KNOCKOUT: The UFC's Best KO's of Every Year Since 1993 (2022)
With us now closing in on the 30th anniversary of the UFC, I’ve taken a dive into the deepest sections of the MMA vaults.
Whether we’re looking at overall technique, the context of the win itself, or just the sheer violence of it all - these are The Greatest UFC KO’s Of Every Year Since 1993.
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:29 1993
1:02 1994
1:33 1995
2:02 1996
2:35 1997
2:58 1998
3:24 1999
3:53 2000
4:23 2001
4:57 2002
5:24 2003
5:51 2004
6:21 2005
6:50 2006
7:37 2007
8:25 2008
8:59 2009
9:34 2010
10:10 2011
10:50 2012
11:18 2013
12:04 2014
Let's hear your hot-takes! Feel free to send a 30-40 second clip of yourself to halshahe@mmadive.com The best ones will be featured in an upcoming video.
The upward elbow Yair Rodriguez landed on The Korean Zombie will forever be the most mind blowing knockout I’ve ever seen
So scary
and at the last second of the fight... I was left confused for about 5 mins, even after seeing the replay... that was ethereal.
Crafty asf
outstanding!
Insane precision and reflexes to even think about that strike.
Whoever edited the sound effects. Bless you.
The explosion on Ngannou ko on overeem😂😂😂😂😂that was evil😭🤣🤣
@@karnage2948 That was honestly one of the funniest things I've seen in a very long time 😂😂🤣🤣It was perfect!
True, excellent work.
Indeed.
the squeaky noise had me crying
Not putting McGregor vs Aldo is foolish. It's probably the most important ko in modern mma, good or bad.
The most important? Lmao yea no
@@sadansangabriel4245 which one is it then
🤣🤣🤣🤣🗑
Agreed
@@bricklayer1234 I don't have anything that comes to mind but sure as hell isn't mccgregor vs Aldo. It's a good knock out forsure but to say it's the most important in UFC history is pushing it
That Gonzaga head kick on Cro Cop has still got to be the most shocking KO I’ve ever seen in the UFC. Nobody would’ve ever predicted that finish.
How about Kevin Randleman knocking out Cro Cop. That was a shocker too!
Matt Brown’s knock out of Diego Sanchez in 2017 definitely deserves a mention here. That elbow will keep you up at night…
quite the opposite really
@M lmao
Unfortunately the UFC screwed up the feed just as the KO happened which means people didn't get to see it truly live. That's part of why it doesn't get talked about.
Tbh although Diego always had a few screws loose, I always felt that elbow is the reason he ended up the way he has 🥺
If it wasn't for Masvidal's knee, Valentina kicking Jessica Eye's head off probably gets the nod for 2019 too.
out of all of them, the spinning elbow Jiri landed against Reyes is probably my favorite KO ever
Oooh I kept liking and unliking your comment. I can't decide
I stayed up so late and was falling asleep during the fight card then that happened lmao
Looked like Reyes was dead
That was beautiful and brutal. Definitely in my top 10 KOs of all time
i came to the comments to mention this same knockout...don't get how it weren't the best of 2020
Mcgregor vs aldo is the one for 2015. Perfect set up on a great striker. The rousey with her amateurish boxing was always going to be vulnerable to someone with the physicality to defend her judo and attack her weaknesses. She was a great champion but very much a product of the time and a generation of the sport where the standards hadn’t quite evolved yet
I agree, I feel like he had to get a women's KO in here somewhere and that is the most historic yet. Whether it's more or less historic than Aldo v McGregor... I wouldn't say so
Nothing special about a guy rushing in and getting caught with a counter. If we're scoring with counters then rob vs Izzy should be up there too
@@DYLANBROCHILL but the mcgregor one is way more impressive and important to the history of the sport. whether we like it or not conor is the biggest celebrity the sport has ever had, and his trashtalk to aldo, the undeniable goat of the division, and eventual picture perfect finish definitely makes it the most notable, most important and the most impressive knockout of 2015., and one of the best knockouts of all time (top 10 imo). and i dont even like conor
Conor Mcg's knockout of Jose Aldo may not the sexiest, not the cleanest but maybe the most significant K.O's of UFC's history. The ring, and long time effects that knockout had is beyond measurement... I would say it's the most historic KO ever
Ok but you only know that now, not when she was fighting. She looked invincible out of this world, something that even Aldo with all those years without losing never truly felt unbeatable like Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Rhonda Rousey
Still think you are missing Conor vs Aldo, that left hook is still beautiful
He's only taking one KO out of every year though.... McGregor's KO of Aldo is a damn good one.... but fuck Conor LOL
The dislikes on this video must be through the roof! Lol And it only got 6.4k likes at 262k views. Leaving out Conor when talking about greatest UFC KOs is just about as dumb as it gets.
