Condit’s 93% finish rate, Lauzon’s 96%
If you consider guys with ten or more fights inside the UFC Octagon, lightweight Joe Lauzon is the most successful finisher ever inside the Octagon.
There has been a lot of controversial decisions lately, including a few at this past weekend’s UFC 169. Obviously the judging in mixed martial arts needs to be looked at and revamped, but the simple solution is always “don’t leave it the hands of the judges.” Of course that’s always easier said than done, but Carlos Condit is a great example of a guy who tries to leave the judges out of the equation:
[Finishing fights is] important to me. With judging being as screwy as it is these days, that’s definitely a concern, Condit told MMAjunkie. We train to finish, and luckily for me, that’s just kind of my fighting style.
Condit didn’t receive his Natural Born Killer nickname for nothing. Many fighters are unwilling to take the types of risks needed to land a fight-ending knockout blow or tangle an opponent up in a submission. Condit, however, seems to do it with ease, which he admits is a difficult thing to be taught or learned.
I don’t have to do much different than what I already do, Condit said. I just kind of follow my instincts and get the finish very regularly.
If that isn’t impressive enough, the fighter leading the pack in finishing fights is lightweight Joe Lauzon. Lauzon has twenty three professional wins and only one of those is by decision, his most recent win over Mac Danzig. That equates to a 96% finish rate in his wins. That’s an impressive feat considering that Lauzon has been competing in the UFC since 2006.
Kenny Florian is well remembered for a post-fight speech where he called out his fellow fighters for fighting safe, telling everyone “I finish fights.” Florian finished an impressive 12 of his 14 wins, for a finish rate of 86%.
If you count only their WEC/UFC wins, Carlos Condit has an 81% finish rate, Lauzon a 90% finish rate, and Florian an 83% finish rate.
There are more than likely a few fighters with a low number of fights who currently boast a 100% finish rate, but if you consider guys with ten or more fights inside the UFC, Joe Lauzon is the most successful finisher ever inside the Octagon.