For most fans, exciting knockouts are the sole reason to watch MMA. From the vicious head kicks to overhand rights to flying knees and clinch knees, there is rarely a knockout that isn’t fun to watch.Maybe it’s because seeing someone get knocked out he…
For most fans, exciting knockouts are the sole reason to watch MMA. From the vicious head kicks to overhand rights to flying knees and clinch knees, there is rarely a knockout that isn’t fun to watch.
Maybe it’s because seeing someone get knocked out helps us live out our angry fantasies vicariously. Maybe it’s because a knockout isn’t biased, debatable or controversial like many decisions. I don’t know. But they are beautiful, and like passing a mangled car wreck, we just can’t look away.
This is a list of the 75 best knockouts of the last five years.
These knockouts are listed in chronological order. Because knockouts vary greatly by power, technique and location, there is no fair way to rank them.
Any fight between May 1, 2007 and April 30, 2012 qualifies for this list.
This past Saturday, Jim Miller fell to Nate Diaz in a bout in which Miller was never really in it. Diaz tagged his bearded foe with several shots, pressed the action and kept the fight in his range. With the loss, Miller now finds himself 1-2 in his mo…
This past Saturday, Jim Miller fell to Nate Diaz in a bout in which Miller was never really in it. Diaz tagged his bearded foe with several shots, pressed the action and kept the fight in his range. With the loss, Miller now finds himself 1-2 in his most recent outings and drops far from contention.
No fighter fits the definition of gatekeeper quite like Miller. He is a hard-nosed, battle-tested warrior who comes out on top more often than not. He has bested men who were otherwise undefeated, Ultimate Fighter winners and longtime UFC veterans alike. However, when put against elite fighters, Miller has faltered at every turn.
Notice the connection between the only four men to defeat Miller: Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz. All are either champions or contenders in the UFC.
Where does he go from here? At one point, Miller had a seven-fight win streak inside the Octagon, which is only one shy of Maynard’s record. Not only that, but Miller was a top contender less than one year ago.
Miller is hardly irrelevant, nor is he the kind of fighter who will be discouraged by Saturday’s contest. If anything, he will use it as motivation to come back better than ever. I legitimately pity whomever Joe Silva puts across the Octagon from this New Jersey native.
Let’s take a look at some UFC lightweights who may find themselves in such dangerous waters.
Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens loser
On May 15, Cerrone and Stephens square off at UFC on Fuel.
Last year, “Cowboy” Cerrone found success in his first four UFC appearances and attempted to win a fifth against Nate Diaz. Additionally, he has only lost to champions Benson Henderson and Jamie Varner.
Stephens has wins over Sam Stout, Cole Miller, Rafael dos Anjos and Marcus Davis. Barring a bad decision in a contest with Melvin Guillard, Stephens’ only loss in his last six fights came in a decision against Anthony Pettis.
George Sotiropoulos
G-Sot knows how Jim Miller feels. Sotiropoulos also won seven straight fights in the UFC, but was unable to secure a title shot despite wins over Joe Stevenson, Joe Lauzon and Kurt Pellegrino. In a fight that would likely crown him as a No. 1 contender, Sotiropoulos fell short against Dennis Siver and lost every ounce of his precious momentum.
A knockout loss to Rafael dos Anjos last summer sent the Aussie star spiraling off the contender’s ladder entirely. A bout with Miller would be a high-risk, high-reward situation for both stars.
Joe Lauzon
Another notable lightweight who would be well-suited to square off with Jim Miller is submission specialist Joe Lauzon. Coming off of a head-kick KO loss to Anthony Pettis, Lauzon is a dangerous competitor who is eager to get back on the right side of the win column.
When Strikeforce began to import their heavyweights into the UFC, Lavar Johnson was riding a two-fight losing streak. In both bouts, he was submitted on a Challengers event, and in neither did he make it out of the second round. Last night, h…
When Strikeforce began to import their heavyweights into the UFC, Lavar Johnson was riding a two-fight losing streak. In both bouts, he was submitted on a Challengers event, and in neither did he make it out of the second round.
Last night, however, Johnson made us forget all about his Strikeforce troubles, as he improved his UFC record to 2-0, when he dispatched of kickboxer Pat Barry in less than one round.
Although Johnson has heavy hands and a solid chin, the striking game of Barry was expected to be too much for the 34-year-old fighter out of AKA. Now that Johnson has shown fans around the world that he can compete with the best strikers that the division can offer, here is a look at some fights that we would like to see “Big” take next.
Tomorrow night, the UFC on Fox 3 brings us some big matchups. There are two title-shots on the line as well as intriguing battles in the middleweight and heavyweight divisions. Let’s take a look at the fighters who can’t afford to lose.Alan Belcher is …
Tomorrow night, the UFC on Fox 3 brings us some big matchups. There are two title-shots on the line as well as intriguing battles in the middleweight and heavyweight divisions. Let’s take a look at the fighters who can’t afford to lose.
