There would be little value in following a sport, whatever it may be, if we did not keep records of its great feats. In that sense, one of the most valuable records to be found in MMA have to do with time and knockouts. People despite paying a ticket for a long show, tend to love those spectacular fights whose finishes happen in a heartbeat. Many have even missed the live action just by blinking, checking their cell phones or reaching for a snack.
In UFC history, fans have witnessed countless knockouts, and there are some of them that were really quick. Below, we bring you a list of the 10 fastest knockouts in UFC history.
Updated on January 12th, 2022 by Patrick Mocella: You would think that knockouts that take a few seconds to happen in a UFC fight would be rare, but by looking at the stats it appears that there actually tons of knockouts in the promotion that can happen in the blink of an eye. These aren't limited to the heavyweight division as there are plenty of lightweights who have taken little time to put their opponents to sleep with feet and fists. Some of the knockouts added to this list are from the dark ages of the UFC so if for newer fans of the promotion, this may be the first time exposing yourself to these record-breaking knockouts.
14 Caol Uno vs BJ Penn 1 (11 Seconds)
Easily one of the most famous knockouts on this list, we have to go back to UFC 34 in the early days of UFC's Lightweight division to witness this beatdown. BJ Penn was a hot prospect at the time known from his success in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but nobody knew how deadly his hands were.
After his opponent Caol Uno sprinted out of his corner with a wild flying kick that missed, Penn rushed Uno to the fence and connected with an uppercut that crumbled Uno and the subsequent punches gave Penn a shockingly fast knockout at just 11 seconds.
13 Eugene Jackson vs Mark Weir (10 Seconds)
The early 2000s is a time often forgotten by UFC fans as the promotion was nowhere near the popularity it now has, but it did have some great finishes, including this one from UFC 38. Mark Weir came out of his corner throwing an axe kick but when that missed, he threw a combination that flattened Eugene Jackson.
Like other fighters on this list, Mark Weir may not have much of a legacy in the UFC, but his name will always be remembered in the history books for having one of the fastest knockouts in MMA history.
12 Gray Maynard Vs Joe Veres (9 Seconds)
Gray Maynard may not be in the UFC anymore, he stills holds a great legacy as one of the best fighters in the promotion to never win a belt. While he is most well known for his outstanding wars with Frankie Edgar, Maynard also holds one of the knockouts in UFC history.
At UFC Fight Night 11, Maynard entered the Octagon fresh off a great performance in The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 and leaped at Joe Veres with a crushing left hook that put his opponent to sleep instantly. This is where Maynard's ascension to his all-time classic main event with Frankie Edgar at UFC 125 began.
11 Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Allen Crowder (9 Seconds)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik has climbed up the UFC rankings in recent years and while he is in the top 10 for the Heavyweight division at the moment, he first turned heads back in 2019 with this crushing knockout at UFC On ESPN+ 12.
Facing off against "Pretty Boy" Allen Crowder, Rozenstruik tagged Crowder with a jab as his opponent stepped forward and instantly dropped him to his butt. After a couple of follow-up punches, it was all over for Crowder. While this is far from the only memorable knockout of Rozenstruik's career, it is definitely the fastest.
10 James Irvin Vs. Houston Alexander (8 Seconds)
At UFC Fight Night 13: Florian vs. Lauzon, James Irvin scored an eight-second KO against Houston Alexander.
Right after the bell, James Irvin delivered a Superman punch to Alexander, who immediately collapsed.
"The Sandman" showed no mercy and hit him with two more punches to end the fight easily. Despite being the underdog, Irvin didn't even break a sweat to earn his fourteenth victory at the professional level.
9 Makwan Amirkhani Vs. Andy Ogle (8 Seconds)
On January 24, 2015 Makwan Amirkhani and Andy Ogle collided on the preliminary card of UFC on FOX 14: Gustafsson vs. Johnson.
This was Amirkhani's UFC debut, and what an unforgettable debut it was. The Finnish fighter wanted to end things quickly, and leaped with a fantastic flying knee that impacted Ogle's head, reminiscent of Jose Aldo's against Cub Swanson.
