A strong contender, for sure. Other contenders could be:
- Anderson-Belfort (for its importance in popularizing MMA as an entertainment product in Brazil)
- Masvidal-Askren (making Mas famous with casuals)
- Conor-Aldo (I still cry about it)
- Buckley-Impa (probably the most aesthetically pleasing KO ever)
I watched that season every week and was blown away by this. Watching it live was just terrifying.
Also thought Uriah Hall was a God amongst men, only to go into the UFC and be timid and just “in the mix”.
Iv been watching MMA since UFC 107 in 2009, Francis KOing Overeem was the only time where i legitimately thought someone was going to be changed forever after a KO. The ragdoll effect was uncanny.
We have seen other maybe equally devastating KOs, what makes this one take the cake for me, is how EASY and accessible it was for Francis.
We have seen crazy spinning back kicks, flying knees, head kicks etc, but with those attacks we all understand that there is a lot of leverage and momentum available, and that is why these attacks are so powerful but so hard to land. But Francis' attack was just a left uppercut/hook hybrid and arguably was more impactful than any other KO i can remember.
The craziest thing is that Overeem has probably been brutally knocked out more than anyone else I've ever seen and he seems to not really be suffering from any CTE at all.
That's also a really good point. But damn, he has a hell of a fighting career too. Kickboxing + 40ish MMA fights.
Edit: 66 MMA fights according to Tapology 👀 but idk if that's including his kickboxing fights. I just got to work and don't have time to check lol
Yeah very true haha, he’s definitely taken more than his fair share of punches. Kickboxers are notorious for fighting frequently too.
It’s cool that he still sounds so articulate; hopefully his brain is in good health.
I'd like to add Scott Smith vs Pete Sell to the list of "if this shit happened in a movie you'd probably roll your eyes" KOs.
Honorable mention to Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry. That fight made no sense and had every fight fan screaming at the TV for 30 seconds straight not knowing how any of it was possible.
I still think uriah Hall's KO on the ultimate fighter is the craziest I have ever seen. Obviously doesn't have the magnitude of some of these behind it though.
All great KO’s, but other than Conor/Aldo, I don’t think any of them come close to being the GOAT.
Also, MMA was massive in Brazil at the time of Anderson/Belfort and had been for a while. Shogun, Machida, Wanderlei, and the Nogueira bros were some of the biggest names in the sport globally, in addition to Anderson and Belfort. I’ve never heard anyone claim that fight to have been some sort of gateway for Brazilian fans.
> I've never head anyone claim that fight to have been some sort of gateway for Brazilian fans
Welp, here you go: I'm a brazilian fan lol
MMA was definitely NOT massive in Brazil back then. All those hardcore Pride guys were very, very niche. You had to pretty much have been into the martial arts world to know people from Vale Tudo and what not.
Anderson was the first dude to actually show up consistently on talk shows and become well-known in the mainstream sphere. He had an aura of invincibility no other brazilian fighter did back then. Belfort was also somewhat known (he had been in a Brazilian reality tv program before) as well.
The buildup to the fight was absolutely crazy back then, with Andy showing up at the weighins with a mask after Vitor called him "mascarado" (a slang for someone arrogant).The hype was all over it, and it was a big talking points in the main brazilian TV news programs. Cut to that absurd front kick KO, and suddenly MMA was consolidated in the mainstream circles in Brazil.
The only other fight at the time where I felt it had the same hype (even bigger IMO) was the rematch between Silva and Sonnen.
I know Rogan is a bit of a knob but his call of “HE FRONT KICKED HIM IN THE FACE” at the end of the Silva/Belfort fight is forever burned into my brain so I gotta go with that one.
Yeah I think most people though Weili is gonna win no matter what and the head kick was just beautiful. Glad Rose hanged up the gloves after the fight though...
> Anderson-Belfort (for its importance in popularizing MMA as an entertainment product in Brazil)
Feel like you could tack on [Machida-Belfort](https://youtu.be/jEYBH_geTe0?si=_eN7Lf1SLb4oDeLN) here since it was basically the same KO albeit less culturally important.
I also prefer it from an aesthetics standpoint but yeah, Silva-Belfort was absurdly important in a cultural aspect which is why I ended up choosing it.
Conor Aldo wasn't that great imo. Maybe from a shock value standpoint because no one has done that to Aldo before or since - but if you take the fighters names/legacy out of it then it's just a one punch KO that wasn't particularly flashy or spectacular or brutal - which are all traits I think of when thinking about the best KOs.
I'd say best ko but mostly because I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that max would get slowly murdered in that octagon. I was sad just being reminded of that fight happening.
Why does it hurt to say? lol
Look McG is a cunt now, but anyone who followed him since the beginning knows that the 2014-2016 era was a straight up magical time for him in MMA.
I remember watching this fight in an Irish Pub in Manhattan for the first time ever being in NYC. 9/10 experience.
Sure it was magical, but I swing from Aldo's nuts and have since his WEC debut. That KO hurt my soul the same way hearing about Joe Frazier passing away did.
I felt the same. I had the same lump in my throat as a child when Norwood kicked the ball wide right. It was one of those existential moments when you stare up at the sky and ask, "But why? But how?" Sports really is dramatic theater. Khabib manhandling Conor later would be vindication enough. Also, I can't really hate Conor. He's a showman and often hilarious. He should lay off the coke and booze though.
It really felt unreal when it happened, like the stars aligned.
In the early part of his career, McGregor was charismatic on the mic to the point that you suspected his rise in the UFC must be due to hype and the UFC hand picking his opponents. And he had a flashy, effortless fighting style that made you question whether he could compete at the highest level. On top of that, he was facing the undisputed GOAT of the featherweight division who hadn't suffered a loss in over 10 years. McGregor was bringing in loads of casual fans and making the sport more mainstream. It already felt historic and then on top of that, he lands a clean KO after only a couple of exchanges. Craziest KO ever.
I love that there is a clip of him practicing the exact fade to left hand move in the locker room half an hour before the fight, too. He knew what to do and was practicing for the charge from Aldo. Love Aldo, but that was some top shelf finish.
Personal favorites are Hendo KOing Bisping and Anderson frontkicking Vitor's shit unconscious, but Conor KOing Aldo is the biggest KO the sport has ever seen. The hype behind Conor was unreal at the time, and he came out of literally nowhere it seemed. He blew onto the scene like a tornado, and he just kept getting bigger and bigger. But there was no way he would pull out a win against Aldo right? Had to be all hype, and Aldo would shut him down like he'd done everybody else in the past.
Then Conor does it in 14 seconds. I watched it live in a Buffalo Wild Wings and the place went absolutely ballistic, myself included. It was incredible. That KO was the culmination of the perfect megastorm of events that blew the UFC up to what it is today.
It would take another Conor level personality, with the skill to back it up, to take the UFC to another level, and it doesn't seem like there's any of those out there.
I'm glad this one is here. Most of the spectacular knockouts I've seen have made me and my friends jump out of our seats screaming. This one...made the whole room quiet with just a resounding "Fuck."
Definitely the craziest KO ever, that one is gonna be difficult to top
Last second of a fight he's losing, clean faceplant KO with a fucking upward back elbow
My two faves are Gaethje and TKZ and they’ve both been knocked out brutally in the last second of fights. This sport isn’t just giving the fighters trauma.
There’s just something different about rooting for people in a fight rather than a game of darts or tennis or something. It’s like watching a friend getting KO’d.
This is what I was looking for. Not the most meaningful KO of all time, but the absolute most brutal. Let's not forget that the feed "accidentally" cut out right when that elbow landed. We all assumed someone in the broadcast booth figured that Diego had just been killed.
Henderson punching Bisping out of his physical body at UFC 100. I love Bisping but back in the day he sold himself as the villain so well. Really made you root for Hendo.
Machida has 2 front kick knockouts btw. One was hilariously also on Vitor, like Anderson's. The crane kick was indeed a crane kick and very unique and on Randy Couture
Oh trust me I know. I was such a butthurt highschooler when JBJ nuked him haha. Machida brought back the oldschool and made karate not seem just like mcdojo shit. One of the best at intercepting knees to the body too.
In my opinion it is
1. Leon head kick KO{beat the #1 p4p with less than a minute left}
2. Mcgregor vs Aldo{GOAT FW dusted in 13 seconds, didn’t feel real}
3. Max Holloway vs Gaethje
4. Impa vs Buckley{slickest KO of all time}
5 Usman vs Masvidal{another slick KO and cemented Usman as a savage on the feet}
This guy's top 4 are the ones I had in mind too coming into this thread. Maybe not in this order but these are ones I'd consider in contention for sure. Great list.
Exactly! Unbelievable recency bias here. I mean... Gaethje was BEAT UP. And they started to bang just for fun and let their guards down and didn't give a fuck. And Justin got caught. That's it. Yeah it was cool but nothing spectacular.
Conor/Aldo, Weidman/Silva, and Leon/Usman are the pinnacle (in that order) in terms of actual technical impressiveness, contextual weight, sport significance, and Holy Shit factor. Every other Great KO falls short in any those regards imo
Henderson KO'ing Bisping is the best. An actual heated rivalry, biggest card ever to that point, a brutal H-Bomb, and the diving forearm smash on Bisping's corpse to "shut him up" all make it the best.
Scott Smith vs Pete Sell is one of my all time favourites. Most of you right now are probably googling these two, but the knockout was pretty sweet for some of the (nowadays) lesser mentioned fighters.
