5 most prolific knockout artists in UFC history
There’s nothing quite like seeing a brutal knockout in the UFC, and while every fighter who steps into the octagon is capable of producing one, some fighters are far more prolific at it than others.
So who is the most prolific knockout artist in UFC history?
Some obvious names instantly come to mind, but some fighters with plenty of knockouts might come as a surprise.
With entries from multiple divisions, including heavyweight, welterweight and middleweight, here are the top five most prolific knockout artists in UFC history.
#5 Anthony Johnson – 11 knockouts in the UFC
Current Bellator fighter and former UFC light-heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson sits at No. 5 on this list of the UFC’s most prolific knockout artists, with 11 knockouts to his name.
‘Rumble’ debuted in the UFC in 2007 as a late replacement in a welterweight fight with Chad Reiner, with just three professional fights to his name at the time. It took him 13 seconds to announce himself to the UFC fanbase as he knocked out Reiner with a brutal combination of punches.
And despite constant struggles to make the 170lbs welterweight limit, Johnson continued to brutally knock his opponents out during the majority of his visits to the octagon. Two of those knockouts – against Charlie Brenneman and Kevin Burns – were enough to net him a ‘Knockout of the Night’ bonus.
2012 saw Johnson attempt to move to 185lbs, but when he failed to make that weight too, he was released from the UFC, going onto reinvent himself as a light-heavyweight on the regional scene.
Six wins in a row were enough for the UFC to bring him back, and he immediately showed that the big power he carried at 170lbs could also translate to 205lbs.
‘Rumble’ violently finished Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alexander Gustafsson, Jimi Manuwa, Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira in his second run with the promotion, taking his total of UFC knockouts up to 11.
Johnson would retire in 2017 after a second failed UFC light-heavyweight title shot, but he has since returned with Bellator – and has already picked up yet another knockout victory for his overall ledger.