Andre Soukhamthath stepped over the fallen Kody Nordby on his way to the throne. There could be no clearer evidence of his handiwork.
Soukhamthath knocked out Nordby with a perfectly timed flying knee to capture the vacant Classic Entertainment and Sports bantamweight championship in the CES MMA 33 headliner on Friday at the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island. The dramatic but decisive conclusion came 1:35 into round five.
Nordby fought through fatigue and adversity to see a fifth round, but it was of little consolation. Soukhamthath (10-3) spent the better part of 20 minutes sprawling out of takedowns and battering the Ronin MMA rep with elbows and punches.