The 50 Most Brutal MMA Matches Ever

A countdown of the 50 most brutal MMA knockouts ever.

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Image via Getty/Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

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This past November the UFC celebrated the 24th anniversary of UFC 1: The Beginning, a modest competition that entertained 7,800 fans in a since destroyed Denver arena with a capacity far larger than that. The event, which was broadcast on pay-per-view (duh) and later shipped in a now obsolete technology called "home video," had but two freaking rules for participants to abide by: 1.) No biting and 2.) No eye gouging.

Everything else was fair game, and the eight-person tourney was eventually won by Royce Gracie after he applied a rear naked chokehold to Gerard Gordeau in a final that took less than two minutes to wrap up.

Since then the sport has blown up, and though it's long since been legitimized as something much more technical and skill-oriented than pure brute thuggery (which is why it's legit, and not a burned out novelty) that is still very much a guilty pleasure of watching MMA fights. Today we celebrate that brutality (because why not?) by providing rankings to you that could potentially age as poorly as cheering on helmet-to-helmet hits (also because why not?) This rundown of painful submissions, TKOs and busted eye sockets undoubtedly helped the UFC establish the massive global audience it's attained in an extremely abbreviated amount of time (seriously, it's not like 1993 is the damn Stone Age or something).

Now I, personally, would not worry too much about the exact order of the rankings. Instead it should simply be taken as an honor to have made the list at all. So whether you were the winner/loser, the puncher/punchee, or the kicker/kick face-ee, your blood, sweat, torn ACLs, broken bones and fingers that now bend the wrong way were not in vain. I repeat not in vain. Here are The 50 Most Brutal MMA Knockouts Ever.

50. Keith Hackney vs. Emmanuel Yarborough

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Date: 9/9/1994

Event: UFC 3

Winner: Keith Hackney via TKO (strikes)


In one of the funniest (though still seriously brutal) fights in MMA history, the 5' 11", 200 lb. Keith Hackney took on 6' 8", 600 lb. Emmanuel Yarborough. It was a matchup of biblical proportions. True to the O.G. story, the much smaller Hackney took out Yarborough but didn't need the slingshotrelentless pounds to the back of his cranium did the trick instead.

49. Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler

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Date: 12/6/2014

Event: UFC 181

Winner: Robbie Lawler via Decision (split)

By taking home the split decision, Lawler avenged a UD he suffered at the hands/feet of Hendricks nine months earlier. That means the men spent 10 rounds fighting one another in 2014, without either being KO'd...still waiting on the conclusion to that trilogy.

48. Antonio Silva vs. Alistair Overeem

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Date: 2/2/2013

Event: UFC 156

Winner: Antonio Silva via KO (punches)


For a majority of the fight, Silva and Overeem exchange punches, clench and land some effective knocks here and there. However, at the 15:00 mark, things escalate when Bigfoot connects on a vicious combo of fists and kicks. There's even a movie fight rear back punch that gets Overeem weak in the knees. Soon after, Alistair was dropping it low and didn't even know it.  

47. Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague

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Date: 8/29/2009

Event: UFC 102

Winner: Todd Duffee via KO (punches)

You might wonder if something that lasted for seven seconds could be considered "brutal." All that means is that A.) You didn't click 'play' or B.) Your video hasn't buffered yet.

46. Jay Hieron vs. Jonathan Goulet

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Date: 10/3/2005

Event: Fight Night 2

Winner: Jonathan Goulet via TKO (doctor stoppage)

Vampires of the world would've loved this fight, but for the rest of us it was kind of stomach churning. Goulet lost a lot of blood but won the match when doctors called for a stoppage in the third round. His next time out the opposite happened as he was KO'd in six seconds. He may've lost that bout (in relatively embarrassing fashion) but kept most of his blood. Long term we're not really sure which outcome was worse.