It was a straight left.
"Left hook" LOLOLOL
@@jovanleon7 6.8k likes, 541 dislikes. You lose.
2015 should Mcgregor’s 13 second KO over Aldo
Literally
7:48 that Croatian national anthem playing and stoping when Cro Cop gets ko-d as a Croatian i have to say i am not even mad, thats just pure f-ing perfection on your part 🤣👌
Cerrone’s combo in slow mo gives me goosebumps. The accuracy of each strike is remarkable
It's poetry in motion.
@@robdielemans9189 if cats wrote poetry with rifles
2022 has to be the best year for insane UFC knockouts in living memory. Mollys elbow, Chandlers front kick, Edwards last minute headkick etc.
So you think Zhang Weili’s KO wasn’t good?
@@kyrxgogo pls learn to read
@@kyrxgogo said etc but yeah zhang is ridiculous at this point I believe she will humble rose the next time they fight
Dam, that felt like a movie. Great content from one of the best MMA channels on the platform
2015 should definitely belongs to Conor MacGregor who KOed Jose Aldo in 13 secs!
I was gonna say
I don’t think he likes Conor
What’s crazy is as a non mma fan in 2015, the ko I heard about everywhere was holy v ronda
Yeah and 2016 should go to conor as well, if not then bisping
McGregor was a favorite against Aldo, and had the touch of death at 145 on his left hand. So him flatlining Aldo was expected, even if him pulling it off in 13 seconds was not expected at all. Holly was a huge underdog, Rondamania was at its peak and it was a KO that made even bigger shockwaves than Conor vs Aldo. For how spectacular it was, how easily she diamanted Ronda for that round and a half and how spectacular the KO was, yeah. Pretty much the 2015 KO of the year
When Lyoto Machida pieced up Rashad Evans against the cage... I don't think I'll forget that one. Or Cheik Kongo coming back from the dead to KO Pat Barry. That one has levels
Kongo was prob one of the all timers for sure
Have you seen tank Abbott ko Steve nelmark or tank Abbott ko John matuas, if u haven't check that shit out, most devastating kos I've ever seen, I thought both were dead
That Cerone combo was a thing of beauty.
The Joaquin Buckley one is nr. 1 on my list. I could believe what happened for a good solid 10min. Also Chandler kicking El Cucuy out cold is up there.
You just raised my respect for your channel by a ton. I know this probably took you a long time to put together but I thank you for doing it. Badass video my friend!
Matt Hughes was locked in Carlos Newton's triangle when he landed that slam, he woke up to winning that fight.
2015 and 2016 should both be Conor Vs Aldo & Alverez. I’m not a Conor Stan by any means but the 13 second KO against a 10 year unbeaten Jose Aldo was phenomenal. Then coming back a year later and having the best title fight performance ever in a weight class above to become the first ever double champ…. I don’t see how Cerone gets the KO with a 4 piece combo
The Rakic v Manuwa head kick is pretty spectacular.
Rakic turned Manuwa into an NFL goalpost lol 😂
Dan Hendersons KO of Bisping is hands down my all time favorite. Iconic
The follow-up was a douche move though
@@QenaitheCustodianGuard ya it was a douche move done to a douche
@@jweezy5490 you don't like Bisping I take it
Weather you like bisping or not that is an absolutely brutal KO, and me personally I loved it even more because it WAS bisping, I mean he was an insufferable asshole throughout that season of tuf, but when he finally captured the world title I loved it he so deserves it. On a side note I think Hendon should have got the w in their rematch.
@@garybyrne5841Honestly as someone who was rooting for Hendo back when the fight happened and I really don’t like Bisping, it rubs me the wrong way that Dan Henderson was allowed to be a TRT experiment back in the day. Dudes power was otherworldly and he was so tough
That Buckley KO was already two years ago? Also yea that Cerrone one has to be an all timer. Crazy level of technique from Cowboy and just absolutely beautiful to watch. Can never get enough of that one
This video was awesome. Great selection of KO's too. I remember all of them just how you described. Great style of video too. Definitely keep doing these.
Bro, you did a good ass job. The sound effects where on point and perfect. Hats off brother!
