5 best flying knee KOs in UFC history

Jorge Masvidal (top) and Ben Askren (bottom) [Image courtesy of @MonsterEnergy on Twitter]

Since the inception of the UFC in 1993, the level of striking in MMA has continued to evolve with every passing year. Wrestlers and grapplers dominated the sport for the longest time, before strikers started finding effective tools to avoid getting taken down to the mat.

The flying knee has emerged as a useful tool against wrestlers, who like to attack their opponent's legs or hips. The knee is one of the hardest parts of the human body. A perfectly timed flying knee can knock out any poor soul who finds themselves on the receiving end.

Watch a compilation of all the flying knee KOs in UFC history below:

Listed below are the five best flying knee knockouts in UFC history. Honorable mentions include Johnny Walker's KO against Misha Cirkunov, Fabricio Werdum's KO against Mark Hunt, Matt Weiman's KO against Spencer Fisher and Thiago Alves' KO against Matt Hughes, to name a few.

#5. Tai Tuivasa vs. Rashad Coulter

Tai Tuivasa's best performance in the UFC octagon came on his promotional debut. He became the heavyweight champion of Australia's premier MMA organization, AFC, in just his fifth professional fight and subsequently defended his title in his sixth pro bout before signing with the UFC.

In his UFC debut, he took on Rashad Coulter at UFC Fight Night 121. The event went down at the Quodos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, which is Tuivasa's home city. 'Bam Bam' looked jittery in the first few minutes, but his nerves seemingly settled as the fight progressed.

Tuivasa patiently walked Coulter down and landed a couple of heavy calf-kicks. Four-and-a-half minutes into the first round, he landed another powerful calf-kick that dropped his opponent. As his American counterpart got back to his feet, the Aussie heavyweight took flight and landed a perfectly placed flying knee to knock him out.

Tai Tuivasa with a flying knee KO. Heavyweight's aren't supposed to do this! #UFCSydney https://t.co/bWZKEul5yO

Tai Tuivasa's first fight in the UFC produced one of the best knockouts of his career so far. Flying knee KOs are already a rare entity in MMA and seeing a 265-pound heavyweight pull it off is truly a sight to behold.

His win over Rashad Coulter sent the Australian crowd in attendance into a frenzy. After the bout, fans got their first look at the now-infamous shoey.

Can we expect another shoey this weekend from @BamBamTuivasa? #UFCAdelaide https://t.co/oXfhZRjJkT