Who doesn't love a buzzer-beater finish? While it's not as frequent in MMA as it is in other sports, the last-second wins are an exciting sight to see. Shots that just couldn't be avoided or submissions that hurt too much to wait for another moment, finishes can happen at any second of a fight, including the final one.
Whether it be stopped at the last second or fans not really knowing what happened until the end of it, finishes at the last moments show how volatile MMA is. Fans and fighters can collectively think that a fight is over, but it's been proven time and time again that the fight isn't done until the finality of the last horn is sounded.
10 Kyle Daukaus Vs Jamie Pickett
Kyle Daukaus has looked very impressive as of late. Despite the No Contest in his Kevin Holland bout, the performance there was great, as was the performance against Jamie Pickett.
Kyle shut down any striking offense that Jamie offered. Eventually, Daukaus got the fight to the ground and proved his "D'Arce Knight" nickname to be accurate. It looked as if Pickett would see the second round, but the frantic tap came at the 4:59 mark of the very first round.
9 Leon Edwards Vs Peter Sobotta
Leon Edwards has been the dark horse of the welterweight division for some time. His last loss was way back in 2015 and against the current champion. Leon's since won 9 fights and has a No Contest due to an eye injury to his opponent. Amongst these 9 wins is the bout with Peter Sobotta.
Leon and Peter battled it out to the bitter end. Right when the judges were about to be a necessity, they weren't. Leon Edwards would land some loud and heavy shots while controlling Sobotta, and the referee had seen enough. This finish is recorded at 4:59 of the third and final round.
8 Jairzinho Rozenstruik Vs Alistair Overeem
Jairzinho Rozenstruik put his undefeated record on the line when he fought MMA legend Alistair Overeem. Just as it was looking like a blemish would form in Jarizinho's loss column, he threw a devastating shot that would drop Alistair. This punch would not just put Overeem down, but split his lip in what's deemed as one of the most graphic injuries in UFC history.
This was a controversial finish. Alistair had most of the fight won. The last 10 seconds is when he was caught. Rozenstruik landed the shot but immediately walked away. The referee looked hesitant but called a stop to the fight while Alistair was getting up.
7 Paul Craig Vs Magomed Ankalaev
Whoever thinks that the guard is dead in MMA needs to watch a Paul Craig fight. Magomed Ankalaev is a frightening fighter. His 15-1 record could've been 16-0 had there been one more second of fight in him.
Paul Craig is a finisher. The numbers don't lie. He has 15 wins by finish, 12 by submission and 7 of those submissions are triangle chokes. Paul Craig was getting beaten by Magomed when he took on the UFC newcomer. This win was a necessary one, as he lost his two previous fights by stoppage. With one second left, Craig did the impossible and got the triangle choke.
6 Jorge Masvidal Vs Michael Chiesa
Roles were reversed when Jorge Masvidal took on Michael Chiesa. Chiesa landed the knockdown and Masvidal hit the submission when typically Michael is the grappling aficionado and Jorge the striker. Only two submissions on Jorge's record, Michael Chiesa is a nice one to have.
Jorge did a great job securing the choke. Rather than abandon the grip to get some strikes in or a better position before the end of the second round, Jorge made the requisite adjustments to make Chiesa tap with one second left until the horn sounded.
5 Ricky Simon Vs Merab Dvalishvili
One of the most controversial and downright odd endings to a fight, Ricky Simon walked away with a highly questioned win at UFC Fight Night 128.
Merab shot a takedown and seemed to have landed on his head. Possibly unconscious, Dvalishvili was easily swept and placed in a mounted guillotine choke for about a minute. Merab eventually fought enough to make the end of the round(kind of?). When Ricky got off of his opponent, he gestured and claimed that he was out cold from the choke. Merab did look unconscious but instantly disputed that claim. This was a confusing one, but it's in the record books officially as a Technical Submission at the 5:00 mark of the last round for Simon.
4 Demetrious Johnson Vs Kyoji Horiguchi
Demetrious Johnson is the most underrated fighter in the GOAT conversation. The fastest amongst the fast and most technical in a division steeped with technicians - Johnson had the most dominant title reign in UFC history. Kyoji Horiguchi fell victim to this tear.
Demetrious did what he does and mixed everything up well. Horiguchi hung in there but was always a step or two behind. Johnson wound up on top in side control. The opportunity to attack the far side arm with an armbar popped up for a split second and Johnson hopped on it. This submission was too much, forcing the tap.
3 Cody Garbrandt Vs Raphael Assuncao
Garbrandt took the fight with Assuncao after his first 3 losses, all coming by KO/TKO. Cody had to answer some questions in this showing. Fans criticized Cody for not having a durable chin, when really the issue was his defense. Cody had to show that he's still top 5, maybe even championship material after these losses.
That's exactly what he did. Cody gained confidence as the fight progressed. The speed and kickboxing would overwhelm Raphael as he tried to hang in there. As the second round was ending, Cody found himself with his back on the fence. Garbrandt used his speed as a trap and baited Assuncao to throw a strike, which was avoided and countered. This counter landed at the horn and rendered Raphael unconscious at the very last second before the third round.
2 Grant Dawson Vs Leonardo Santos
It's always exciting to see good matchmaking - especially when neither fighter has lost in the UFC. Grant Dawson fought Leaonardo Santos in a grueling fight. The first two rounds were up in the air. Neither fighter necessarily having success, the winner would be completely off of personal whim of the judges.
James Krause gave Grant Dawson some incredible advice in the corner going into the third round. James made his fighter know that this fight could go either way. A finish is a necessity, as nobody knows what the judges are thinking. Grant made Krause proud. As Santos was fishing for a leg lock, Grant controlled his posture and rained down hammer fists that would knock Leonardo out cold at the very last second of the fight. No judges needed.
1 Yair Rodríguez Vs "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung
One of the best fights in MMA history, this was a 24-minute and 59-second war. Chan Sung Jung was largely in control, but the momentum often shifted in this bout. Yair is as wild a striker that the MMA world has seen. However, it seemed that the Korean Zombie was the perfect combination of wild and textbook to stifle Rodríguez.
With 10 seconds left in the fight, both participants agreed to end it with a bang. Chan Sung Jung waded towards Yair, but ran into a hard-to-explain elbow. Yair changed levels and threw a Hail Mary buzzer-beater. An upward elbow from behind the shoulders met Zombie's chin, leaving him face down at 4:59 of the fifth round.