5 of the most brutal uppercut knockouts in UFC history
No MMA promotion comes close to the UFC in terms of entertainment value and high-profile fights. Recently, UFC Vegas 33 - despite losing a key fight and being branded one of the worst cards in the promotion's history - averaged 797k viewers on ESPN, despite a stacked Bellator 263 card at the same time (85k viewers).
A knockout is probably the most exciting outcome of a fight, at least for the vast majority of fans. And the UFC's popularity over the years can definitely be - at least partly - attributed to the plethora of highlight-reel knockouts that have transpired in the octagon.
In this article, we take a look at five of the most brutal uppercut knockouts in UFC history. Unsurprisingly, this list is dominated by heavyweights.
Honorable Mentions: Jeremy Stephens vs Rafael dos Anjos, Houston Alexander vs Keith Jardine, Vitor Belfort vs Dan Henderson [This list is not exhaustive.]
#5 Junior dos Santos vs Fabricio Werdum - UFC 90
On October 25, 2008, Fabricio Werdum entered his fight against UFC debutant Junior dos Santos as a -650 favorite. JDS, meanwhile, was a +450 underdog with only seven professional fights under his belt.
However, with the odds stacked heavily against him, Dos Santos pulled off an upset for the ages. Only a minute and a half into the fight, 'Cigano' landed a brutal uppercut that knocked Werdum out of his senses, handing him only the fourth loss of his professional career and causing the UFC to decide against renewing the contract of 'Vai Cavalo'.
Dos Santos won his next eight fights in the UFC, beating Cain Velasquez in November 2011 to claim the heavyweight title. Werdum didn't do too badly, either. He won nine of his next ten fights under the StrikeForce and UFC banners, before winning the undisputed strap in June 2015 against Velasquez, whom Dos Santos had lost to in December 2012.