20.) Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira
Many fans, including myself, thought Oliveira was the next big thing in the UFC’s featherweight division, but Swanson changed that with clean overhand right. Right when it looked liked Oliveira took the punch well, he collapsed. This is the only knockout on the list that had a delayed reaction.
19.) Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader
Machida showcased the epitome of precision with his knockout of Bader. After not being able to so much as touch his opponent, Bader charged Machida, but ran face first into his fist.
18.) Mike Pyle vs. Josh Neer
It was a back and forth brawl between these two fighters, but Neer slowly started to get the upper hand. He unleashed a plethora of strikes leaving Pyle to cover up and do what he could to answer back, but shortly after landed what was between a hook and an overhand right that immediately dropped Neer and ended the fight.
17.) Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh
How can a seven second knockout not be on the list? It’s practically self explanatory as to why this knockout makes the top twenty.
16.) Pat Barry vs. Shane Del Rosario
After losing the first round, Barry came out aggressive in the second and connected with and a big left hand that backed Del Rosario up. Barry closed in and finished the fight with a flurry of punches.
15.) Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman
Nelson is a master of the overhand right, and this was his best use of it, as he put Herman on his butt, leaving him not knowing where he was.
14.) Andrew Craig vs. Rafael Natal
Who doesn’t love a head kick? Though it was a heck of a kick, Natal’s chin held up as it required multiple follow up punches to actually finish the fight, which keeps Craig from landing a higher spot on the list.
13.) Eddie Wineland vs. Scott Jorgensen
Wineland needed this win bad after losing his prior two fights. Not only did he win, but Wineland put Jorgensen to sleep after dropping him with a straight right and landing several follow up strikes.
12.) Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard
Cerrone is the only fighter to knockout Guillard, as if that wasn’t impressive enough, he did so in a come from behind victory. Cerrone was hit with several heavy shots and was definitely on the back pedal, but after Guillard was stumbled from a half landed head kick, Cerrone went in for the kill and finished Guillard with one straight punch.
11.) Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson
Swick scored quite the rare knockout in this fight. Swick caught one of Johnson’s kicks and swept his other leg, but instead on taking part in the ground game, Swick winded up for a big punch while in the midst of freefall, and connected before he even hit the canvas. Johnson immediately went limp.
10.) Rustam Khabilov vs. Vinc Pichel
Probably one of the rarest knockouts in the UFC’s history. Not only was it one of only a handful of knockouts due to a slam, but Khabilov suplexed Pichel straight over his head, slamming Pichel’s head to the canvas and knocking him out cold.
9.) Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon
Another head kick knockout, but Pettis threw his kick quicker and more crisp than Andrew Craig’s head kick knockout. Form and technique make a difference on this list, and Pettis landed shin to chin on Lauzon, then finished with a few follow up shots.
8.) Cung Le vs. Rich Franklin
Rich Franklin has never been knocked out so bad in his career, not even Anderson Silva or Vitor Belfort finished off Franklin in such devastating fashion. Le landed what may have been the best counter punch the UFC has ever seen.
7.) Issei Tamura vs. Tiequan Zhang
Because this fight was on the under card and neither fighter is too popular, this was knockouts that most fans forgot about, but Tamura hit Zhang with one of the most devastating punches this year that put Zhang’s lights out.
6.) Brad Pickett vs. Yves Jabouin
Pickett lived up to the name “One Punch” in this fight. As talented a striker Jabouin is, Pickett caught him with one uppercut that ended the fight.
5.) Johnny Hendricks vs. Martin Kampmann
Hendricks caught Kampmann with a punch that sent him falling like a chopped down tree. Hendricks landed one final punch to earn himself the number five spot.
4.) Darron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez
What makes this head kick knockout better than the others? Cruickshank landed one kick and walked away, Martinez was out and no extra punches were needed.
3.) Stephen Thompson vs. Dan Stiggen
Thompson head kick edges out Cruickshank’s because it was a Tae Kwon Do style side head kick. It blindsided Stiggen as it came over his shoulder and knocked him clean out.
2.) Justin Lawrence vs. John Cofer
Lawrence grabs the second spot on the list, because unlike all the other head kick knockouts, Cofer was actually evading when Lawrence still caught him with a kick to the face that knocked Cofer into the cage, unconscious.
1.) Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, obviously the UFC’s most flashy knockout of the year, maybe of all time. Barboza was gutsy enough to throw a wheel kick while standing in the pocket, it landed flush and paid off big time, by winning him knockout of the year.
– Ryan “Fight Freek” Poli
@FightFreek