruitful advice to the ex-UFC fighter.
Stephen Thompson advises James Vick after his recent KO loss
Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson is one of the popular Karate fighters who graced the UFC similar to James Vick. However, unlike Thompson, Vick’s journey at the promotion was cut short as the promotion released him in 2019. Following that, the former UFC fighter competed in a different promotion called the XMMA. In 2022, he ultimately started his career at Karate Combat.
James Vick at UFC (Image via Instagram)Stephen Thompson, a pioneer in karate, closely observes the tournaments happening around the world. In one such instance, he came across Vick vs. Alves fight at Karate Combat. In a reaction video on his YouTube channel, Thompson talked about the fight. As such, he even urged the ‘Texecutioner’ to take a break from fighting.
I pray that this dude takes a lot of time off to get this (mental health) right man and I think he’s a smart guy. I think he’s going to do it just take time off. I don’t want to see him jump back in there hoping to get another fight real quick.
Stephen Thompson on his YouTube channel
Both Karate Combat President Zaidi and Thompson mentioned that following that KO, it will be tough for a 37-year-old fighter to come back to the sport. Zaidi, in particular, wants James Vick to opt for retirement from Karate Combat as well. Moreover, he also stated mentoring young fighters, as Vick always does, should be his next step.