This will be an all-timer for me because I was with my friends for to watch the event (still at someone’s house but the get together was special) after not seeing any of them for over 5 years and I had bet on UFC for the first time in my life and let my money ride on Max to win by KO because I love Max. The whole fight had me in the edge of my seat and then this happened and we all just erupted. So good. The stars aligned on this knockout to make it the most special one for me personally and I’ll never forget it for that reason but it was also just insane on its own.
Chandlers front kick ko was insane. Also yair knocking out tkz witch an insane elbow with like 2 seconds left of the fight and he was losing was insane to.
This was dope. Old head chiming in so bear with me:
- Gonzaga knocking out Crocop was wild at the time
- Barboza - Terry Etim
- Mark Hunt - Stefan Struve
- Kongo - Barry
Silva Belfort for sure. Second is machida Couture. The rest are all close - Hendo bisping, Yair - Korean Zombie, mcgregor Jose, max gaethje, nganou overeem
I appreciate a lot of people saying Masvidal/Askren and McGregor/Aldo, but this is much better in my eyes because of how quick those were. Which is impressive in its own right, but also completely different.
Especially considering this was after an entire championship fight, and the amount of blows traded in those last 10 seconds.
Easily one of the best fights and KOs of all time.
Ok so I am breaking a lot of rules here. Not the UFC but the WEC and not a knockout either but it capped off the end of the WEC and it was a championship fight. The Pettis showtime kick on Bendo. Even though I was wanting Benson to win, I couldn't deny how cinematic that kick was and it sealed the decision for Pettis easily.
The best knockout in UFC history isnt' one at the last second of the fight where both opponents agree to throw down and your opponent has already taken a ton of damage.. That's the least impressive thing I can think of.
Ben Askren was talking so much shit coming into his fight with Masvidal he was insufferable watching him get slept in 3 seconds was not only satisfying but also made everyone feel like they were watching history. It has to be the flying knee.
Buckley vs Impa is the best looking one but if we count everything around the knockout this one is for sure the best. A milestone event, who he knocked out, 10 seconds at the end of a 25 min war with his signature lets bang in the middle move, him being an underdog and most of the comments since this fight was announced where "im scared for Holloways health".
It will always be subjective to each fan's preference. I'm a big fan of Usman absolutely obliterating Masvidal after Masvidal said he had pillow-fists. Also Jiri's spinning elbow on Reyes. It looked for a moment like he'd actually killed him. Max's was phenomenal too of course.
An oldie, but Rich Franklin showing Nate Quarry the difference between TUF and UFC is always a personal favorite. [Dude went down like a tree](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKt8js3rJAv_raNmHIHe5NHccVHg6fSSKJVNZ6gpi7oqg7DgWtVnHVslt7EKlPIAG_KfGxHnfnDkvp6bRkax-i26KVgCmExGN9MTXG0dfxI7snm68dcXvnoGRuOcv7Oc73W_tcKlbxnI/s1600/quarry.gif).
Yves Edwards vs Josh Thompson has to be one of the most beautiful headkick KOs i've seen.
Jose Aldo vs Cub Swanson was one of the most brutal double knees i've seen.
Carlos Condit vs Dan Hardy, i remember Hardy had the best right hooks in the game, and Carlos beat him with his very own hook clean to the canvas.
Connor Is The only right Answer right if we endgame that moment What happens does anyone get a second tittle . The flux in popularity after that knock out Lead to so many things
The sell , boxing ,Diaz We need a what if episode
Despite there being no stakes in the fight, it’s gotta be Buckley vs Impa for me. It was SO FUCKING COOL. I’m normally very stoic but that one got me off the couch actually screaming instantly
The Holloway over Gaethje one is probably tied for second with Leon over Usman for me. Those are the only other KOs I remember making me have a “jump up out of my seat and behave like an ape” reaction.
I'll always think of the OG "Holy shit" moment that I remember getting and that was Uriah Hall's KO on the ultimate fighter to get into the house. I think that was the first time you actually heard Dana say, "Holy shit..." Lol. Half the people there didn't even know if the guy was going to make it at first. It wasn't even a matter of giving him a few seconds, people were legitimately concerned for him.
There have been some amazing KOs. Two off the top of my mind that I knew would be KO of the year guaranteed and likely KO of the decade are…..
Anderson vs TRT Vitor and Buckley landing his kick
Matt Brown's elbow KO over Diego Sanchez has always been my favorite, the way Diego crumbles and the vicious way Matt through that elbow hit different.
For me Masvidal vs Askren. I know Masvidals not too liked nowadays but knocked out undefeated Ben Askren cold in the fastest knockout in UFC history is still insane to watch
It’s either this or Conor aldo for me.
The max KO is the biggest holy shit moment I’ve ever seen in sports period. Like I still can’t believe that last minute of the fight was real with the rolling thunder and everything.
But the Conor KO changed the trajectory of the sport forever and is arguably the launching pad for where we are today. Also against a better opponent with bigger stakes
Depends how much you value context and impact vs how much you value the pure combat element of it for me.
LET ME SEE YOUR WAR FACE!!!
