Here's that knee-KO that continued Tatsuya Kawajiri's career tailspin

Today at Rizin FF 7, MMA vet Tatsuya Kawajiri had a chance to build some momentum. Instead, it left him with a bruised noggin and another loss.

In a wild card qualifying match for Rizin FF’s bantamweight grand prix opening round, Gabriel Oliveira (10-0) blasted Kawajiri (36-12-2) with a stiff knee that forced a second-round knockout stoppage.

The blow caught Kawajiri flush, and the ref quickly and mercifully halted the bout a second after it landed (via Twitter):

Kawajiri, a 39-year-old Japanese fighter who’s competed with organizations such as PRIDE and the UFC and World Victory Road/Sengoku and DREAM and Strikeforce, spent most of his career at lightweight before a move down to featherweight in 2011. He then made he big cut to bantamweight for Rizin FF 7.

The gamble, though, didn’t pay off like he hoped.

A fight prior, Kawajiri halted a three-fight skid with a decision victory over Anthony Birchak at Rizin FF 5. But with today’s loss, he’s now in a 1-4 skid.

For more on Rizin FF 7, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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