Few things get the adrenalin spiking quite like a big brawl, even if you are just a popcorn-guzzling spectator. But if you want the real ultimate fighters you need to look to nature, where champions compete for more than glory: they fight to survive. The hardest hitters on Earth are highly likely to take you by surprise, and not just because of their speed and skill. The owners of possibly the fastest punch known to science are marine crustaceans called mantis shrimps. They use specialised forelimbs to strike prey with shocking power. The force is so great that the mantis shrimps tear through the water, creating small implosions that generate heat, light and sound. Some species have adapted specialised appendages to spear, like a harpoon, while others smash with a club. In captivity, they have been known to break aquarium glass with a single hit.

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