45. Sean O'Connell vs. Steve Bossé

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Date: 6/18/2016

Event: UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson

Winner: Steve Bossé via Decision (unanimous)

Most men would've tapped out as Bosse repeatedly pounded his opponent's face on the ground for about a minute towards the end of the 2nd round. But Sean O'Connell isn't most men, and he got up to deal a few shots while simultaneously spending the better part of the remaining six minutes getting pummeled. Unfortunately, in the real world, there are no A's for effort, he still lost. But the $50k he got for Fight of the Night had to make him feel a little better. Figuratively, at least.

44. Nick Diaz vs. Frank Shamrock

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Date: 4/11/2009

Event: Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz

Winner: Nick Diaz via TKO (punches)

First off, fight starts at 6:13. Second off, proving that Mike Tyson ain't the only one who can drop f-bombs at pre-fight press conferences, Diaz took this opportunity to question the O.G. Frank Shamrock's tattoo selection. And then he went and backed up his taunts, bringing Frank down with a flurry of hooks and jabs. You see, that's what we love about MMA. The post-fight sportsmanship? Not so much.

43. Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz

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Date: 9/26/2003

Event: UFC 44

Winner: Randy Couture via decision (unanimous)


In this classic light heavyweight battle (which was not fought to "Bitter Sweet Symphony," so far as we know), Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz treated MMA fans to five full rounds of straight brutality: grappling, slams, pounds to the face. Couture proved to be more dominant though, winning by unanimous decision to take the UFC light heavyweight title. Damn, we haven't had this much fun watching 30 minutes of guys in short shorts tangling since...oh wait, never mind.

42. Brock Lesnar vs. Heath Herring

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Date: 8/9/2008

Event: UFC 87

Winner: Brock Lesnar via decision (unanimous)


Herring ended up lasting all three full rounds against the former NCAA wrestling champ Lesnar, employing a series of veteran moves to prevent a submission at the hands of the (then) MMA novice. But it was the punch he took at the beginning of the fight that pretty much sealed his fate. There's only so much that technique can do in the face of Lesnar's right hand.

41. Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz

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Date: 8/20/2016

Event: UFC 202

Winner: Conor McGregor via Decision (majority)

It wouldn't seem right to do an entire list without mentioning McGregor, so here's the bone we're willing to throw. Unlike the first fight between the two (which Diaz won with a 2nd round submission) the rematch lived up to the hype, with both men making it to the point where the judges are forced to decide. That ended up being a good thing for McGregor. Additionally, the fight ended up breaking UFC records for most PPV buys in the league's history, proving (for like the thousandth time) that it really, really pays off to be a loudmouth.

40. Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Serra

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Date: 4/19/2008

Event: UFC 83

Winner: Georges St-Pierre via TKO (knees to the body)


After losing the welterweight title to Serra in UFC 69, St. Pierre got what French Canadians refer to as "le paybaque" in front of a rowdy home crowd in Montreal, Québec. Taking him down early and often, GSP pinned and pounded Serra on the mat until the plucky New Yorker couldn't guard his grill when on his feet and couldn't defend against merciless knee shots to the ribs in the turtle position. 

39. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Wanderlei Silva

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Date: 9/10/2006

Event: Pride Final Conflict Absolute

Winner: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic via KO (head kick)


To be fair: in past interviews, Filipovic has described his kicks as "right kick hospital, left kick cemetery." Silva should have heeded the warning when he faced the future PrideFC champ. The brutal match between the two notably aggressive fighters came to an end with a left kick to Silva's temple. Hopefully he took solace in that he was sent to the hospital (and not the morgue) afterwards.

38. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Gary Goodridge

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Date: 8/10/2003

Event: Pride Total Elimination

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko via TKO (kicks & punches)


One minute and five seconds of "Ohhhhh, this poor, poor guy." No blood, no, broken bones, just an unending fusillade of blows from the enormous Russian until Big Daddy Goodridge just has to curl up and accept his fate. How do you spell "PWN3D!" in Cyrillic?

