The world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is filled with unpredictable moments, but few are as captivating as the sudden and decisive one-punch knockout. If you’re bold enough to set foot inside a cage or ring and wage war with another man, you face the possibility of being rendered unconscious.
There is an assortment of ways to knock a man out, but for this specific article, we’re going to highlight the dreaded “One Punch KO”. We’ve seen hundreds transpire over the last two decades, but those featured in this piece spring to mind as some of the most devastating and memorable. Beware the pugilistic fury heavy handed combatants, or you may find yourself included in future slides of this nature!
This article delves into some of the most memorable one-punch knockouts in MMA history, highlighting the fighters who delivered these devastating blows and the impact these knockouts had on their careers. Additionally, we'll explore the history of UFC events in Salt Lake City, Utah, known for its surprising and dramatic finishes.
TOP 20 GREATEST KNOCKOUTS in UFC History 🏆 (2013)
Iconic One-Punch Knockouts in MMA History
Several fights stand out for their shocking and unforgettable conclusions. Here are some of the most notable:
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Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo (UFC 194)
Okay, sure, if you were to ask an Irish MMA fan in 2015 for their prediction of this fight, some might have said a one-punch knockout. But putting bias aside, not many people truly believed it would happen. At the time, Aldo had won 25 of his last 26 fights and was the only featherweight champion in UFC history, a title he had defended seven times prior to this clash with McGregor. Unfortunately for Aldo, a rising superstar was bulldozing his way up the division during his reign, and when he was finally met with the thunderous left hand that had finished so many before him, Aldo too had fallen.
Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren (UFC 239)
At UFC 239 in 2019, which featured both Jon Jones and Amanda Nunes successfully defending their titles, the biggest storyline of the night was a fight that lasted just five seconds. What happened, however, was something still unmatched to this day.
Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili (UFC 261)
Something was in the air when UFC returned to a full-capacity crowd at UFC 261 following the pandemic. It was as if the MMA gods wanted fans to witness every possible outcome on a single card, and that’s exactly what happened in Jacksonville, Florida. The most unexpected moment of the night, however, came in the co-main event, a strawweight title fight between then-champion Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas. Just over a minute into the contest, Namajunas uncorked a left high kick that landed flush on Zhang’s chin.
Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman (UFC 278)
What has become one of the most iconic moments in UFC history was, at the time, seconds away from being one of the more forgettable main events of 2022. That was until Edwards flipped the script and flatlined Usman with a head kick knockout to claim the welterweight title with less than a minute to go in the fifth round.
Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira (UFC 287)
It’s hard to imagine what losing your UFC title to a bitter rival feels like. While most MMA fans know the full story by now, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira defeated former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya twice in professional kickboxing, then hunted him down in the UFC and scored a fifth-round TKO to steal the title out from under him. However, all that defeat makes for a more poignant story when Adesanya finally earned redemption at UFC 287. Pereira entered their rematch with the confidence of a reigning UFC champion and three wins over Adesanya already behind him. While Adesanya was by no means out of the fight, Pereira looked sharper and more in control than in their previous encounter, which he still won. As Pereira began finding his rhythm late in the second round, pushing Adesanya back against the fence, “The Last Stylebender” unleashed two right hands that sent Pereira crashing to the canvas.
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Other Notable One-Punch Knockouts
Beyond these highlighted fights, numerous other one-punch knockouts have left a lasting impact on fans and fighters alike. Some examples include:
- Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping (UFC 100): Henderson’s H-Bomb transcends epic, and “The Count” learned that the hard way circling directly into Dan’s abnormally powerful right hand.
- Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell: (The punch essentially triggered the downfall of Liddell, whose chin went south after a perfectly placed overhand counter from Evans sent the former champion crashing to the canvas, completely unconscious.
- Chris Leben vs. Terry Martin: “The Crippler” looked just a few shots away from taking a nap, until a savage left hook counter put Martin away for good.
- Melvin Guillard vs. Rick Davis: Guillard proved that in less than two minutes when he sent Davis crashing to the canvas with single blow.
- Jake Ellenberger vs. Jose Pele Landi-Jons: A single shot from Ellenberger put Pele out in nine stunning seconds.
- Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef: Lawler caught sight of the mistake and hurled a counter right hand at the dangerous kickboxer. It landed, and “No Mercy” dropped like a sack of potatoes.
- Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith: A pitch-perfect left hook from Daley turned Smith’s lights out immediately at Strikeforce - Henderson vs Babalu 2.
- Hector Lombard vs. Jay Silva: Jay Silva was all but asleep after Hector Lombard landed the first punch he threw, a follow up shot certainly sealed the deal.
- Tank Abbott vs. Steve Nelmark: Nelmark ate a massive right hand that left his head slack on his shoulders and his body near lifeless against the cage.
- Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch: In just 44 seconds Carwin planted a shattering right hand on the chin of Wellisch that sent Christian into an alternate universe.
- Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva: A perfectly timed counter left hook hit the chin of “The Axe Murderer” and that was all she wrote.
- Junior dos Santos vs. Fabricio Werdum: 81 seconds later a single uppercut had immobilized Werdum, and a new star was born.
- Alexis Vila vs. Joe Warren: A single left hand left one of the sports’ most arrogant competitors senseless for minutes.
- Cung Le vs. Rich Franklin: He proved me and the rest of the naysayers wrong when he landed a huge counter to a Franklin low-kick.
- Rich Franklin vs. Nate Quarry: It took of all of 2:34 seconds to leave Quarry stiff as a board, seriously injured and completely humiliated.
- Brad Kohler vs. Steve Judson: It took a very brief 30 seconds for Kohler to find his range and dump a charging right hand on the chin of Judson.
- Fedor Emelianenko vs. Andrei Arlovski: A counter right caught Arlovski in midair, sending the former UFC champ slamming into the mat face first.
- James Irvin vs. Houston Alexander: Irvin threw a lightning fast superman punch, and Alexander was finished. The entire ordeal lasted eight seconds.
- Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh: Jimmo chucked one single overhand right that landed flush on the chin of Australian, rendering him unconscious in seven seconds.
- Melvin Manhoef vs. Mark Hunt: Hunt’s careless charging only intensified the force that folded his chin as Melvin Manhoef fired a counter right hook.
- Takanori Gomi vs. Tyson Griffin: A flawless right hand found Tyson’s chin and sent him faceplanting.
- Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry: That single shot put Barry down and out, and Kongo exited the cage the winner in one of the most amazing comeback fights we’ve seen to date.
- Pete Spratt vs. Nathan Gunn: Spratt rallied to land a crushing uppercut that left the then-undefeated prospect lost in a dream world.
- Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine: Ryan’s powerful left hand would ensure “The Dean of Mean” did not see the final bell.
- Issei Tamura vs. Tiequan Zhang: Issei Tamura completely starched him with a single punch.
- Rob McCullough vs. Olaf Alfonso: The right hand that “Razor” Rob McCullough deposited on the chin of Olaf Alfonso at WEC 19 was likely felt reverberating through the venue’s floor.
Mikkelsen's One Hit Knockout in Utah
During a Fierce Fighting Championship middleweight match against Dominico McIntosh at the Maverik Center, Mikkelsen recorded a first-round knockout. He put on an absolute clinic, capped off with a Knockout-just 40 seconds into the first round. The victory improves Mikkelsen’s amateur fighting record to 3-1 all-time. He began fighting last year when he took down Chris Choo at the SteelFist Fight Night. Then five months later, again in SteelFist, a win over James Collvins. Being a former football specialist, Mikkelsen’s impressive performance in the cage caught the attention of former NFL punter and now national sports talk host Pat McAfee.
Mikkelsen transferred to BYU from Oregon State in 2014. We saw signs of Mikkelsen’s hard-hitting ways during his time at BYU. Against Mississippi State in 2017, Mikkelsen laid a hit on a Bulldog kick returner that jarred the football loose to cause a fumble. Mikkelsen recorded 177 kickoffs in his four years with the Cougars. He also kicked five extra points, converting on all five.
UFC in Salt Lake City: A History of Insane Knockouts
This weekend, the MMA world leader returns to stunning Salt Lake City for another fabulous night of PPV action in what will be only the fourth-ever UFC event held out in Utah. Across those three previous events hosted in Salt Lake City, there have been just 11 knockouts from 35 fights; but don’t worry - when a KO does occur in Utah, it’s usually a Knockout of the Year contender.