That 2004 Yves Edwards KO will always be in my top 3 favorites no matter what. The way seamlessly pushes off Thomson straight into a head kick and lands it perfectly flush into his neck is just pure art. The snap of that kick alone tells you everything you need to know about how brutal it was.
This was the first MMA fight I ever saw. I used to watch kickboxing before that and I was completely sold to MMA after I saw this ko. At the time it blew my mind that it was possible in sports to wrestle and strike at the same time and that he was allowed to follow up after the knock down. Yves Edwards will always be one of my favourites after this ko
I would've preferred rampage vs arona slam KO for that year
That was the last fight in the lightweight division for awhile. The UFC disbanded that division because they were going broke. That fight really should have been for the title.
Very well done. I seriously enjoyed every waking moment of this short film 🎥 showing the top knockouts in UFC History from beginning to the year 2022. It's amazingly awesome to sit back and watch and relive some of these fights that will never be forgotten by any true UFC fan. I loved it ‼️ from beginning to end. Bloody Marvelous‼️🥸❤️
this is one of the most amazing best of videos I've ever seen, what an incredibly produced video. narration, fx, cuts, sequence, background music. just phenomenal.
Tank Abbott folding Steve Nelmark at the Ultimate Ultimate 96 could easily replace Gary Goodridge's KO over Paul Herrera in sheer brutally but that elbow KO is iconic
Tank Abbott's KO's were as iconic as they were brutal. My favourite of his is the one against John Matua (his UFC debut), Matua was stiff as a board after Abbott crumbled him to the canvas. Topping it off was Abbott callously mocking Matua's fencing response afterwards, which admittedly I found pretty funny.
the way he pushed him into the cage after hitting him my god you'd think he killed him LOL
That Tank Abbott Ko was brutal got what Gary did to Paul, crucifix style 10 elbow to the dome, ufff, ive never seen someone pull that one again. I remember that i saw this in 96 i think, we rented it from the video store. God damn times fly.
I will never, ever forget that one! Tank folded that dude like a lawn chair
Both were so brutal. But watching it, I thought Nelmark was actually dead.
My top 5 UFC KO's of all time: 1. Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort 2. Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping 3. Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim 4. Conor McGregor vs Jose Aldo 5. Jorge Masvidal vs Ben Askren
Well done. I enjoyed reliving a lot of these. Thanks.
Great video and absolutely loved the colorful commentary. Had me laughing my head off. Keep it up!
Great video! I can’t imagine the amount of effort put into this going through each year…
Being 46 years old. I gotta say that I remember the UFC like yesterday. It wasn’t really a “sport” but just an oddity that many of us had to rent from the video store on VHS. But there was another organization going on almost the same time called “Tough man”. It was almost like the UFC but less skilled. I’m happy the sport has grown. And I don’t even think the Gracie Family could imagine how big this would be. Probably should have hired better businessmen.
Yeah I found out about it when the 1st came to the video store and at 12 was hooked. Actually went to the one in Tulsa I believe was 4
Tough Man was an embarrassment.
PRIDE NEVER DIES
I also rented them on VHS 😆
Awesome material for us to watch. I was really in to it. Keep more coming!!
2011. Kongo vs Barry. Kongo coming back from the brink of unconsciousness was the pick for that year. It was unbelievable stuff.
Insane
This was a nice history lesson and walk down memory lane, reminding me that I started watching UFC back in 2004
This is a great video but there's a big mistake at 2001. Matt Hughes was locked in a triangle, then put Newton up against the fence. Then, you can see Newton squeezing his legs as hard as possible (not being in fear), and as Matt Hughes is being choked out, he slams Newton for the finish and takes a few secs to come to and realise he won.
I remember watching this fight live, I agree that newton wasn't concerned with getting slammed. But even after all these years I still believe Hughes didn't intentionally slam newton, I think he went out from the choke on his feet, and somehow recovered faster than newton. Regardless your definitely right about newton not being afraid, he was chasing a finish, not waiting to get slammed.
@@jetpilot28 I would have thought had that been the case it would have been a much softer landing for Newton. The fact it was so hard tells me that no, Hughes did intentionally slam Newton albeit it was when Hughes realized he was about to get choked unconscious and threw the slam as a hail mary of sorts.
Still crazy to think that someone won an MMA fight with a power bomb, though.
@@jetpilot28 As soon as the choke is released you get blood flow again, so it's pretty quick. Possible the drop released the grip somewhat too.
Thank you for that @MMADIVE... I would love this for be 45 min and the top 3 of each year :) liked and subscribed .. keep up the good work!