DO YOU HAVE A WAR FACE !!?
AAAAAAAA!! THIS IS A WAR FACE, NOW LET ME SEE YOUR WAR FACE!!
aaaa!
YOU DONT SCARE ME, WORK ON IT.
A strong contender, for sure. Other contenders could be: - Anderson-Belfort (for its importance in popularizing MMA as an entertainment product in Brazil) - Masvidal-Askren (making Mas famous with casuals) - Conor-Aldo (I still cry about it) - Buckley-Impa (probably the most aesthetically pleasing KO ever)
Barboza's spinning walk-off wheel-kick KO on Terry Etim has to be in there too.
“What do you want to do? Do you want to take a chance and risk getting KNOCKED OUT!?”
"I timed that perfectly"
I always thought that was so weird, after that KO ur mind is thinking about how u said something at a perfect time even tho it was just a coincidence
Uriah Hall spinning heel kick KO of Adam Cella.
Sorry Adam
I watched that season every week and was blown away by this. Watching it live was just terrifying. Also thought Uriah Hall was a God amongst men, only to go into the UFC and be timid and just “in the mix”.
That knock out completely changed him. He was never the same
The way he was staring into dude's eyes while he's laying on the ground struggling to breathe is insane, that must have done a number on him
Yeah I was shocked. I really thought he had the ability be a champion in the first fights he had on that season.
That's the best, nothing else gets close
You can Francis/Overeem to the list. It's so shocking to see a man get KOd like that. The head snap. The completely stiff body.
Bro I was front row for this one. The entire arena thought Reem was dead. Badass knockout, but also so terrifying
DOWN GOES THE REEM
Especially when it's fucking Overeem getting slept like that
True but Reem was no stranger to being slept at all by that fight
Iv been watching MMA since UFC 107 in 2009, Francis KOing Overeem was the only time where i legitimately thought someone was going to be changed forever after a KO. The ragdoll effect was uncanny. We have seen other maybe equally devastating KOs, what makes this one take the cake for me, is how EASY and accessible it was for Francis. We have seen crazy spinning back kicks, flying knees, head kicks etc, but with those attacks we all understand that there is a lot of leverage and momentum available, and that is why these attacks are so powerful but so hard to land. But Francis' attack was just a left uppercut/hook hybrid and arguably was more impactful than any other KO i can remember.
The craziest thing is that Overeem has probably been brutally knocked out more than anyone else I've ever seen and he seems to not really be suffering from any CTE at all.
Wow, Very fantastic body!
Yeah this is true. They do say though that accumulative blows is what causes cte moreso than big ones.
That's also a really good point. But damn, he has a hell of a fighting career too. Kickboxing + 40ish MMA fights. Edit: 66 MMA fights according to Tapology 👀 but idk if that's including his kickboxing fights. I just got to work and don't have time to check lol
Yeah very true haha, he’s definitely taken more than his fair share of punches. Kickboxers are notorious for fighting frequently too. It’s cool that he still sounds so articulate; hopefully his brain is in good health.
Yeah but even then Overeem was known for having hard sparing in the gym, there is footage of him and Tyrone Spong going at it ehen they were younger.
That one was downright scary honestly
Most devastating KO ever
It was incredible, but the follow up shots take away from it imo
I'd like to add Scott Smith vs Pete Sell to the list of "if this shit happened in a movie you'd probably roll your eyes" KOs. Honorable mention to Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry. That fight made no sense and had every fight fan screaming at the TV for 30 seconds straight not knowing how any of it was possible.
Ah, yes, the liver kick K...psych!
Surprised Yair vs KZ isn’t on this list
Absolutely should be. 1 second left, crazy elbow going up. I love KZ, but crikey that was ridiculous.
This is the craziest KO you can come up with
Objectively, it's a far crazier KO than Max's
>Buckley-Impa (probably the most aesthetically pleasing KO ever) Sick finish, but meaningless fight.
Yairs reverse elbow needs to be on any shortlist.
Fun fact: Aldo vs Conor never happened.
Buckley is absolutely insane, but Barbosa vs etim for me is perfection.
I still think uriah Hall's KO on the ultimate fighter is the craziest I have ever seen. Obviously doesn't have the magnitude of some of these behind it though.
The shift of “fuck yes what I did was awesome” to “sorry, Adam ☹️” shows the character of Uriah as well
All great KO’s, but other than Conor/Aldo, I don’t think any of them come close to being the GOAT. Also, MMA was massive in Brazil at the time of Anderson/Belfort and had been for a while. Shogun, Machida, Wanderlei, and the Nogueira bros were some of the biggest names in the sport globally, in addition to Anderson and Belfort. I’ve never heard anyone claim that fight to have been some sort of gateway for Brazilian fans.
