It’s no mystery why MMA has taken a giant leap forward in mainstream sports over the last decade. The heart-pumping, non-stop action and highlight finishes create singular moments of violence and excitement in a way other sports simply can’t match. Although we love a solid triangle choke submission or a grueling well-fought, five-round bout, there are few things that can compare to the satisfaction of a big-time knockout. In no particular order, take a look at some of the gnarliest KO finishes that have helped MMA reach new heights of popularity.
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Youtube / UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship
Uriah Hall KOs Adam Cella
Event: The Ultimate Fighter 17
Finishing blow: Head kick
Recap: Hall may not have had the most spectacular MMA career, but what he could do was produce highlight finishes like this one. Uriah Hall was the series favorite this season, and was on Team Sonnen.
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Christian Petersen/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC / Getty
Khalil Rountree KOs Gokhan Saki
Event: UFC 226
Finishing Blow: Straight left/TKO
Recap: Although the top headline of UFC 226 was Daniel Cormier snatching the heavyweight belt from Stipe Miocic, the opening main card event didn’t disappoint. Rountree slapped Gokhan Saki with a perfectly timed left down the middle, connecting when Saki was about to throw a kick.
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Yoel Romero KOs Luke Rockhold
Event: UFC 221
Finishing Blow: Overhand left/TKO
Recap: Yoel Romero may be an Olympic wrestler, but it was his brutal striking that helped him take out Luke Rockhold. The first left alone was strong enough to punch through a wall, but the vicious uppercut is what lands this finish on the list.
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Anderson Silva KOs Victor Belfort
Event: UFC 126
Finishing Blow: Front kick/TKO
Recap: Any MMA list would be incomplete without at least one appearance from “The Spider.” His dramatic victory at UFC 126 marked his 13th consecutive UFC win and pushed him towards G.O.A.T. status.
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Youtube / The Ultimate Fighter
Uriah Hall KOs Bubba McDaniel
Event: The Ultimate Fighter 17
Finishing Blow: Straight right
Recap: Hall is unquestionably a TUF legend, and his KO against Bubba McDaniel furthered his legacy, when his stone-cold left put McDaniel on his face. However, the winner of the season was Kelvin Gastelum who will be fighting for a middleweight title against Robert Whittaker at UFC 234.
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Tyron Woodley KOs Robbie Lawler
Event: UFC 201
Finishing Blow: Overhand right
Recap: Heading into the match, Lawler was white-hot as he held the welterweight belt and was on a five-fight win streak. All of that came to a halt when Woodley, the young powerhouse, stepped into the Octagon and snatched the belt, which he has yet to surrender since.
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Quinn Rooney / Getty
Holly Holm KOs Ronda Rousey
Event: UFC 193
Finishing Blow: Head kick
Recap: Holly Holm stunned the world when she literally kicked Ronda Rousey off of her feet during their fight in November 2015, serving Rousey her first UFC loss and taking her Women’s Bantamweight Championship. That devastating knockout kick did more than just end a streak, though—it was the beginning of the end of Rousey’s dominance inside the Octagon. However, the historic victory was short-lived, as Holm lost the title to Miesha Tate in her very next fight.
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Quinton “Rampage” Jackson Slams Ricardo Arona
Event: Pride – FC Critical Countdown 2004
Finish Blow: Slam
Recap: Throughout the history of MMA, there have been a ton of absolute powerhouses, but few of them could stack up to “Rampage” Jackson. He has stones for hands and an explosive personality to match. Jackson can be credited with helping to push the UFC brand once he eventually came over from Pride in 2007, and he did so with devastating knockouts like the one below:
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Jon Kopaloff / Getty
Dan Henderson vs. Micheal Bisning
Event: UFC 100
Finishing Blow: Overhand right
Recap: Leading up to this match, there was a bit of history between the two fighters as they both served as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 3. The feud came to a head at UFC 100 as Henderson annihilated Bisping with a right hand, and tossed in a flying forearm after Bisping was already asleep.
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Rashad Evans KOs Chuck Liddell
Event: UFC 88
Finishing Blow: Overhand right
Recap: In addition to Evans completely flooring “The Iceman,” this match also had other significance for the UFC, as it was the organization’s first fight to take place in Georgia.
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Michael Reaves / Getty
Tyron Woodley KOs Josh Koscheck
Event: UFC 167
Finishing Blow: Right hook
Recap: Only three fights into his UFC career, “The Chosen One” made a big splash with this dramatic first-round stoppage of Koscheck, who was a former title contender.
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Edson Barbosa vs. Terry Etim
Event: UFC 142
Finishing Blow: Spinning wheel kick
Recap: Edson Barbosa’s cruel knockout of Terry Etim will go down in history as one of the most ferocious finishes inside of the Octagon. On top of the showtime finish, Barbosa did it in front of his home crowd in Brazil.
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Jon Kopaloff / Getty
Rich Franklin vs. Nate Quarry
Event: UFC 56
Finishing Blow: Straight left
Recap: This former math teacher wasn’t playing around. Heading into this bout, he was 20-1 and held the middleweight belt, defending it in spectacular fashion with this first-round KO.
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UFC on Fox / YouTube
Johnny Walker vs. Khalil Rountree
Event: UFC Fight Night 140
Finishing Blow: Elbow
Recap: The Brazilian sensation made a spectacular UFC debut with a vicious first-round KO. Walker earned his chance to fight in the UFC after being signed off of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series in Brazil.