Great video. Laughed reeeeeaaaallll fuggin hard at the sound effects. It would be dope to see a documentary film like this explaining the entire story and timeline of the UFC. Explaining how all the belts changed hands in chronological order like this.
Kevin Holland's KO of Jacare Souza is, hands down, the craziest KO I've ever seen in my life. Those who train and/or compete know what I'm talking about. It might not be as flashy as the Joaquin Buckley's ninja kick or as devastating as Usman's KO of Masvidal but it made my brain do more backflips than I had thought was physically possible. The Buckley kick is dope af, you don't get to really see that in any combat sport. However, I have seen stuff like that in fight choreography in movies so the kick landing and causing a KO is in the realm of possibilities at least. With Holland it's different. The guy straight up defies reality with that punch.
I loved the holly holm vs ronda Rousey sound effect
Loved the video.. nice job brother 👍🏽 brought back some good memories from the early days .. right up to the current times. Bloody Marvelous ‼️
This was a great video! Subbed and fanned. Good work.
uriah hall vs adam cella is one of the best kos I seen.
Sandhagen vs Edgar is my 2021 pick, the set up and timing were perfection and the way Frankie went down was horrifying
Great video mate keep up the great work
This is one if not the best MMA video! I'm down with you, I'm subscribed!
Leon Edwards late KO of Usman is definitely my most appreciated of all these. Because I don’t think there’s ever been a fighter in that much need of a good humbling moment like Usman was at that particular moment in time, and boy did he get his humbling moment.
true that
@@jankesbmw Yeah… it seems that karma, fate, destiny or whatever else one might call it has a funny way of always making a appearance when it’s needed most. And Usman was definitely summoning his own moment of that sort with how unbelievably cocky he had started acting at all times. I’ve heard and read about people wondering why many didn’t like him and in my opinion that is the main reason, because he came off as an arrogant prick.
pretty much all of us were watching that fight like "damn, well at least Leon gave a good effort and fought hard" expecting that decision to go to Usman and then BAM he's out cold lol. Absolutely incredible moment I'll never forget.
@@eggoslayer1001 probably the most shocked I've ever been watching a live fight
That Gary Goodridge ko is the best of all time. I remember watching that when it happened
The added sound effects are perfect😂 good job! 😂
I love the sound effects with the punches and kicks, absolutely hilarious!!
Oliveria flying knee over islam is my favourite
is that a prediction? Im all for that!!!
That Weidman knockout of Silva completely changed the trajectory of Silva's career. He was never the same after that.
Yeah that did seem to be the start, but in reality I think it was he's freaky leg break in his very next fight, that paired with he's advancing age, but man what an amazing career prior.
precision counter strikers have short violent careers, like lions on the plains
I think the devastating leg break was the beginning of the end.
The mid-knockout stills you put in, are absolutely priceless brother.... great video :))
Beautiful work brother.... Beautiful work.
Did a clown on acid chose the music?
Would have put Mcgregor v Aldo for 2015 personally. Aldo undefeated for a decade, massive build up, 13 second KO moving backwards, first unified title for McG. But it's tough because that Holly KO was just a huge upset and perfectly executed. Epic.
Don't forget at the time people were saying Rhonda could beat Floyd Mayweather and other male fighters. Plus it's one of the biggest upsets in mma history. Op made the right choice
Also McGregor doesn't deserve the attention. He was the first to truly sell himself as an out of the ring personality, but every time he fought a true technical expert he got demolished.
Video quality and editing is so great guys
Great picks! I agree with probably 90% of them.... so many of my favorites are on here
That Leon Edwards KO was insane .. so much on the line and everything .. p4p was finished .. I still can’t believe .. Leon took everything … the p4p,welterweight title & goat status
man the reverse upward elbow is really poetic. like from ong bak.
Love the voice over and editing!
Fantastic video!!! Well done
Goodrich's knockout of Herrera is the craziest finish I've ever seen. The hold and execution is still have dropping. I remember seeing it live(on tv) with a houseful of guests that had come over and you could hear a pin drop for a few seconds before everyone reacted.
My favorite one
Condit vs Hardy - 02 London. I had been in Hardy’s camp leading to this fight and saw him throw the hook from behind, suddenly he hit the deck and was out. Weirdest moment I’ve had watching a fight. Milliseconds make the difference
I like the way you talk, brother. You have a lot of respect for the classic fighters and you know what you're talking about
Yeah the sound effects are great! Well done 👍.