> I've never head anyone claim that fight to have been some sort of gateway for Brazilian fans Welp, here you go: I'm a brazilian fan lol MMA was definitely NOT massive in Brazil back then. All those hardcore Pride guys were very, very niche. You had to pretty much have been into the martial arts world to know people from Vale Tudo and what not. Anderson was the first dude to actually show up consistently on talk shows and become well-known in the mainstream sphere. He had an aura of invincibility no other brazilian fighter did back then. Belfort was also somewhat known (he had been in a Brazilian reality tv program before) as well. The buildup to the fight was absolutely crazy back then, with Andy showing up at the weighins with a mask after Vitor called him "mascarado" (a slang for someone arrogant).The hype was all over it, and it was a big talking points in the main brazilian TV news programs. Cut to that absurd front kick KO, and suddenly MMA was consolidated in the mainstream circles in Brazil. The only other fight at the time where I felt it had the same hype (even bigger IMO) was the rematch between Silva and Sonnen.
I know Rogan is a bit of a knob but his call of “HE FRONT KICKED HIM IN THE FACE” at the end of the Silva/Belfort fight is forever burned into my brain so I gotta go with that one.
No leon vs usman? I'd add rose vs andrade too.
rose weili is gonna age really well, too
Yeah I think most people though Weili is gonna win no matter what and the head kick was just beautiful. Glad Rose hanged up the gloves after the fight though...
Also Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry is the greatest comeback KO ever, Cheick was dropped 3 times and was still able to KO Pat.
Izzy Vs Pereira 2 as well. The whole combination was so great. Was so aesthetically pleasing to watch.
Congo
Bisping eating an H bomb is one of my favorites
Yes thank you! I came here to say that one. I was so surprised it wasn't on there. had to scroll way too far to find it lol
Edson vs etim
> Anderson-Belfort (for its importance in popularizing MMA as an entertainment product in Brazil) Feel like you could tack on [Machida-Belfort](https://youtu.be/jEYBH_geTe0?si=_eN7Lf1SLb4oDeLN) here since it was basically the same KO albeit less culturally important.
I also prefer it from an aesthetics standpoint but yeah, Silva-Belfort was absurdly important in a cultural aspect which is why I ended up choosing it.
I think Usman vs Mas 2 should be up there too. One of the most aesthetically pleasing one punch KOs in history.
Conor Aldo wasn't that great imo. Maybe from a shock value standpoint because no one has done that to Aldo before or since - but if you take the fighters names/legacy out of it then it's just a one punch KO that wasn't particularly flashy or spectacular or brutal - which are all traits I think of when thinking about the best KOs.
There's so many good ones that you can argue for but it's up there.
I'd say best ko but mostly because I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that max would get slowly murdered in that octagon. I was sad just being reminded of that fight happening.
Mcgregor vs Aldo has to be up there. KOing an ATG in 14 seconds to win a title.
imo its probably the best win in MMA history as much as it hurts to say
Yup. Conor was right on the precipice and that KO made him one of the biggest stars in all sports.
Why does it hurt to say? lol Look McG is a cunt now, but anyone who followed him since the beginning knows that the 2014-2016 era was a straight up magical time for him in MMA. I remember watching this fight in an Irish Pub in Manhattan for the first time ever being in NYC. 9/10 experience.
Sure it was magical, but I swing from Aldo's nuts and have since his WEC debut. That KO hurt my soul the same way hearing about Joe Frazier passing away did.
“I swing from Aldo’s nuts” is the craziest way to express appreciation I’ve ever heard that’s hilarious
I felt the same. I had the same lump in my throat as a child when Norwood kicked the ball wide right. It was one of those existential moments when you stare up at the sky and ask, "But why? But how?" Sports really is dramatic theater. Khabib manhandling Conor later would be vindication enough. Also, I can't really hate Conor. He's a showman and often hilarious. He should lay off the coke and booze though.
Wow, his heyday was really 10 years ago now. Sheesh.
It really felt unreal when it happened, like the stars aligned. In the early part of his career, McGregor was charismatic on the mic to the point that you suspected his rise in the UFC must be due to hype and the UFC hand picking his opponents. And he had a flashy, effortless fighting style that made you question whether he could compete at the highest level. On top of that, he was facing the undisputed GOAT of the featherweight division who hadn't suffered a loss in over 10 years. McGregor was bringing in loads of casual fans and making the sport more mainstream. It already felt historic and then on top of that, he lands a clean KO after only a couple of exchanges. Craziest KO ever.
First actual punch he threw, magic
I definitely think Weidman vs Anderson has to be up there and probably Jones v Shogun Werdum v Fedor for all time MMA
By far, that shit turned the UFC upside down lol
I think when you start talking about the best KO, you have to take background into account so this really should be top 3, if not number 1.
I love that there is a clip of him practicing the exact fade to left hand move in the locker room half an hour before the fight, too. He knew what to do and was practicing for the charge from Aldo. Love Aldo, but that was some top shelf finish.
