backfist

noun

back·​fist ˈbak-ˌfist 

plural backfists

: a punch thrown by a fighter with the back of the fist usually at the end of a quick spinning movement

The instructor threw a backfist at three-quarter speed, but this time the student wasn't fast enough.

—Dr. Thomas J. Nardi, MA Training, July 1995

The 39-year-old Le set the tone early …, landing a spinning backfist early in the first round that put Silva down.

—Associated Press, 20 Nov. 2011

Word History

Etymology

back entry 1 + fist entry 1

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

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