Malik's head is caught against Ryoma's right fist while the rest of his body is still being carried forward by the momentum of his gazelle punch.
His upper body then folds around the impact, thrown backward until his back slams hard into the canvas.
Blugh-bugh!
The arena erupts in a collective roar, then instantly fractures into screams and stunned gasps as Malik crashes onto the canvas.
"OH, MY GOD!"
"HE CAUGHT HIM!"
"RYOMA JUST STOPPED HIM DEAD!"
For a heartbeat, the entire building seems to hold its breath before the noise surges again; louder, wilder, and almost disbelieving.
"I honestly don't know how to put that sequence into words."
"First, Adebayo does something rather questionable, Takeda starts protesting to the referee, and then… suddenly… Adebayo is on the canvas."
"I think the referee's just as confused as we are. Look at his face!"
The referee blinks, looking momentarily lost in the chaos, before finally straightening as the situation clicks back into place.
