Masvydalya’s “flying knee”, Ankalaev’s front-kick and Andrade's amplitude throw: the best UFC knockouts of 2019

10. Stephen Peterson - Martin Bravo (Featherweight)

Tournament: UFC Fight Night 159 | Method: Spinning Backfist

Date and Place: September 21, Mexico City (Mexico)

The ten most beautiful knockouts of 2019 opens with a phenomenal blow performed by Stephen Peterson. For a 29-year-old American, the fight with Martin Bravo was decisive in terms of a career in the UFC. The defeat could become for him the third in a row, which in fact guaranteed the dismissal. However, he not only won, but also did it in a beautiful style.

The denouement came in the first half of the second round. The athletes met in the center of the octagon, after which Bravo made an attempt to punch from a U-turn (spinning backfist). A few fractions of a second later, Peterson also performed the same element, but unlike his counterpart, he did it successfully. He hit exactly the jaw of the Mexican and won the fifth victory by knockout in his career.

Steven Peterson acabó con Martin Bravo de manera fulminante. 😵💣 # UFCMexico # UFC (vía @espnmma) pic.twitter.com/RkagIPE5gx

9. Justin Gatgi - Edson Barbosa (Lightweight)

Tournament: UFC on ESPN 2 | Method: Right Side

Date and place: March 30, Philadelphia (USA)

The main event of the show was a duel of two of the brightest representatives of lightweight. Justin Gatzy managed to become famous as an uncompromising and courageous fighter, and Edson Barbosa is the author of one of the most beautiful early victories in the UFC. In 2012, he knocked out Terry Etim with the help of a magnificent spinning kick, traditionally included in slicing the best moments in history.

Unlike the battle seven years ago, everything was decided in the first 150 seconds, and the Brazilian himself appeared on the floor. From the very beginning, the athletes began to shower each other with a hail of blows, but Gatji was noticeably more persistent. By the second minute, the vis-a-vis had difficulty standing and was forced to act on waste. However, Justin coolly calculated the next Edson's maneuver and, on a jump, pulled it out with his right side. He crashed onto the floor and left the judge no choice but to stop the battle.

🗣 "Have you ever seen anything like @Justin_Gaethje !?"

2️⃣ days' til The Highlight is back! # UFCVancouverpic.twitter.com / SpFw5gz0Nw

8. Aleksandar Rakic - Jimmy Manuva (light heavyweight)

Tournament: UFC Fight Night 153 | Method: Left High Kick

Date and place: June 1, Stockholm (Sweden)

It took Aleksandar Rakich 42 seconds to break into the top 10 best knockouts of 2019 in the UFC. In his fourth fight in the Absolute Fighting Championship, the Austrian was once opposed by one of the light heavyweight leaders Jimmy Manuva. True, recently the Briton could not boast of success and in each of the last three battles appeared in the role of a loser.

This fight was no exception. The athletes started rather carefully and did not force the fight, until Rakic ​​went on a trick. He showed that he wanted to punch with his right hand, but instead delivered a powerful left hi-kick. He fell exactly in the jaw of Manuwe, which collapsed on canvas.

🗣 LIGHTS OUT!

How could we forget @ Rakic_UFC's last showing !? 😳 # UFCBusanpic.twitter.com / GDX4fFiCTP

7. Magomed Ankalaev - Dulcha Lungiambula (light heavy)

Tournament: UFC Fight Night 163 | Method: front kick

Date and place: November 9, Moscow (Russia)

One of the most beautiful knockouts of the year happened at the UFC tournament in Moscow. Magomed Ankalaev extended his winning streak in the championship and forced the referee to prematurely stop his fight with Dalch Lungiambula. Moreover, the Russian did it in a bright style, practically recreating the famous kick by Anderson Silva in a fight with Vitor Belfort.

By the third round, Ankalaev confidently led in the octagon and led all the judges on the cards. Nevertheless, the physically powerful Lungiambula continued to actively go forward and attack dangerously. However, after another attack, the Congolese stagnated and missed the most powerful front kick in the jaw. Magomed instantly struck another blow, but that one was clearly superfluous.

6. Anthony Pettis - Stephen Thompson (Welterweight)

Tournament: UFC Fight Night 148 | Method: Superman Punch from the cage

Date and Place: March 23, Nashville (USA)

In the main match of the March UFC tournament, some of the most spectacular drummers in the history of MMA clashed. Pettis made his welterweight debut, which did not stop the matchmakers from identifying him as opponents of the ex-contender for the title. Thompson was considered a clear favorite, but Anthony was able to create a sensation and achieve another bright victory. It is noteworthy that the creator of one of the most beautiful strokes in mixed martial arts (show time kick) again used the grid. True, this time he struck with his hand, and not with his foot.

By the end of the second round, Pettis was noticeably inferior, and his face was covered in blood. Thompson, in his usual manner, acted at a distance and, due to his phenomenal kickboxing skills, “shot” his counterparts. Seven seconds before the bell, the ex-lightweight champion was pressed with his back to the net, but decided on an unexpected step. He pushed herself away from her and performed superman punch exactly in the opponent's jaw. For Stephen, this early defeat was the first in his career.