Alan Belcher is a battle-tested middleweight who should currently be riding a six fight winning streak, were it not for an incorrect decision against Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100. Belcher has an inspiring tale of courage, as a detached retina nearly cost him his vision and his career back in August 2010. His bout with Rousimar Palhares is his second Octagon trip since returning from the injury. A loss will blow him off of the comeback trail.
Belcher may lose more than the fight if his opponent secures one of his signature leg locks. Palhares has failed to release a submission in the past, and if he repeats the offense tomorrow night, Belcher could lose the use of his leg.
And how about former title contender Josh Koscheck? Kos was thoroughly dominated by champion Georges St. Pierre in such a way, that he likely won’t get another shot at the title without an incredible string of wins. At 34 years old, a loss for Koscheck will send him plummeting out of the rankings and cause him to start from scratch. If winning a championship is his career goal, failure tomorrow could signify the end of his chase.
Another fighter who has a lot to lose is Ultimate Fighter winner Nate Diaz. After last year’s back-to-back wins over legendary Takanori Gomi and the white-hot Donald Cerrone, tomorrow night’s contest against Jim Miller is an important test against a dangerous submission specialist.
Dana Whitestated that a win for Diaz will secure him a shot at the UFC lightweight championship. When you consider that Jim Miller and George Sotiropoulos secured seven consecutive wins without getting their shot at gold, the fact that Diaz can earn a “cut the line” pass with only three consecutive wins is an amazing opportunity. If he comes up short tomorrow night, his last two impressive performances will have been for naught.
The fighter with the most to lose, though, has got to be Johny Hendricks. Coming off of a 12 second KO win over perennial contender Jon Fitch, Hendricks is fighting for two things tomorrow night: a title shot, and to prove that he is not a fluke.
A loss tomorrow to former title-contender Josh Koscheck will send Hendricks out of contention, and likely convince fans of revisionist history that he was never a threat in the first place. With tremendous wrestling credentials and one-punch KO power, that certainly isn’t the case, but it’s not a mentality that he can afford for fight fans to adopt.
All of these fighters are featured on the main card of UFC on FOX 3, which airs tomorrow night at 8pm.
Don’t forget to check out this story’s companion article:
When the UFC on Fox 3 airs tomorrow night, there are a lot of fighters who are fighting for more than just a win. Some fight for title shots. Some fight for contention. Others fight just to stay relevant. In the middleweight division, Rousima…
When the UFC on Fox 3 airs tomorrow night, there are a lot of fighters who are fighting for more than just a win. Some fight for title shots. Some fight for contention. Others fight just to stay relevant.
In the middleweight division, Rousimar Palhares is looking to extend his recent record to 7-1 when he takes on Alan Belcher. He has torn through the lower-ranked fighters in the division and faltered when put against the elite. With previous losses to Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson, a win for Palhares tomorrow will signal his first win over a legitimate contender.
Jim Miller is looking for the elusive title shot that appeared to be in his reach just one year ago. Miller was riding a seven-fight win streak when he faced Benson Henderson last summer. The now-champion dominated Miller and blew him off the path to gold. After defeating Melvin Guillard back in January, a win for Miller will show Joe Silva that he is still an elite member of the lightweight division.
Speaking of a title shot, welterweight Johny Hendricks is in the hunt for a crack at the 170-pound belt. After rattling off a 12-second knockout of perennial contender Jon Fitch, Hendricks will try to defeat another former title contender in the form of Josh Koscheck.
The hurdles that stand in his way are two previously announced fights: Georges St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit for the UFC Welterweight Championship and Jake Ellenberger vs. Martin Kampmann, which has been pointed to as a No. 1 contenders bout. It’s very possible that an intriguing outcome in either of those bouts could put Bigg Rigg out in the cold.
At the end of the day, though, main-eventer Nate Diaz has more to gain than anyone else on the card.
Dana White stated that a win for Diaz will secure him a shot at the UFC lightweight championship. With an August 11th fight between Frankie Edgar and champion Benson Henderson already on the docket at UFC 150, a win tomorrow night opens the door for Nate to challenge for the belt by the year’s end. And unlike Hendricks, there are few human barriers along the way.
All of these fighters are featured on the main card of UFC on FOX 3, which airs tomorrow night at 8pm.
Silva or GSP? Jones or dos Santos? Aldo or Cruz? How do you rank fighters who are separated by weight class? First of all, we take weight completely out of the equation. Factors taken into account are win/loss record over the last three years, div…
Silva or GSP? Jones or dos Santos? Aldo or Cruz? How do you rank fighters who are separated by weight class? First of all, we take weight completely out of the equation. Factors taken into account are win/loss record over the last three years, divisional ranking, marketability and other accolades.
Fighters are ranked as a countdown from No. 50 all the way down to No. 1. With wins and losses, fighters move up and down on this list, and your input is heavily encouraged.
This is the Power Ranking of the Top 50 Fighters in MMA Today!
This past Saturday,