Who doesn’t love a good ole knockout? The sport of mixed martial arts has featured many, many great KOs over its short time of existence. Some KOs are great from a technical standpoint, some are awe-inducing, and all of them are brutal. A few KOs have entered MMA history by their utter brutality, though. I’m talking about devastating KOs that MMA fans still talk about to this day. Without further ado let’s have a look at the 5 most devastating UFC KOs of all time.
5) Alistair Overeem vs ‘Bigfoot’ Silva
Alistair Overeem and Antônio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva met at UFC 156 back in February of 2013. The bout was contested… until the 3rd round, that is. Bigfoot hit Overeem with a kick that wobbled him and then proceeded to unleash a BARRAGE of strikes to Overeem’s face, which basically left him KO’d standing. Bigfoot’s dismantling of Overeem remains one of the most devastating KOs, ever.
4) Rashad Evans vs Chuck Liddell
The uppercut is a tricky punch. It can be pretty useful, but timing is crucial. Fan-favorite Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell learned that the hard way. Liddell was battling Rashad Evans at UFC 88 and decided to throw an uppercut with 2 minutes left in the second round. Evans, known for his quick punches, countered with a monstrous overhand right that shut Liddell’ lights out, who fell unconscious on the canvas. It really was ugly.
3) Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim
Edson Barboza, known for his devastating kicks, took on Terry Etim back at UFC 142. With 2 minutes left in the final round Barboza went for a spinning wheel kick… and it landed flush on Etim’s jaw. Needless to say, Etim was unconscious before even falling on the ground. Barboza’s splendid, textbook spinning wheel kick KO remains the only one that ever happened inside the Octagon.
2) Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping
Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping were set to battle back at the now-legendary UFC 100 event in a much-anticipated showdown. Henderson and Bisping had been coaches on The Ultimate Fighter reality TV show and there was a lot of bad blood between the two. It took Henderson 2 rounds to land his legendary ‘H-Bomb’, a devastating overhand strike. Bisping crumbled to the ground, but Henderson wasn’t done just yet… He jumped at Bisping and landed a brutal elbow to his jaw. This remains one of the most gruesome KOs of all time.
1) Gabriel Gonzaga vs Mirko ‘Cro Cop’
Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ was a huge star in the PRIDE FC promotion, and his UFC debut was much-anticipated. He won that bout and then took on BJJ ace Gabriel Gonzaga. The bout was touted as a classic striker vs grappler match-up, but Gonzaga shook the world. Actually, Cro Cop is most known for his terrific head kicks… and it’s a head kick that caused his downfall. With 10 seconds left in the 1st round, and out of f**king nowhere, Gonzaga threw a head kick that landed, knocking out Cro Cop who fell to the ground with one of his legs literally facing in the wrong way (yep, that was THAT brutal). Gonzaga’s KO of Cro Cop was a huge upset and it’s arguably the most devastating KO of all time.
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