Seven years away from MMA. Two rounds down on every scorecard. Bleeding, breathing heavy, and running out of time.
That is the situation Luis “Baboon” Palomino found himself in on the Miami co-main event card at Unrivaled Arena. What happened next is exactly the reason fans keep coming back to Gamebred.
The multi-time BKFC lightweight champion, returning to mixed martial arts after a long absence to focus on bareknuckle boxing, had clearly lost the first two rounds to Darrell Horcher. Horcher had controlled exchanges, landed the cleaner shots, and looked like he was cruising to a decision win.
Then round three started.
Palomino pressed forward, opened up his combinations, and turned the tide of the fight in a hurry. The referee stepped in at 2:44 to wave it off via TKO, giving “Baboon” the comeback win and lighting up combat sports social media in the process.
It was a textbook example of what Gamebred was built to produce: an underdog moment, a real comeback, and a finish under conditions where every punch carries more consequence than it would with a four-ounce glove softening the blow.
Palomino, at 45, is officially back in MMA. And anyone in the Gamebred lightweight tournament should take note.