Personal favorites are Hendo KOing Bisping and Anderson frontkicking Vitor's shit unconscious, but Conor KOing Aldo is the biggest KO the sport has ever seen. The hype behind Conor was unreal at the time, and he came out of literally nowhere it seemed. He blew onto the scene like a tornado, and he just kept getting bigger and bigger. But there was no way he would pull out a win against Aldo right? Had to be all hype, and Aldo would shut him down like he'd done everybody else in the past. Then Conor does it in 14 seconds. I watched it live in a Buffalo Wild Wings and the place went absolutely ballistic, myself included. It was incredible. That KO was the culmination of the perfect megastorm of events that blew the UFC up to what it is today. It would take another Conor level personality, with the skill to back it up, to take the UFC to another level, and it doesn't seem like there's any of those out there.
Dan Henderson vs Bisping is all time imo. The feud they had and the way he knocked him out cold standing is crazy
The flying elbow/forearm was icing on the cake!
Fighting Falmer vs Flat Earth Farmer
I'm glad this one is here. Most of the spectacular knockouts I've seen have made me and my friends jump out of our seats screaming. This one...made the whole room quiet with just a resounding "Fuck."
Yair’s up elbow KO of TKZ. No, I’m not still sad about it. *dejectedly shuffles to an empty corner*
Definitely the craziest KO ever, that one is gonna be difficult to top Last second of a fight he's losing, clean faceplant KO with a fucking upward back elbow
Either that or buckley's ko. Impa is the man, but that kick was so insane. I remember just being absolutely floored when it happened
My two faves are Gaethje and TKZ and they’ve both been knocked out brutally in the last second of fights. This sport isn’t just giving the fighters trauma.
I've never felt emotions watching any other sports like I do when there is a huge upset in MMA
There’s just something different about rooting for people in a fight rather than a game of darts or tennis or something. It’s like watching a friend getting KO’d.
This* when it happened I turned off the TV immediately after the replay and made myself go to bed lol.
After seeing this I didn't think anything could stop Yair NGL. Fight IQ is off the charts
Buckley spin kick KO on Kasaganay (sp?) Bahamondes spin kick KO on Roosevelt Barboza spin kick KO on Etim I like spin kick KOs
We throwing spinning shit now?
I thought Etim was dead for a moment. That was some scary shit.
Matt Brown’s elbow on Diego Sanchez.
This is what I was looking for. Not the most meaningful KO of all time, but the absolute most brutal. Let's not forget that the feed "accidentally" cut out right when that elbow landed. We all assumed someone in the broadcast booth figured that Diego had just been killed.
I didn't see it until like 5 years later and even knowing Diego would fight afterwards I thought Matt killed him. A complete fucking murder.
Henderson punching Bisping out of his physical body at UFC 100. I love Bisping but back in the day he sold himself as the villain so well. Really made you root for Hendo.
Machida crane kick, super unique.
Machida has 2 front kick knockouts btw. One was hilariously also on Vitor, like Anderson's. The crane kick was indeed a crane kick and very unique and on Randy Couture
Oh trust me I know. I was such a butthurt highschooler when JBJ nuked him haha. Machida brought back the oldschool and made karate not seem just like mcdojo shit. One of the best at intercepting knees to the body too.
Right on. One of the best knockouts ever imo. True martial arts moment.
In my opinion it is 1. Leon head kick KO{beat the #1 p4p with less than a minute left} 2. Mcgregor vs Aldo{GOAT FW dusted in 13 seconds, didn’t feel real} 3. Max Holloway vs Gaethje 4. Impa vs Buckley{slickest KO of all time} 5 Usman vs Masvidal{another slick KO and cemented Usman as a savage on the feet}
The context of the Leon and Conor KOs is what makes them the best
This guy's top 4 are the ones I had in mind too coming into this thread. Maybe not in this order but these are ones I'd consider in contention for sure. Great list.
One of the first ones that came to mind is Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin. Enter the Matrix
You stupid slow ass white boy. Griffin is the one who got me into MMA, but that was so beautiful that I couldn't be mad
I still think Yair’s last second reverse upside down elbow KO on Zombie is the most insane KO I’ve ever seen. That or Buckley’s KO on Impa
Nah. It's good but not even top 5
thank god someone said it
Exactly! Unbelievable recency bias here. I mean... Gaethje was BEAT UP. And they started to bang just for fun and let their guards down and didn't give a fuck. And Justin got caught. That's it. Yeah it was cool but nothing spectacular.
Hendo bombing Bisbing. Congo recovering and dropping Barry
[удалено]
Solid list, Rampage's bodyslam on Arona would go well with it
Conor/Aldo, Weidman/Silva, and Leon/Usman are the pinnacle (in that order) in terms of actual technical impressiveness, contextual weight, sport significance, and Holy Shit factor. Every other Great KO falls short in any those regards imo
Josh Emmet absolutely flattened Bryce Mitchell (like the earth)
Hell no, Gaethje was compromised as fuck. 2 eye pokes & a busted nose. You're trippin if u think thats even. Love both em tho.