These gun sounds are amazing 😀
2019 HONORABLE MENTION ~ Valentina 'Bullet' ShevchenKO unleashes a head kick that sends Jessica Eye to never neverland for over four minutes as a shocked worldwide audience looks on. Shevchenko's coach Pavel immediately understood the severity of the kick and both ShevchenKO and her corner were quite subdued in their celebration until after Eye finally came to, sat up and asked no one in particular, "Did I get knocked out?" Yes. Yes, you did. And you became an instant meme and a star on every UFC and Bullet highlight reel basically until the end of time. And you also learned that bulletproof vests don't stop head kicks.
If Jorge never landed that bloody knee on Ben, chances are it might have been KO of the year for 2019.
I'll never forget the way she skipped over her as the ref waved her off.
insane production quality 🤝
Awesome video. Sound effects alone made me subscribe. My only complaint. 2022 isn't over yet. Other than that. Perfect video. I love it.
This was awesome Submissions next?????
Smith v Scott was a very underrated fight . The finish was savage & they were best mates
Different mood with this video i love it
Great video!!! Thanks
It's beautiful my man Nacho Bahamondes got the credit he deserves for that KO. 2021 had a lot of crazy ass knockouts tho, and Kamaru's against Jorge or Jiri against Reyes are pretty brutal too, but Bahamondes perfectly set it up and it was picture perfect.
We all know the real best 2015 KO was the McGregor v Aldo KO
Best KZhead video I've watched, in months!
Awesome video…. Great job
I remember me and a friend discussing the Rousey - Holm fight before the fight night. Told him the exact thing, that Holly Holm had the perfect style and control to counter Rousey and that I predicted a KO win for Holm. He was adamant about the Rousey Armbar winning. If I only had put money on that fight...
I remember watching that Yair KO live. Was such a unique KO. Def needed multiple replays to even understand exactly how it happened. So amazing
Great video keep this content up I subbed
I was in the crowd for the Dan Hardy/Carlos Condit fight. I'll always remember possibly the best post fight line ever: "Tell us what you think went wrong tonight..." "erm, I got punched in the face"
I think the Jiri KO of Reyes should be the 2021 KO. Got him the title fight, was super violent, and just insane overall
I was cage side when Anderson Silva front kicked Vitor Belfort and it was amazing but I definitely put Machida kick above it. I actually was with Lyoto Machida when Silva landed that kick on Belfort lol I have a great photo right after because Lyoto Machida has always been my favorite fighter
great vid, mate
Just liked n subbed thanks for the content
Tough to argue that Ngannou's ko was not the best one of 2017, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the fantastic left hook that Rose Namajunas landed on Joanna Jedrzejczyk to come up with the underdog win at UFC217, perhaps the best single punch landed in the history of the strawweight division. Strawweights so rarely get one-punch kos, so I find this a pretty impressive achievement.
Thing is that was a TKO finish by Rose, so not really a KO. What makes it a special moment though was the fact it was such a massive and shocking upset, easily the biggest of 2017.
I would argue her headkick against Zhang was better. Such a clean technique. Fake the low, turn it up high.
😭😭😭 the last generation
conor vs aldo???? o
Beautiful video. Good list, too!
This video is very well edited and commented 👍
Paige vanzant's 2016 switch kick ko on rawlings was gorgeous in slow motion.
Anyone else feel like McGregor's KO of Aldo should be the 2015 pick? That moment was monumental, with SO much anticipation.
dude these knockout SFX are killing me, such an underrated, funny detail of this great video
Well made video! Very well done! the selections were very much what KO made the UFC what they are today rather than some recency bias followed by hard hitters
I think it was 3-4 years ago but what about Valentina knock out of Jessica eye (she killed her and crucified her all at the same time)
It was a vicious KO and probably the highlight of Valentina Shevchenko's career, however Jessica Eye isn't a great fighter and everyone expected Valentina to beat her easily, so it does take away some luster of the KO.
@@madgavin7568 well said 🤝👍🍻
In my opinion, Blaydes vs. Lewis was the best and stiffest KO of 2021 hands down. Bahamondes vs. Roberts was good, but I think it just doesn't beat it.
Especially because we all knew that’s what he was waiting for the entire round. Threw maybe a few shots until that uppercut and met Blaydes’ takedown attempt perfectly. Great KO
I don't know man, Reyes vs Prochazka takes the cake because of the stakes, creativity, shock factor and brutality of the knockout.
@@madgavin7568 That was a great fight but I just personally prefer the Blades vs. Lewis KO.
sound fx cracked me up every time. spot on