Bellator’s Youngest Fighter Aviv Gozali Sets Record for Fastest Submission

There is a common belief among the NFL and other athletic leagues that the up-and-coming athletes are only getting bigger, stronger, and faster by the day. Well, one Mixed Martial Arts fighter in Bellator may have just proved that fact with a jaw-dropping victory, and he did so at the age of 18.

Aviv Gozali, an Israeli-born MMA fighter, is the youngest figure associated with Bellator, but he didn’t let age stand in his way of making history. He set the record for Bellator’s fastest submission during a bout with Eduard Muravitskiy. Gozali managed to snag Muravitskiy’s heel a mere 11 seconds into the match, taking him down to the mat and ultimately achieving victory.

Despite being the youngest fighter in Bellator, that hasn’t prevented Gozali from becoming a feared figure. He has achieved a win-loss record of 3-0 during his brief career, and this latest victory just put him on the map. Bellator president Scott Coker even confirmed the record on Twitter.

MMA is a sport that has been defined by jaw-dropping finishes, especially those that occur in the first few seconds of battle. For example, UFC heavyweight Junior dos Santos knocked out Cain Velasquez in barely over a minute during their highly-anticipated bout back in 2011. He also achieved this feat while fighting with a torn meniscus.

While the UFC has a bigger national exposure due to the partnership with ESPN, as well as a history of reality TV shows, that could soon be changing. Having Gozali submit his opponent within seconds of the match starting was downright impressive, doubly so due to his young age.

Will this impressive victory mean that Gozali begins to garner far more national attention, ultimately leading to a top matchup? At this point, the answer is undetermined, but he could change that conversation with another few matches.