Amirkhani immediately pounced on Ogle and finished him with a barrage of punches. Many think that the referee was hasty in stopping the fight, but the truth is that it was an incredible KO.
8 Leon Edwards Vs. Seth Baczynski (8 Seconds)
Seth Baczynski had come out with energy and momentum, moving forward and throwing quite a few punches in the first few seconds, but he landed a front kick that opened the gap that allowed Leon Edwards to throw the first bomb, which impacted squarely on Seth's head, who fell and was finished off on the canvas, all in just eight seconds.
Excellent performance by "Rocky", who improved his MMA record to 9-2 and proved that he was becoming one of the best fighters in the category and one of the best British fighters as well.
7 Don Frye Vs. Thomas Ramirez (8 Seconds)
Many may not remember Don Frye, who was one of the UFC's pioneers. On February 16, 1996, at UFC 8, Don Frye fought Thomas Ramirez, who was considered a knockout artist, but ironically, he was the one who saw the lights go out on this occasion.
Frye delivered a powerful right hand to Ramirez, which was enough for the referee to stop the fight. Frye not only has one of the fastest KOs in UFC history, but he was also the protagonist of one of the fastest submissions.
6 Ryan Jimmo Vs. Anthony Perosh (7 Seconds)
There is no better arrival to the world's most important MMA promotion than that of Ryan Jimmo at UFC 149. Although Jimmo had great moments in his career, none surpassed the significance of the one he had in his first performance.
The Canadian smashed Australian Anthony Perosh with a huge right hook to his ear to put him to sleep in just seven seconds. An mpressive knockout and subsequent robot dance celebrated a dazzling start to his UFC career.
5 Chan Sung Jung Vs. Mark Hominick (7 Seconds)
On December 10, 2011 at UFC 140 Mark Hominick entered the octagon as the heavy favorite against Chan Sung Jung, but as the fight began the unthinkable happened.
"The Korean Zombie" needed only one mistake from Hominick to seal his victory. The Canadian came out all guns blazing, underestimating the Korean's power, and was met with a counter right hand that knocked him to the mat. Once there, Chan Sung Jung unleashed all his fury, forcing the referee to intervene seven seconds into the first round.
4 Todd Duffee Vs. Tim Hague (7 Seconds)
Heavyweights are the fighters who pack the most artillery power into every punch they deliver, so it's no wonder they get mentions on this list.
At UFC 102, all it took for Todd Duffee to destroy Tim Hague was a brutal right hand that caused his opponent to crumble. Duffee then smashed his downed opponent with several merciless punches until Hague passed out after seven seconds.
3 Terrance McKinney Vs. Matt Frevola (7 Seconds)
Not even Terrance McKinney himself imagined he would have a UFC debut this spectacular. Recently at UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2, McKinney made history after knocking out Matt Frevola in just seven seconds.
After the bell rang and gloves touched, "T.Wrecks" blasted a powerful series of punches to put Matt Frevola to sleep, and Frevola simply didn't know what had happened. This was McKinney's 11th win of his professional career, while Frevola lost for the third time.
2 Duane Ludwig Vs. Jonathan Goulet (6 Seconds)
You may have heard the name Duane 'Bang' Ludwig but only think of him as a coach. Despite never being a standout, Ludwig knocked out Jonathan Goulet in just six seconds at UFC Fight Night 3.
However, due to a referee error, this insane KO is recorded in the books as lasting 11 seconds, although Dana White and UFC recognize that the fight should have been stopped at six seconds. In fact, anyone with a stopwatch could verify that the fight only lasted six seconds. It would be unfair to omit this great feat by Ludwig just because of a referee error.
1 Jorge Masvidal Vs. Ben Askren (5 Seconds)
The fastest KO in UFC history belongs to Jorge Masvidal, who needed just five seconds to defeat Ben Askren at UFC 239. With an iconic flying knee, Jorge Masvidal annihilated Ben Askren. The impact was so powerful and accurate that the referee had no hesitation in stopping the fight, and it was definitely the right call.
Is it possible for a faster KO than this to exist? It seems impossible, but in Mixed Martial Arts anything can happen.