Sergey Lebedev collected the best knockouts of the promotion for the year
Despite what was happening in the world in 2020, the UFC was still able to keep the brand. In a year marred by the pandemic, the promotion hosted 41 tournaments, including 11 pay-per-views.
In 2020, 139 knockouts were recorded in the UFC, we have selected the five most spectacular ones for you.
Joaquin Buckley vs Impa Kasanganay
On October 11 at UFC Fight Night 179, middleweight fighter Buckley became the author of one of the most spectacular knockouts not only of 2020, but of recent years.
In the middle of the second round, his left haikick was caught by Kasanganai, Buckley did not lose his head and, surprisingly, in the best traditions of the WWE, delivered a roundhouse kick with his right foot. Buckley’s heel touched his opponent’s face, instantly turning off his lights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9mzEoJ03s
In addition to the Performance of the Night bonus, Buckley’s knockout went viral and caught the attention of the likes of Donald Trump and Kanye West.
Cody Garbrandt vs Raphael Assuncao
On June 6 at UFC 250, former promotional bantamweight champion Garbrandt returned to the octagon after a series of three knockout losses. His fight against the Brazilian veteran Assuncao also ended in a knockout, but only in favor of the Californian.
Assunção was chasing Garbrandt, pushing him against the fence, when “No Love” slipped deep to the right and came out with a killer hook that hit his opponent exactly. Assuncao fell to the floor with the sound of the end of the second round.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAb2rE2nOyQ
Garbrandt finally got back on the winning track, which immediately allowed him to get a title shot, albeit in a lower category. In November at UFC 255, he was scheduled to fight flyweight champion Deiveson Figueridu, but a bicep injury kept Garbrandt out of the cage.
Sean O’Malley vs Eddie Wineland
The mentioned UFC 250 tournament also gave the fans another great knockout. In the first pair of PPV-card, rushing to the bantamweight title, the undefeated Sean O’Malley faced the experienced Eddie Wineland.
The veteran did not become a serious test for the rising star, who took less than two minutes to finish. It was a classic one-punch knockout, one right cross from O’Malley was enough to knock Wineland unconscious. Given the state of Wineland, O’Malley did not go for finishing, and the referee immediately stopped the fight.
With this, O’Malley’s flawless run in MMA was completed. Three months later at UFC 252, he was knocked out by Marlon Vera, and now the path to the Sugar title fight will have to be paved again.
Kevin Holland vs Ronaldo Souza
2020 has been a great year for budding middleweight Holland. From May to December, for seven months, he managed to win 5 victories, which he repeated the promotion record for the number of fights won in a calendar year.
His fifth victory came on 12 December. At UFC 256, he faced an older but still dangerous submission specialist, “Jacare” Souza. Holland had problems early in the fight when his opponent found himself in a dominant position on the ground. At the same time that Sousa decided to talk to him, Holland shook the Brazilian with a right hook while lying on his back. Kevin landed another blow, forcing “Jacare” to their knees before ending the fight with a flurry of unanswered blows.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHeBomJodWk
In addition to a third Performance of the Night bonus in 2020, this victory brought Holland a place in the top 10 of the rankings.
Chaos Williams vs Abdul Razak Alhassan
Chaos Williams established himself as the new welterweight puncher after his first two appearances in the UFC.
He made his Octagon debut on February 8 at UFC 247 in 27 seconds to knock out Alex Morono. On November 14, his fight against Alhassan at UFC Fight Night 182 lasted three seconds longer. Many expected that the fight would not go the whole distance, given that Alhassan won all 10 of his fights by knockout, but few expected that it would last only half a minute.
Williams landed a straight right hand just as his opponent went on the attack with a low kick. The blow fell exactly in the jaw, and Alhassan flew into a knockout. Williams managed to land another punch on the ground before the referee stopped him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nt15drtdPvY
True, Williams was not destined to make a record in the UFC 3-0, on December 19 at UFC Fight Night 183 he lost by unanimous decision to Michel Pereira.
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