5 dramatic fifth-round finishes in UFC title fights
While a great UFC bout can take place at any time between any two fighters, there’s definitely something more special when a title fight delivers the goods and becomes a classic.
Over the years, we’ve seen a number of great UFC title fights that ended up becoming even more legendary thanks to a dramatic fifth-round finish, something that remains rare in the octagon.
Incredibly, 2022 has seen three title bouts end in wild fashion in the fifth round, but based on past history, it’s doubtful that this will become a trend.
At any rate, here are five dramatic fifth-round UFC title fight finishes.
#5. Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira – UFC light heavyweight title
The first of three fights from 2022 on this list, it’s fair to say that the UFC light heavyweight title bout between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira was not just a fight with a dramatic finish, it was one of the most dramatic title fights in recent memory altogether.
Both men had a lot to prove in the bout, as Prochazka was a little unproven in the octagon, with just two wins to his name. Teixeira, meanwhile, was coming in as the oldest first-time UFC champion of all time, having turned 42 years old the day before he claimed the title from Jan Blachowicz.
Remarkably, both fighters delivered hugely, giving everything they had. In the end, both took an insane amount of damage across the five rounds, with the bout featuring a number of huge momentum shifts.
By the fifth round, though, it looked like Teixeira was slightly ahead on the scorecards. Not only had he largely dominated Prochazka on the ground at points, he’d also opened a brutal cut on the head of ‘Denisa’, leaving him a bloody mess.
However, despite being exhausted, the Czech fighter continued to push forward in the final round. When the fight hit the deck, he somehow managed to secure back control and then locked on a no-hooks rear-naked choke.
#UFC275PROCHAZKA SUBMITS TEIXEIRA TO WIN THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE 🏆 #UFC275 https://t.co/YwrwkxBuoh
Moments later, Teixeira – who had never been submitted in a career that dated back to 2002 – was forced to tap out, making ‘Denisa’ the new champion with just 28 seconds remaining.
The finish was completely insane. Fans can only hope that their rematch, which is set for next month, lives up to the standards set by this one.
#4. Demetrious Johnson vs. Kyoji Horiguchi – UFC flyweight title
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson might’ve claimed a promotional record by making 11 successful defenses of his title, but during his six-year reign as champion, he also suffered accusations of being a point-fighter.
In reality, those claims were never true. Not only did Johnson actually finish seven of his 11 title defenses before the final buzzer, but his dramatic win over challenger Kyoji Horiguchi in 2015 showed a fighter who would always push for the finish, no matter how late in the fight.
#UFC215 FREE FIGHT: Watch @MightyMouseUFC earn the latest finish in UFC history https://t.co/DLhX9oLKrx
‘Mighty Mouse’ was always expected to dominate his Japanese opponent, who was largely granted a title shot because he was on a lengthy winning run and there was nobody else above him on the ladder who hadn’t already fought the champ.
Indeed, when it came to fight time, Horiguchi simply couldn’t deal with the speed of Johnson, who seemed to take him down whenever he wanted, gaining dominant positions, and also landed the far superior strikes, too.
As the fight reached the fifth round, barring a miracle, there was no doubt that ‘Mighty Mouse’ was going to retain his title. However, as the clock ticked down and he found himself in a dominant spot on the ground, he decided to hunt for a finish anyway.
In the end, with literally one second left on the clock, Johnson somehow sunk in an armbar. Right on the buzzer, Horiguchi had to tap out.
The finish remains the latest in any UFC title bout, and if there was ever any evidence needed that Johnson was a finisher and not a point-fighter, this provided it.
#3. Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos – UFC heavyweight title
The heavyweight title trilogy between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos remains arguably the highest watermark for the division in UFC history. While it’s arguable that all three bouts were one-sided – the first in favor of ‘JDS’ and the last two in favor of Velasquez – the finish to their third fight was hugely dramatic.
Fascinatingly, in the early moments of the fight, it looked like dos Santos might have the advantage. He stunned Velasquez with a left hook as the champion charged forward. However, within seconds, the Mexican-American recovered and began to rough him up in the clinch.
