5 smaller UFC fighters with unusual power in their strikes
In the eyes of most UFC fans, the hardest hitters on the roster tend to operate in the heavier divisions. By contrast, the smaller fighters are considered more technical but often less dangerous.
While this trope is often true, there have been a number of smaller fighters in the UFC who carried unusual power in their strikes. These fighters became widely known for knocking their opponents out in violent fashion, and many of them became big stars.
Here are five smaller UFC fighters with unusual power in their strikes.
#5. Kai Asakura - UFC flyweight
Kai Asakura has yet to make his octagon debut, with fans looking forward to the Japanese star's first bout against flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310. However, one thing is already for certain with the former RIZIN champion - Asakura can absolutely crack.
The Japanese star has won 21 of his 25 professional fights, and 13 of those wins have come via KO or TKO.
Asakura tends to fight as a counter-puncher, catching his foes as they come in with vicious shots. While his technique can often be wild, swinging with his chin worryingly high at points, if he lands on his foes, they tend to go down.
If they don't hit the deck, the results can often be worse. Ulka Sasaki, for instance, ate a huge shot from Asakura in their bout in October 2019, and ended up with a badly broken jaw despite surviving.
Whether Asakura is ready to headline a major UFC pay-per-view remains to be seen, but based on the evidence, if he can catch Pantoja clean, he can absolutely knock him out.
#4. Josh Emmett - UFC featherweight
It seems strange to label a fighter who has only scored seven knockout wins in a 23-fight career as having unusual power for a smaller man. However, there's simply no arguing with the way that Josh Emmett has turned out the lights on a number of high-level opponents in the UFC.
The veteran, who has been in the promotion since 2016, was initially known more for his wrestling skills than his striking. Over the years, though, his punching power has revealed itself to devastating effect.
Often, it appears that Emmett doesn't even need to land cleanly to knock his foes down. Glancing blows from his right or left hook were enough to drop the likes of Shane Burgos and Jeremy Stephens.
When he does land cleanly, on the other hand, his opponents tend to be switched off instantly. His finishes of Ricardo Lamas and Michael Johnson, for instance, were truly scary.
At the age of 39, Emmett does appear to be slowing down somewhat. However, thanks to the unusual power that he carries in his hands, he could be a threat for a long time yet.
#3. Justin Gaethje - former UFC interim lightweight champion
While Justin Gaethje's 2024 will always be remembered for the knockout loss he suffered at the hands of Max Holloway, it's safe to say that 'The Highlight' is up there with the hardest-hitting lightweights in UFC history.
Gaethje arrived in the promotion back in 2018 with a huge reputation from his days in the WSOF (now PFL) promotion, where he blasted through the likes of Melvin Guillard and JZ Cavalcante. In 18 bouts, he'd gone the distance just once.
'The Highlight' immediately showed off his skills - and punching power - in his UFC debut, when he knocked out Michael Johnson in a two-round war.
In the years that have followed, while Gaethje has lost a number of fights in the octagon, he's also won plenty of big ones too. The thing that's allowed him to stand out, of course, is his insane punching power.
The way that Gaethje turned out the lights on Edson Barboza, for instance, was terrifying. And changing to a more economic style in 2020 didn't harm him, either, as he destroyed Tony Ferguson systematically, seemingly wrecking him as a fighter in the process.
To add to his punching power, 'The Highlight' also has brutal power in his kicks, too - just ask anyone who's eaten a leg kick from him, or Dustin Poirier, who was knocked out violently by a head kick in 2023.
Essentially, every strike that Gaethje throws is designed with one thing in mind - taking out his opponent - and if he lands, most of the time he'll achieve that goal.
#2. Conor McGregor - former UFC lightweight & featherweight champion
While Conor McGregor's natural charisma, ability on the microphone and star quality allowed him to become the biggest-drawing fighter in UFC history, he didn't get to the top without being able to fight.
In his prime, 'The Notorious' terrorised the featherweight division, using his striking talents to surge through the ranks to claim the 145-pound title from Jose Aldo in 2015.
While McGregor often credited his timing and accuracy for his success as a striker, the truth is that in essence, the Irishman's greatest weapon was his incredible punching power.
'The Notorious' had a coffin-nail left hand, and knew exactly how to use it to devastating effect. During his prime years, nobody could stand up to the kind of power that McGregor could throw.
Chad Mendes succumbed to the left hook despite landing numerous takedowns and cutting the Irishman open. Dustin Poirier was completely shut down by a counter left that didn't even appear to land cleanly.
And Aldo, most famously, only lasted 13 seconds with 'The Notorious' after walking into a clean left hook that switched his lights off instantly. Prior to that, the Brazilian had never been knocked out.
Sure, McGregor eventually degenerated as a fighter somewhat - becoming more reliant on his power than ever before as he lost to successive bouts to Poirier - but at his best, few smaller fighters hit harder than the Irishman.
#1. Ilia Topuria - UFC featherweight champion
Right now, there's no debate over the identity of the scariest power puncher in the UFC's smaller weight classes. The answer is simple - it's current featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria.
Like the infamous Ivan Drago from the movie Rocky IV, whatever 'El Matador' hits, he seems to destroy. The Georgian-Spanish star has already scored eight wins in the octagon since arriving in the UFC in 2020, and five of those victories have come via knockout.
Topuria's straight right hand appears to be his most lethal weapon, but he's also been happy to swing uppercuts and rip hooks to the body, throwing everything with brutal power.
'El Matador' doesn't even need to be standing to do damage - just ask Ryan Hall, who was left discombobulated after a series of violent shots on the ground in their fight.
2024 has obviously been Topuria's crowning year. 'El Matador' became the first fighter to stop two legendary champions - Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway - back-to-back. Volkanovski was short-circuited with a right hand, Holloway with a left.
Pound-for-pound, it might even be arguable that nobody hits harder than Topuria - something that bodes well for a lengthy title reign for him.