37. Frank Shamrock vs. Phil Baroni

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Date: 6/22/2007

Event: EliteXC/Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni

Winner: Frank Shamrock via technical submission (rear-naked choke)


MMA produces the coolest commentator caveats: "Will he be able to kill the New York Badass...I'm speaking figuratively of course." Of course, the real caveat is you actually can kill somebody with a rear naked choke. Duh, it's called a freaking choke.

36. Tank Abbott vs. Steve Nelmark

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Date: 12/7/1996

Event: Ultimate Ultimate 1996

Winner: Tank Abbott via KO (punch)


Tank leveled Nelmark with a Cool Breeze (WATCH FOR THE HOOK!!!), leaving his victim twisted up like an Auntie Anne pretzel. All that's missing was Smokey from Friday to eulogize the fallen homie.

35. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia

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Date: 7/19/2008

Event: Affliction: Banned

Winner: Fedor Emelianenko via submission (rear naked choke)


"This is what Fedor does best!"and by "does best" the announcer means, "Beat the hell out of the poor sap opposite him in the ring." Look at those hamhocks swing! It's not pretty, but sheesh. Tap out now or rest in peace.

34. Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir

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Date: 7/11/2009

Event: UFC 100

Winner: Brock Lesnar via TKO (punches)


Many UFC fans questioned Brock Lesnar's gangster since he was a former WWE actor wrestler and basically given the heavyweight title despite a record of 3-1 in MMA fights. But Lesnar let his 6' 3" 270 lb. frame and fists do the talking as he tattooed Mir's face. Although Lesnar did lose some points as he was still on his WWE villain persona steez after the fight.

33. Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry

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Date: 6/26/2011

Event: UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry

Winner: Cheick Kongo via KO (punch)

If ever there was a visual example about how things can flip on a dime, this is it. At first the Holy Ghost keeps a marionette-like Kongo in the fight and out of nowhere, dude connects on a punch that knocks out Barry. Angels In the Octagon? Honestly, that makes as much sense as any theory we can come up with.

32. Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon

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Date: 12/29/2012

Event: UFC 155

Winner: Jim Miller via decision (unanimous)


If someone asks you if you would ever step into the Octagon and fight someone, tell them straight-up "NO!" and then, show them this video. Seriously, just watching this footage would would make the creators of Mortal Kombat say "Hey man, you guys need to tone down the blood." Then again, this is just some people's idea of a good time.

31. Melvin Guillard vs. Mac Danzig

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Date: 7/27/2013

Event: UFC on FOX 8

Winner: Melvin Guillard via KO (punches)


Starting at the 15-second mark, Danzig transforms from human being to a mannequin then (very quickly) back to a human being again. Just in a lot more pain.

30. Thomas Almeida vs. Anthony Birchak

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Date: 11/7/2015

Event: UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson 3

Winner: Thomas Almeida via KO (punches)

In the first round Almeida extended his record to a perfect (and temporary) 21-0 by knocking out Birchak while he was still on his feet. Watch closely and you can see the defeated fighter bounce his face off his own thigh before crumbling backwards like an inflatable tube thing that got unplugged. Amazingly he only suffered some slightly damaged pride, though he also deserves credit for being gracious in defeat.

29. Jose Aldo vs. Aritano Barbosa

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Date: 5/12/2005

Event: Rio MMA Challenge 1

Winner: Jose Aldo via KO (kicks)


Shortly after the opening bell, Aldo begins to beat Barbosa like he stole something, and the fight was over by knockout in a matter of seconds. A knee to the nose and more facial shots than your average bukkake film usually gets the job done.