Here’s a look at some of the most insane knockouts from when the UFC touched down in Utah:
Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman (August 20, 2022)
Not only was Leon Edwards’ headkick KO one of the most emotional finishes to a fight that we’d ever seen, but the knockout was certainly one of the most dramatic in recent memory. With just one minute left on the clock in a fight that had been dominated by Kamaru Usman, ‘Rocky’ would find a way to pull the rabbit out of the hat; landing a picture-perfect high kick to claim the UFC welterweight title. Unsurprisingly, the finish was later awarded the ‘Knockout of the Year’ award by the UFC, with Edwards also being honored with the ‘Comeback of the Year’ and ‘Upset of the Year’.
Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier (July 29, 2023)
The last time that the UFC touched down in Salt Lake City, the PPV was headlined by a BMF title fight between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, and boy-oh-boy did that main event deliver. After a scrappy opening round, ‘The Highlight’ would add yet another astonishing viral finish to his resume as he also landed a beautiful high kick which mirrored Leon Edwards’ KO from the year before. Gaethje would earn an extra $50K Performance of the Night bonus for the knockout, one of several insane finishes that would end up going down on the exact same card.
Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (July 29, 2023)
Everyone loves a flying knee, right? Well, everyone aside from Marcos Rogerio de Lima, who found himself on the end of an explosive shot from ‘The Black Beast’ just a few seconds into their 2023 bout. Derrick Lewis would fly across the cage to land the knee, before following up with vicious ground-and-pound to earn the knockout win just 33 seconds into round one. Following the knockout, Lewis then took off his fight shorts and gave a few celebratory ‘pumps’ to the raucous audience - he also left the arena that night with an extra $50K alongside Gaethje.
Marcin Tybura vs. Viktor Pesta (August 6, 2016)
The first time that the UFC arrived in Salt Lake City was all the way back in 2016 for a Fight Night card headlined by featherweights Yair Rodriguez and Alex Caceres. With five of the six main card bouts ending via decision, the best stoppage of the entire night occurred on the prelims when Marcin Tybura landed a flush head kick on Viktor Pesta in round two. Tybura would return to Salt Lake City for the UFC 278 card in 2022, going 2-0 in Utah as he bested Alexander Romanov via a majority decision.
Uros Medic vs. Matthew Semelsberger (July 29, 2023)
Uros Medic certainly made a statement back in 2023 when he stepped up on just two weeks’ notice to face Semelsberger, after his original opponent withdrew from the bout with an injury. After a close back-and-forth across the opening two rounds, Medic would continue to land with vicious intent before delivering a rare spinning backfist knockout late into the third. Whilst the KO wasn’t enough to earn Medic a $50K bonus, it did cement his place in the minds of fans as one of the most dangerous welterweights in the division.
Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro (July 29, 2023)
Last, but certainly not least, is Roman Kopylov’s brutal headkick KO of Claudio Ribeiro, which was so devastating that it left both Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan speechless. Ironically, Kopylov’s headkick KO actually went down just a few minutes after Medic’s spinning backfist and just a few hours before Justin Gaethje rounded out the night with a BMF title-winning headkick of his own.
Can UFC 307 match the insanity that has been the last two PPVs out in Salt Lake City?
Jordan Smith MMA Career
Smith's nickname "Mata Ele" is Portuguese for "Kill him."[1] While attending McKendree University, Smith attended an amateur MMA event with his brother, Jake. Smith made his amateur debut on June 15, 2007, at 205 lbs with a 19 second TKO victory over Alex May. Smith made his professional debut on December 8, 2007, in the light heavyweight division. He won his first 10 professional fights, finishing all 10 opponents, 8 in the first round. Jordan then appeared on the first episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz, where he lost via KO to Brad Tavares. He followed his TUF loss with 3 victories at 185 lbs. Following the Burkman fight Jordan once again dropped weight classes settling at Welterweight (170). His Welterweight debut resulted in a third round submission of Mario Sartori. Jordan's next fight ended in only 11 seconds, with him getting TKO'd by Tim McKenzie. In 2012, Smith was featured in the Bellator Season Six Welterweight Tournament.
Jordan Smith MMA Record
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 19-11 (1) | Brandon Girtz | KO (Punch) | Bellator 74 | September 28, 2012 | 1 | 1:30 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA | Bellator Season Six Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal |