A rewind to one of the most vicious knockouts in MMA history.
Who doesn’t love a good, clean knockout? Well, unless you’re not a fan of any form of violence, you’ll likely find sheer satisfaction in seeing an individual get their systems shut off by a single strike.
And if you’ve been watching this sport for a long time now, you were likely in awe when you witnessed Igor Vovchanchyn knock out Francisco Bueno at PRIDE 8 in ‘99.
This was actually a wicked mismatch if you look at it on paper. Bueno was an experienced grappler and competed in the ADCC, but he entered the contest with merely two pro fights under his belt. He also gave up 13 pounds in weight.
Vovchanchyn, at the time, already fought a total of 41 times and had compiled a 38-2 (1 NC) record. 31 of those wins ended by KO. Every single one of them happened in the first round.
The action itself was also predictable. Both men danced around for more than a minute, with Vovchanchyn leading every step. He was pushing Bueno towards the fence and waiting for that perfect opportunity to pounce.
He finally traps Bueno into one of the neutral corner posts. He throws two hooks with the second punch landing squarely on the left jaw, turning Bueno’s lights out immediately. Another one lands on the exact same spot as Bueno falls face-first into the canvas, eyes opened.
For many hardcore fans, this remains to be one of the most vicious knockouts in MMA history. Tapology has this fight in the top 50 of its all-time best list for PRIDE. And it’s easy to see why.