28. Travis Fulton vs. Jeremy Bullock

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Date: 11/21/1998

Event: Extreme Challenge 22

Winner: Travis Fulton via KO (slam)


Good lord! Back in MMA's infancy, before tight weight classes, there was...this monstrosity. A first-time fighter facing one of the most prolific brawlers in the young sport's history, and, well, needless to say, it didn't go so well (but gosh darn Jeremy's eager!). Bullock gets off a cool Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-style flying kick, catching Fulton into what he probably thinks is an absolutely killer sleeper hold, and then, "Say, I'm not touching the ground anym"

27. Mark Kerr vs. Paul Varelans

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Date: 1/19/1997

Event: World Vale Tudo Championship 3

Winner: Mark Kerr via TKO (punches)


Mark Kerr broke his hand early in his pro debut, but that was OK, since his knees worked just fine. The complete destruction of Varelans produced an early classic in the canon of MMA commentary: "He was brutally brutalized..." Howard Cosell it ain't, but it's got a certain ring to it.

26. Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi

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Date: 12/10/2016

Event: UFC 206

Winner: Cub Swanson via Decision (unanimous)

Every once in awhile you go see an action movie where the fights are so over-the-top that it becomes boring because nothing has a real-life damage effect, therefore making the scene pointless. Notable examples from big-time hits include: Doc Ock getting punched in the face repeatedly in Spider-Man 2, anything in the Fast and Furious series, and also everything Kevin does to those burglars in Home Alone. Also, somehow, we'd say it's a fair description of this fight, both Swanson and Doo absorb repeated blows from one another and keep going. We'd say it's unrealistic but, well, you know...

25. Melvin Manhoef vs. Kazushi Sakuraba

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Date: 6/15/2008

Event: Dream 4

Winner: Melvin Manhoef via KO (punches)


Manhoef and Sakuraba feel each other out for the first minute of the fight without landing a single blow. Then Manhoef feels out the side of Sakuraba's melon with his right foot and finishes him off with a series of blows to the face (throwing in a nifty Mortal Kombat-style "Get over here!" leg pull in the process). Audiophiles will note the superior Japanese microphone technology that allows for a truer and fuller "thud" sound as Manhoef rains blows on Sakuraba's head. We've got some catching up to do.

24. Mauricio Rua vs. Quinton Jackson

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Date: 4/23/2005

Event: PRIDE Total Elimination 2005

Winner: Mauricio Rua via TKO (soccer kicks)

Rua won by TKO after doing his best Messi impression, using Rampage's rib cage and skull as the ball. We love the encouraging words of Jackson's trainer too: "You gotta fight that b**ch, damnit!" Easier in theory than in practice, we guess.

23. Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans

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Date: 5/23/2009

Event: UFC 98

Winner: Lyoto Machida via KO (punches)


"Sugar" Rashad's Light Heavyweight reign lasted all of nine minutes (and let's be real, much of that was spent dancing around the ring with Machida). Machida comes with the onslaught and Evans is out before he hits the canvas. With the short term memory loss associated with blows to the head, Evans probably doesn't even remember that he ever was the champ. Oh well, that's what Wikipedia's for anyway.

22. Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez

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Date: 11/11/2017

Event: Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis

Winner: Matt Brown via KO (elbow)

If you don't remember this then you might be thinking the recency bias got us on this one. And (on some level) you may be correct. History will be the judge. But still, in a medium where even the best fights can often look sloppy in comparison to Hollywood choreography, this looks like a freakin' elbow out of a Batman flick. Luda would be proud.

21. Gary Goodridge vs. Paul Herrera

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Date: 2/12/1996

Event: UFC 8

Winner: Gary Goodridge via KO (elbows)


"Oh my" indeed. This is the stuff nightmares are made of. Throwing MetRX up on the computer keyboard right now. Laptop is officially broken.

20. Tito Ortiz vs. Evan Tanner

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Date: 2/23/2001

Event: UFC 30

Winner: Tito Ortiz via KO (slam)


Tito Ortiz successfully defended his light heavyweight title against Evan Tanner with a KO less than one minute into the fight. If you look closely, you can see Tanner was out cold right after the slam. Anyone can knock out another person with their fists, but to get a KO by essentially crushing your opponent's diaphragm, as Ortiz did with a body slam in this bout, that's just beasting on a whole other level.

19. Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson

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Date: 9/21/2013

Event: UFC 165

Winner: Jon Jones via decision (unanimous)


In the main event for UFC 165, Jon Jones finally picked on someone his own size with the 6'5", 205 lb. Alexander Gustafsson and showed a never before seen vulnerability. Bones did come away with the victory by unanimous decision, but judging from Jones' face and the fact that he needed to go to the hospital after the fight, you'd be forgiven for thinking Gustafsson had come out on top.

18. Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald

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Date: 7/11/2015

Event: UFC 189

Winner: Robbie Lawler via TKO (punches)

MacDonald made it all the way to the fifth round when he suddenly fell backward, seemingly out of nowhere, to miss out on his bid to win the Welterweight belt. According to scorecards at the time, had the fifth round ended MacDonald would've been named the victor. Still, he was unable to last just four more minutes before a premature finish. Any guy who says he doesn't know the feeling is full of it.

17. Phil Baroni vs. Dave Menne

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Date: 9/27/2002

Event: UFC 39

Winner: Phil Baroni via KO (punches)


Neither Menne nor Baroni were the big draw at UFC 39, but that didn't stop the latter fighter from showing out. At the sound of the bell, Baroni unleashed a torrent of punches that left dude looking like a limp punching bag. Dope, yes. Whether or not it was dope enough for him to crown himself "the best eva!" is iffy, though. Especially since he went on to lose 17 of his next 27 fights.

16. Masakazu Imanari vs. Jorge Gurgel

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Date: 11/23/2003

Event: ZST Grand Prix Opening Round

Winner: Masakazu Imanari via submission (heel hook) 


Less than one minute into this bout, Japanese fighter Masakazu Imanari handed Jorge Gurgel his first MMA loss by forcing him into submission. MMA heads call it a heel hook, mostly 'cause the pretzel twisting-limb-disfiguring-agonizing-death-lock-from-hell is a tad too long.

15. Anthony Johnson vs. Tommy Speer

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Date: 4/2/2008

Event: UFC Fight Night 13

Winner: Anthony Johnson via KO (punches)


A runner-up in The Ultimate Fighter 6, Speer could only crawl up to the mightier, speedier Johnson after "Rumble" cracked him with an early left hook and several knees to the face. A few face shots later and Speer was slumped awkwardly against the cage, less than a minute into the match. But the harshest blow came after the fight, when UFC promptly released Speer. Ouch.

14. B.J. Penn vs. Caol Uno

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Date: 11/2/2001

Event: UFC 34

Winner: B.J. Penn via KO (punches)


The little Hawaiian was still making his name in MMA when he faced Uno in UFC 34, and in his third-ever bout, Penn destroyed his opponent in just 11 seconds with a devastating flurry of punches. Is 11 seconds even enough time to be considered brutal? Well, you tell us. Watch it above, it's not like it'll take long.

13. Cristiane "Cris Cyborg" Justino vs. Gina Carano

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Date: 8/15/2009

Event: Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg

Winner: Cristiane "Cris Cyborg" Justino via TKO (punches)

OK, so Cyborg won the match, cool. Who's the one who got to be in Deadpool?

12. Stefan Struve vs Denis Stojnic

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Date: 6/13/2009

Event: UFC 99

Winner: Stefan Struve via Submission (rear-naked choke)

"This is like hot oil wrestling with blood," is how Joe Rogan described this fight. If that doesn't get you on this list then, honestly, what the hell does?

11. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock

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10. Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping

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Date: 7/11/2009

Event: UFC 100

Winner: Dan Henderson via KO (punch)


Dan Henderson's powerful right hand across the jaw of Michael Bisping in the second round not only won Henderson the match, but also $100K for having the "Knockout of the Night." And when he told his parents he was gonna fight people for a living, they probably told him, "Well don't come running back to us when you're broke!"

9. Ricardo Arona vs. Kazushi Sakuraba

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Date: 6/26/2005
Event: PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005
Winner: Ricardo Arona via TKO (corner stoppage) 

"So, you get on planes and fight people for a living? Awesome. Have you ever been to Japan? I heard it's a long fight err... flight." Arona ends an epic battle with an epic series of knees to Sakuraba's head. Oh dear.

8. Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie

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Date: 5/27/2006

Event: UFC 60

Winner: Matt Hughes via TKO (punches)

No doubt, Matt Hughes is a gentleman. Rather than break Gracie's arm, he lets the UFC legend up to fight a little more. Then Matt gives him not one, not two, not three, but maybe a dozen of the sweetest, nicest donkey punches you'll ever see. What a guy.

7. Wanderlei Silva vs. Kazushi Sakuraba

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Date: 3/25/2001

Event: PRIDE 13

Winner: Wanderlei Silva via TKO (knees and soccer kick)


PRIDE allowed knees to the head shortly before this fight, which was awesome for Sakuraba, who lost to Silva by TKO after getting dropped with a standing knee strike, then repeatedly kneed in the face and head. After losing, the Japanese fighter showed respect by taking off his personalized belt and giving it to the victorious Brazilian. Pure class.

6. B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson

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Date: 1/19/2008

Event: UFC 80

Winner: B.J. Penn via submission (rear naked choke)


When someone named Daddy faces off against someone called The Prodigy for the lightweight championship, what can you expect? Maybe the Prodigy unleashing a MONSTER elbow on his Daddy with 37 seconds left in the first round, opening a horrific forehead gash that Joe Rogan calls "a broken fire hydrant." Stevenson makes it out of the round, and lasts a couple of more minutes (not counting one timeout for a bloodmoppin') before Benn chokes him out to bring a gruesome end to an already grisly fight.

5. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Dan Henderson

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Date: 11/19/2011

Event: UFC 139

Winner: Dan Henderson via decision (unanimous)

Sorry, not sorry for the music. After all, this YouTuber cut through the down moments to bring us the highlights (of which there were many) for this bout. Anyway, after a grueling five-round brawl, these two fighters could barely muster up any power behind their punches in the latter portions of the fight. It looked like a scene straight out of Family Guy

4. Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga

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3. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

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Date: 6/23/2002

Event: Pride 21

Winner: Don Frye via TKO (punches)

You'd be forgiven for having to check if this was a WWE fight, after watching the clip above, on account of both the ring and the insanely rabid exchange of blows that a reasonable person would believe were pulled in some way. But we assure you it's legit, and that the two fighters simply took their cues on how to defend themselves from the final scene of the first Rocky movie. There's just no other explanation.

2. Ricardo Morais vs. Alex Andrade, Onassis Parungao, Maxim Tarasov, Victor Yerohin, & Mikhail Illoukhine

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Date: 11/25/1995

Event: Absolute Fighting Championship 1

Winner: Ricardo Morais via submission (punches) [first fight]; submission (knees) [second fight]; submission (punches) [third fight]; submission (punches) [fourth fight]; submission (rear naked choke) [fifth fight]

Thirty-two men. One day. This clip is chock full of brutality at the Moscow tournament that saw Ricardo "The Mutant"/"The Monster" Morais earn both his nicknames, as the 6'8 Brazilian jiu-jitsu beast tore through five men to take the crown. So what if he went 5-4-1 the rest of his career? Dude had the best 5-0 day since Daniel Kaluuya packed his ears with stuffing and went one-by-one through the Armitage family.

1. Igor Vovchanchyn vs. Enson Inoue

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Date: 8/27/2000

Event: PRIDE 10

Winner: Igor Vovchanchyn via TKO (punches)

They came out swinging like Rock 'Em Sock 'Em robots at the opening bell, but things soon settled into a nice pattern, in which Vovchanchyn rained down hellfire on the Hawaiian fighter (and fan of delicious snacks), whose guard position completely failed to live up to its name. Sure, Inoue made it to the end of the round without submitting, but he also couldn't get up after the bell, and the fight ended. We thought I.V. therapy was supposed to help people, not turn them into ground lamb.

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