What makes a puncher devastating? Stats—specifically KOs, TKOs and taps from strikes as a result of punches—are an easy and important starting point. But it certainly doesn’t end there.
If those stoppages are of the one-punch variety, so much the better. If they provide the “wow” factor, which we all know when we see, that’s even better. And if the fighter can consistently do it at the highest levels against top opponents, well, that’s even better.
So here are the 10 punchers on the UFC roster who are, based on a blend of these subjective and objective metrics, most devastating. Remember, this is devastating punches, not total strikes (sorry, Alistair and Anderson).
Heavy emphasis given to punching power today, not historically (apologies, Shane and Wandy). The rankings are adjusted to an extent for weight class, though the heavier weight classes did receive heavier consideration. That’s just the way punching works.
For the sake of convenience, I’ll refer to KOs, TKOs, technical stoppages resulting from punches and submissions from strikes as striking-related stoppages, or SRS for short.