From there, Velasquez simply abused his Brazilian foe for round after round, with the third in particular being brutal. It appeared that dos Santos was knocked out following a right hand only to snap back into consciousness before referee Herb Dean could call the fight off.
By the midway point of the fifth round, though, despite taking a career’s worth of damage, dos Santos was still fighting. With less than two minutes to go, he attempted to risk everything by going for a guillotine choke.
Velasquez countered by throwing him to the ground. Fom there, he unloaded with punches to his dazed foe before Dean finally did step in.
via @UFC Was prime Cain Velasquez the best heavyweight of all time?
📹 via @UFC
https://t.co/dahix9pWAY
To see Velasquez finally put dos Santos away was hugely impressive, but even moreso because the fight was almost over anyway. It was a pointer to the champion’s true killer instinct in the octagon and put a full stop on a truly great rivalry.
#2. Alex Pereira vs. Israel Adesanya – UFC middleweight title
The most recent entry on this list took place just this past weekend at UFC 281, as Alex Pereira ended the middleweight title reign of Israel Adesanya in brutal fashion, finishing him late in the fifth round of their clash. Not only was this a dramatic win, but it was a remarkable one, too.
Coming into the bout, despite only having three prior fights in the octagon, everyone was considering Pereira a live underdog for two reasons. Firstly, because he held two wins over Adesanya in the kickboxing ring, and secondly, because of his insane punching power, particularly with his left hook.
However, when the fight began, it looked like ‘The Last Stylebender’ would have a definitive edge. He used his movement, knowledge of range and distance, and experience of fighting in the octagon to land the better strikes throughout the opening round. He even had ‘Poatan’ hurt in the dying seconds.
That turned out to be the best moment for Adesanya, but as the rounds ticked away, it seemed clear that he was winning the fight, particularly after dominating Pereira on the ground in the third round.
After being fired up by his corner coming into the fifth round, though, it became clear that Pereira had nothing left to lose. He was markedly more aggressive in the final stanza, and when ‘The Last Stylebender’ stumbled after a checked leg kick, the Brazilian opened up.
Go Octagon-side for THAT finish from @AlexPereiraUFC!! #UFC281 https://t.co/H8m0K0VYex
‘Poatan’ landed a crushing combination to the head that had Adesanya hurt, and simply didn’t let up, landing bomb after bomb until referee Marc Goddard had to step in and call the fight off with ‘The Last Stylebender’ out on his feet.
Whether Pereira’s title reign lasts for a long time and whether he can overcome Adesanya in a rematch is a question mark, but it’s fair to say that this was about as dramatic a title win as it gets.
#1. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman – UFC welterweight title
Given how the fight had gone leading up to the finish, as well as the fact that it saw one of the most dominant champions in UFC history dethroned, it’s arguable that the most dramatic fifth-round finish in any title fight came when Leon Edwards knocked out Kamaru Usman earlier this year.
Despite riding a lengthy 10-fight unbeaten streak dating back to 2015, very few fans were giving ‘Rocky’ a chance of dethroning Usman, and it was not without good reason.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ was coming in off the back of a largely clear-cut win over Colby Covington, a man thought to be his greatest rival. More to the point, that win had been Usman’s 15th in a row in the octagon, leaving him just one win short of Anderson Silva’s promotional record.
Essentially, nobody had even tested Usman, let alone come close to beating him. Despite surprising him with a takedown in the first round, it didn’t seem like Edwards would be the man to do that, either.
Usman had completely dominated the second, third and fourth rounds of the fight, and seemed well on his way to taking the fifth, too. There was absolutely no question that he was about to claim another victory on the judges’ scorecards.
With just under a minute remaining, though, ‘Rocky’ threw a hail mary shot in the form of a left head kick. It landed perfectly, knocking ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ out instantly.
#UFC278EDWARDS KNOCKED OUT USMAN 😱 #UFC278 https://t.co/RWYU2n3lap
To say the finish was unexpected would be an understatement, but more to the point, it was also one of the cleanest head kicks ever seen in the octagon, making it an all-time great dramatic fifth round finish in the UFC.