I'm using the Unarmed Helper mod, that adds Fortify Unarmed in a number of ways to facilitate using that as a primary offense. So my character can do more than the usual damage with fists alone.

However, when Benor (the guy in Morthal) started a brawl, I wasn't expecting him to end up dead! It looks like it's possible to get a kill-cam before the bleedout stage that would normally end the fight.

Anyone else had this happen with boosted Unarmed? It should be possible to get the same amount with enchantments from the Gloves of the Pugilist without using a mod.

Wait. There are unarmed kill-cams in vanilla Skyrim?

Yes, you can perform some nifty body slams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxVGKF57ih8

I thought that was cut content that wasn't available in unmodded Skyrim

I always thought that the amount of damage done on the last blow is what determined whether or not you get bleedout or a kill. On normal brawls, If the last hit is enough to take their health to zero, or below zero but not past the threshold to death, you get bleedout. If you pass that kill buffer threshold you'll get a kill or a killcam kill. I always figured that's why vanilla unarmed did so little damage, so as to not inadvertently pass that kill line and end up killing people in bar fights.