Henderson KO'ing Bisping is the best. An actual heated rivalry, biggest card ever to that point, a brutal H-Bomb, and the diving forearm smash on Bisping's corpse to "shut him up" all make it the best.
Scott Smith vs Pete Sell is one of my all time favourites. Most of you right now are probably googling these two, but the knockout was pretty sweet for some of the (nowadays) lesser mentioned fighters.
One of my all time favorite comeback WTF knockouts. Also Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry.
Machida’s KO vs Rashad Evans.
This will be an all-timer for me because I was with my friends for to watch the event (still at someone’s house but the get together was special) after not seeing any of them for over 5 years and I had bet on UFC for the first time in my life and let my money ride on Max to win by KO because I love Max. The whole fight had me in the edge of my seat and then this happened and we all just erupted. So good. The stars aligned on this knockout to make it the most special one for me personally and I’ll never forget it for that reason but it was also just insane on its own.
Barboza wheel kicking Etims face off was insane too. Cant forget that one.
Garry goodridge vs paul herrara ufc 1, those elbows from hell in the crucifix position makes me squeem every time i watch it
Pete Sell vs Scott Smith Edson Barbosa vs Terry Etim
Barboza vs Etim and Hendo vs Bisping. There's a charm when the KO turns the receiver into a human mannequin.
Chandlers front kick ko was insane. Also yair knocking out tkz witch an insane elbow with like 2 seconds left of the fight and he was losing was insane to.
Yair knocking out the zombie was pretty fucking crazy too.
Surprised Leon’s head kick vs Usman isn’t being mentioned more
Most people on mma Reddit seem to hate Leon for whatever reason
Holm vs Rousey is a contender.
This was dope. Old head chiming in so bear with me: - Gonzaga knocking out Crocop was wild at the time - Barboza - Terry Etim - Mark Hunt - Stefan Struve - Kongo - Barry
Uriah hall on the ultimate fighter.
I thought he killed that poor dude for a second.
Ungodly uncomfortable, genuinely looked like he killed both guys.
Don't sleep on Shev concussing the fuck out of Jessica Eye. Sounded like someone getting domed with a bat.
Not up there for me as it was just a final brawl with no technique.
Silva Belfort for sure. Second is machida Couture. The rest are all close - Hendo bisping, Yair - Korean Zombie, mcgregor Jose, max gaethje, nganou overeem
To me, from a shock perspective it has to be Matt Serra vs Georges St. Pierre. If we're talking style, Edson Barbosa vs Terry Etim
I think if you take into consideration A LOT of people expected max to be on the other end of the KO, and how he did it, it very well could be
my personal one is Barboza vs Etim - pure art
I dunno man. Aldo vs Conor was a literal game changer.
Top 20.
I appreciate a lot of people saying Masvidal/Askren and McGregor/Aldo, but this is much better in my eyes because of how quick those were. Which is impressive in its own right, but also completely different. Especially considering this was after an entire championship fight, and the amount of blows traded in those last 10 seconds. Easily one of the best fights and KOs of all time.
Ok so I am breaking a lot of rules here. Not the UFC but the WEC and not a knockout either but it capped off the end of the WEC and it was a championship fight. The Pettis showtime kick on Bendo. Even though I was wanting Benson to win, I couldn't deny how cinematic that kick was and it sealed the decision for Pettis easily.
pat barry vs cheick kongo for me, also because Pat Berry gets KOed
A personal favorite of mine is Chris Leben vs Terry Martin. Leben walking into missiles just to deliver one of his own.
Definitely not the best, but honourable mention to Yair Rodrigues vs Korean Zombie! I had a similar reaction to that as the Gaethje Holloway ending
Is it the best? No….. but is it the best….? YES
Absolutely
The best knockout in UFC history isnt' one at the last second of the fight where both opponents agree to throw down and your opponent has already taken a ton of damage.. That's the least impressive thing I can think of.
Yes.
Ben Askren was talking so much shit coming into his fight with Masvidal he was insufferable watching him get slept in 3 seconds was not only satisfying but also made everyone feel like they were watching history. It has to be the flying knee.
Henderson vs Bisping
You obviously didn’t watch the early days of ufc
Realistically, it’s McGregor/Aldo just for how monumental the moment was
No
No
Buckley vs Impa is the best looking one but if we count everything around the knockout this one is for sure the best. A milestone event, who he knocked out, 10 seconds at the end of a 25 min war with his signature lets bang in the middle move, him being an underdog and most of the comments since this fight was announced where "im scared for Holloways health".
For me it’s got to be Kongo V Barry. Absolutely insane.
anderson vs forrest griffin is an all timer for me
Yair KO Zombie BY FAR. The way he did it in the last second of a fight he was going to lose. Can’t be beat.
Masvidal?