5. Valentina Shevchenko - Jessica Ai (Flyweight title fight)

Tournament: UFC 238 | Method: Left High Kick

Date and place: June 8, Chicago (USA)

One of the brightest knockouts of the year was Valentina Shevchenko. The Russian-Kyrgyz athlete confidently dealt with Jessica Ay, demonstrating her rich skills in kickboxing and taekwondo. The importance of this success is added by the fact that he fell on the first defense of the champion title in the bantamweight, and her counterpart had an impressive series for her category of three consecutive wins.

At this point, Ai had accumulated six defeats, but not one of them was premature. Jessica was famous for her ability to hold a punch, but could not confirm this in a full-time duel with Valentina. Shevchenko fed the opponent with two left middle kicks on the body, after which she struck a high-kick in the head. The American had no chance to escape.

Valentina Shevchenko just flatlined Jessica Eye with a head kick. pic.twitter.com/006QjDYyCx

4. Jessica Andrade - Rose Namayunas (fight for the title in minimum weight)

Tournament: UFC 237 | Method: high-amplitude head throw to the floor

Date and Place: May 11, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

Usually, fighters knock out each other with punches and kicks, but sometimes this happens as a result of powerful throws. In 2001, former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes pushed Carlos Newton so hard on the floor that he lost consciousness and the referee was forced to stop the bout. But if men from that moment more than once won this way, then for women it was rare.

Nevertheless, this is how Andrade won the title in minimum weight. She put the reigning champion Namayunas on the floor with all her strength and replaced her at the top of the division. At the same time, it is worth noting that the American herself contributed to such a spectacular knockout. In the UFC, you can throw the enemy head down only on the condition that he is trying to give you a painful technique. Unfortunately for Rose, at that moment she was trying to make a kimura, which untied Jessica's hands.

3. Nico Price - James Wick (Welterweight)

Tournament: UFC Fight Night 161 | Method: Up-kick

Date and place: October 12, Tampa (USA)

Kicking a victory from a lying position (up-kick) is an extremely rare event in the UFC. Firstly, this is due to the fact that it can be applied only at the moment when the opponent is firmly on the ground and does not touch the floor with a third point. Otherwise, such a maneuver is considered prohibited and may lead to disqualification. This is exactly what happened with the legendary Anderson Silva in the battle with Yushin Okami.

Unlike him, Price was able to do it by the rules. He started the round actively, but soon found himself on the floor. Vick tried to beat him on the ground for some time, but then got to his feet. The 191-centimeter American hardly expected his counterpart to decide on a risky blow, for which he paid. Up-kick hit exactly in the jaw and sent James to a deep knockout.

¡QUÉ PATADA SOBRE JAMES VICK! 😰 #UFCxFOX ¡Niko Price con la victoria por KO en UFC Fight Night 161! pic.twitter.com/irXu5qyrlz

2. Kevin Lee - Gregor Gillespie (Lightweight)

Tournament: UFC 244 | Method: Combination of Right Straight and Left Hi-Kick

Date and Place: November 2, New York (USA)

One of the cruelest knockouts of the year. Kevin Lee spent only 2 minutes 47 seconds in the octagon, but managed not only to make a successful return to lightweight, but also earn an additional $ 50 thousand. As a result of the evening, his early victory over Gregor Gillespie was deservedly recognized as “Performance of the evening”.

Until that moment, Gillespie had not lost a single fight and was considered a favorite, but everything was crossed out by a brilliant combination performed by Lee. He took advantage of the confusion on the part of the opponent and drew a bunch of a direct hit of the right hand and hi-kick with his left foot. The combination turned out to be so furious that Gregor immediately lost consciousness and flew into the net with his whole body, which only added to the entertainment by knockout. The former title contender proved that he was very dangerous not only in wrestling, but also in striking technique, which Islam Makhachev could very soon be convinced of.

Kevin Lee with a contender for KO of the year with this headkick to Gregor Gillespie. Wow. # UFC244pic.twitter.com / ao3Qf3ntzf

1. Jorge Masvidal - Ben Askren (Welterweight)

Tournament: UFC 239 | Method: Flying Knee

Date and place: July 6, Las Vegas (USA)

In 2019, not a single early victory made such a sensation as the success of Jorge Masvidalya in the battle with Ben Askren. The hot confrontation between the two sworn enemies was presented as one of the main events of the summer, but in reality ended with a loud triumph of one and a crushing fiasco of the other. The battle lasted only five seconds, and a native of Miami became the author of the fastest knockout in UFC history.

In fact, the athletes did not even have time to really start a fight, and everything was decided by a phenomenal knee kick in a jump. Masvidal predicted that the base wrestler Askren would immediately try to get to his feet and punished him for predictability. Ben fell on the floor and could only climb with the help of medical personnel. It is all the more remarkable that he did not receive serious injuries.

It is worth noting that this knockout had a strong influence on the career of both athletes. Masvidal became one of the brightest fighters of 2019 and in November led the jubilee 500th UFC tournament, which was held in New York. On it, he defeated Nick Diaz and went down in history as the first owner of the "hardest bastard" belt. Askren was soon defeated by suffocation from Demyan Maya and announced his retirement from the sport.

"Perdón que me demoré" se disculpaba @GamebredFighter luego de este KO 😂

Miralo frente a Nate Diaz en # UFC244 este sábado: https://t.co/2Qthrx0tBcpic.twitter.com/aatDSaVYWM