As officials rushed to separate the two, the Turkish fighter managed to get in a kick to the stomach of his opponent before being pulled away.
But what followed saw Gordon claim victory in just six minutes before a packed crowd in Kaunas, Lithuania, where locals have adopted the young Israeli they know as the “Golden Boy”.
Standing a slight 5'7 and weighing just 59 kg, he competes as a professional within the Baltic states UTMA (Unique & Talented Martial Artists) combat sports body.
In the opening round, Gordon landed two powerful leg kicks and knocked the veteran down to the canvas several times.
The fight did continue but only until the second round, when the Israeli landed a powerful strike that left Koyuncu with blood pouring from the side of head.
Officials decided the bout could not go on, handing Gordon victory and letting him maintain an unblemished record that now stands at 11-0.
The result was vindication for the teenager who had proclaimed beforehand: "I am the king. I am the best. I will show everyone who is the king."
As thousands cheered him on in the arena and Israeli TV viewers celebrated at home, Gordon dedicated his win to the Almighty.
He said: “Everything is from God. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my entire life. If I had let everything that was happening get into my head, it would have thrown me off balance and I would have stopped this fight.”
He paid tribute to his home country, saying: “I’m glad I showed the whole world that the people of Israel are strong. It’s incredible and it’s a privilege. I gave strength and showed that a Jewish Israeli can step into the ring wearing a kippah and tzitzit and not hide who he is and not hide who he is."
Gordon has had his eyes on global domination since the start of his career.
Aged 16 he said: "I don’t just want to be a fighter. I want to be a world champion. And I don't just want to be a world champion. I want to be the best who ever lived".
He was speaking after having won a silver medal in European Muay Thai Youth Championship, when he also said: "This is not the color of the medal I wanted but it provided me with more motivation and it showed me I needed to climb even higher. And soon the gold will arrive.”
Until last November, Gordon was a relatively unknown even in Israel. But then he knocked out Nauris "Nightmare" Batroska – a half-Lithuanian, half-Irish 25-year-old fighter - in the second round in front of a packed Kaunas Arena with12,000 spectators.
Israeli television commentator Yaniv Kaminski told the JC: "It was the perfect opponent – a local hero who also talking trash before the fight. But then he met Ahavat Hashem in the ring, and it was not even close.
“This was in essence Gordon's coming out party. He showed the whole country how special he was. And he became an over-night star".
Gordon is the youngest of seven siblings, born to an American-Jewish father and a half Filipino and half Chinese mother from Hong-Kong who converted to Judaism.
Like the all the children, he was given a name that expressed his parents’ devotion to religion, “Ahavat Hashem” meaning “Love of God”.
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Gordon and the second-youngest brother Ruach Hashem (“Spirit of God”) were both kickboxing champions in Israel in their early teens, before turning to Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) as professionals.
Ruach, 22, was silver medallist at the 2025 World Games, an international event held once every four years comprising sports not contested in the Olympic Games.
Paying tribute to his brother, Ruach told the JC: "He has the mix of great athletic ability, very good technique and a true fighting spirit with the willing to work hard and dedicate himself to the sport. He is also very focused.
“He is still young and has much to learn but he's on a great path and I hope he will continue like this. It is true he's receiving now great attention and even glory but in his case I think this early success he enjoys won't go to his head."
Should all go according to plan for Ahavat Hashem, he hopes to join the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in the US in the next few years, where success would make the Israeli a global star. His is a name to look out for.