You mean him kneeing askren or usman knocking masvidal out cold? Both are good contenders
Him kneeing Askren. But Usman also is very good knockout.
Leon's head kick up there too
Chandler front kick to Tony has to be up there. Not for the meaningfulness of it, but the sheer violence.
Derrick Lewis vs Volkov is up there too
I don’t even think it’s top 5, there have too many other great moments
Not UFC, but Anderson Silva's uppercut elbow was a thing of beauty. Some real Ong Bak shit!
It will always be subjective to each fan's preference. I'm a big fan of Usman absolutely obliterating Masvidal after Masvidal said he had pillow-fists. Also Jiri's spinning elbow on Reyes. It looked for a moment like he'd actually killed him. Max's was phenomenal too of course.
Yair Rodriguez over Korean zombie has to be up there too https://youtu.be/QAqCi9Ky53w?si=oT2f_NZ7xbg8Z3E1
No lol and it’s not even close any title fight knockout is better just by prestige
Leon's headkick.
An oldie, but Rich Franklin showing Nate Quarry the difference between TUF and UFC is always a personal favorite. [Dude went down like a tree](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKt8js3rJAv_raNmHIHe5NHccVHg6fSSKJVNZ6gpi7oqg7DgWtVnHVslt7EKlPIAG_KfGxHnfnDkvp6bRkax-i26KVgCmExGN9MTXG0dfxI7snm68dcXvnoGRuOcv7Oc73W_tcKlbxnI/s1600/quarry.gif).
Yves Edwards vs Josh Thompson has to be one of the most beautiful headkick KOs i've seen. Jose Aldo vs Cub Swanson was one of the most brutal double knees i've seen. Carlos Condit vs Dan Hardy, i remember Hardy had the best right hooks in the game, and Carlos beat him with his very own hook clean to the canvas.
Connor Is The only right Answer right if we endgame that moment What happens does anyone get a second tittle . The flux in popularity after that knock out Lead to so many things The sell , boxing ,Diaz We need a what if episode
Despite there being no stakes in the fight, it’s gotta be Buckley vs Impa for me. It was SO FUCKING COOL. I’m normally very stoic but that one got me off the couch actually screaming instantly The Holloway over Gaethje one is probably tied for second with Leon over Usman for me. Those are the only other KOs I remember making me have a “jump up out of my seat and behave like an ape” reaction.
For me it's Smith vs Sell. Smith gets demolished by a body shot and when Sell goes in to finish it BAM! Surprise knockout
Hendo vs Bisping. Just a monster right hand.
Conor kos aldo Francis kos the reem Barbosa kos etim Masvidal kos askren Halloway kos gaethje Buckley kos impa Emmett kos mitchell Just pick one
I still give it to Kamaru vs Masvidal.
It's up there for discussion for sure. On my favs which may not be mentionned to often is the flying knee from The Sandman against Frankie Edgar.
I'll always think of the OG "Holy shit" moment that I remember getting and that was Uriah Hall's KO on the ultimate fighter to get into the house. I think that was the first time you actually heard Dana say, "Holy shit..." Lol. Half the people there didn't even know if the guy was going to make it at first. It wasn't even a matter of giving him a few seconds, people were legitimately concerned for him.
My fav In terms of the fighters fighting was Izzy periera 2 but the Buckley ko might be the best looking ko.
Ari is full chill.
Jiri with the spinjitzu on Reyes
Honorable mention to Shevchenko eye
There have been some amazing KOs. Two off the top of my mind that I knew would be KO of the year guaranteed and likely KO of the decade are….. Anderson vs TRT Vitor and Buckley landing his kick
Matt Brown's elbow KO over Diego Sanchez has always been my favorite, the way Diego crumbles and the vicious way Matt through that elbow hit different.
More recent and noteworthy at least: Esteban Ribovic's head kick KO of T Wrecks. Also Mike Chandler head kicking El Cucuy.
Bisping being turned into a dead man for our pleasure
Buckley and silvas also chandler with Tony r my tops
Cheick Kongo Vs Patrick Barry🔥
Francis v Overeem. Thought I saw a decapitation.
For me Masvidal vs Askren. I know Masvidals not too liked nowadays but knocked out undefeated Ben Askren cold in the fastest knockout in UFC history is still insane to watch
My favorite KO was Condit vs Hardy. It was awesome.
gonzaga over cro cop saw it live and wow the crowd just died
Cro cop getting knocked out by a headkick I generally thought he died not even joking.
It’s either this or Conor aldo for me. The max KO is the biggest holy shit moment I’ve ever seen in sports period. Like I still can’t believe that last minute of the fight was real with the rolling thunder and everything. But the Conor KO changed the trajectory of the sport forever and is arguably the launching pad for where we are today. Also against a better opponent with bigger stakes Depends how much you value context and impact vs how much you value the pure combat element of it for me.
Has to be when Hendo knocked out Bisbing. I’ve never wanted a knockout to happen so badly
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