Francis Ngannou, Alex Pereira and more: 5 UFC fighters who had the ultimate equaliser in the form of their one-hit knockout power
The fights that take place in the UFC’s octagon are always highly unpredictable, and part of what makes them so difficult to call is the fact that a single big strike can change the outcome of any bout.
Over the years, we’ve seen a number of fighters in the UFC who, despite often having some limitations, carried the ultimate equalizer in the form of their one-shot knockout power. At times, these fighters would often seem to be in trouble against tricky foes – only to be able to pull off a victory with one brutal strike.
Here are five UFC fighters who had the ultimate equalizer in the form of their one-shot knockout power.
#5. Alex Pereira – UFC middleweight contender
Former dual-weight kickboxing champion Alex Pereira is set to face off with old rival Israel Adesanya for the UFC middleweight title later this month. It’s probably fair to guess that if he does pull off the win, he’ll do it with his lethal left hook.
Pereira’s nickname, ‘Poatan’, literally translates to “stone hand.” While he’s only demonstrated the power of his left hook once in the octagon (using it to obliterate Sean Strickland in their bout earlier this year) he’s dispatched numerous foes with it inside the kickboxing ring over the years.
Of his 33 victories in kickboxing, 21 of them came via knockout, with the left hook being responsible for the majority. One of his victims, in fact, was Adesanya himself. 'The Last Stylebender' saw his lights switched off by just one big shot in his second bout with the Brazilian in 2017.
Since switching to MMA, Pereira’s left hook has been no less deadly. Prior to his arrival in the UFC, he used it to take out Thomas Powell in just his fourth MMA fight, leaving him face-down on the canvas. His finish of Strickland, who had previously shown a solid chin, was astonishing.
ES.PN/UFC276TWPEREIRA KNOCKS OUT STRICKLAND 😱
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Not only does Pereira have one-shot kill power in his left hand, he also has the expert ability to set up the punch and time it to perfection. This makes him one of the most dangerous men in the promotion right now.
#4. Derrick Lewis – UFC heavyweight contender
In many ways, Derrick Lewis simply shouldn’t work as an elite-level heavyweight fighter. It might sound bizarre given that he holds a largely impressive UFC record of 17-8
‘The Black Beast’ doesn’t have the best wrestling skills, he isn’t a submission expert, and his cardio isn’t as could as it could be. Despite these limitations, Lewis has perhaps the biggest equalizer in the form of his absolutely ridiculous punching power. Put simply, if ‘The Black Beast’ connects with the jaw of an opponent – even with a glancing blow – the fight is likely to be over in an instant.
UFC fans were given flashes of Lewis’ insane power in his early days in the promotion, as he took out overmatched foes like Guto Inocente and Viktor Pesta in ruthless fashion.
I’s fair to say that over the years ‘The Black Beast’ has more than proven that his power works against top level opponents too. He’s picked up wins against higher ranked fighters such as Alexander Volkov, Curtis Blaydes and Alexei Oleinik, often having to come from behind to take them out.
The Black Beast is back! 😤
Derrick Lewis knocks out Chris Daukaus in the first round! 💥
#UFCVegas45 | @Thebeast_ufc https://t.co/rwRo6d73nl
When you add in the fact that Lewis’ thunderous power works just as well on the ground as it does on the feet, it should hardly come as a surprise that he’s delivered 13 knockouts in his eight-year octagon career. The number currently stands as a UFC record.
#3. Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson – former UFC light-heavyweight contender
While he was unable to claim gold inside the octagon despite having a couple of attempts at doing so, it’s arguable that there was no more powerful puncher in the UFC than Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson in his prime.
Initially debuting in the octagon as a welterweight on late notice back in 2007, Johnson immediately showed off his brutal stopping power. He destroyed the likes of Tom Speer, Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Kevin Burns, ending his first five wins in the promotion by KO.
However, it was when he moved up to 205lbs after years away from the promotion that his thunderous power really became scary. Not only did ‘Rumble’ carry his power up in weight with him, he somehow increased it.
His finishes of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alexander Gustafsson and Jimi Manuwa were all brutal. However it was his one-shot knockout of future light-heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira – a finish that took just 13 seconds – that really showed that ‘Rumble’ always held the ultimate equalizer in his arsenal.
Rumble Johnson knocked out Glover Teixeira seconds into their fight, four years ago today
#UFC
https://t.co/9yE3UpiqH3
#2. Dan Henderson – former UFC middleweight contender
Once given the derogatory nickname of ‘Decision Dan’ due to his penchant for allowing his fights to go the distance, Dan Henderson eventually developed a reputation for holding serious power in his hands, particularly his overhand right.
Not exactly a technically brilliant striker, Henderson would often wing the right hand from awkward angles. He usually preferred a wide, looping hook – but if it landed on the jaw of his opponent, they usually went to sleep.
After arriving in the UFC from PRIDE in 2007, Henderson rocketed to fame after using that right hand to violently take out his bitter rival Michael Bisping. He switched the lights off on ‘The Count’ and left him as stiff as a corpse in a truly scary scene.
BISPING vs HENDERSON!!! https://t.co/29ydLYfDZr
‘Hendo’ then moved to StrikeForce, where his right hand was nicknamed "The H-Bomb" by commentator Mauro Renallo. It was a nickname that fit perfectly, as he used the punch to take out Rafael Feijao and Fedor Emelianenko before returning to the octagon in 2012.
While he wasn’t able to capture gold in the UFC – and eventually retired in 2016 after a bad run – he was still able to use his massive punching power to dispatch the likes of Shogun Rua and Hector Lombard. This cemented 'Hendo' as one of the sport’s true one-shot knockout artists.
#1. Francis Ngannou – UFC heavyweight champion
It’s arguable that no other fighter in UFC history has displayed the kind of one-shot knockout power that current heavyweight Francis Ngannou has over his career in the octagon. Put simply, ‘The Predator’ is one of the most terrifying fighters of all time.
Fans were first treated to flashes of Ngannou’s brutal power in his earliest fights, as he turned the lights out on overmatched foes like Luis Henrique and Bojan Mihajlovic. However, eyes were really opened when he began to knock out proven, elite-level opponents like Andrei Arlovski and Alistair Overeem.
Those wins set him up for a title shot against then-champion Stipe Miocic, but he came up short in his challenge. Ngannou was exposed somewhat when Miocic was somehow able to absorb his shots and overpower him on the ground.
It didn’t take the native of Cameroon long to get back on track, as he continued to use his incredible power to take out four fighters in a row – including former champions Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos – before taking revenge on Miocic and stopping him to claim the title in 2021.
FRANCIS NGANNOU REALLY KNOCKED OUT STIPE MIOCIC 🤯 #UFC260 @espnmma https://t.co/IXMTQBIIvu
Right now, ‘The Predator’ is clearly the top heavyweight fighter in the world – and the thing that makes him stand out so much is his insane striking power.
In this case, it really is the great equalizer. Ngannou actually isn’t a great striker from a technical perspective. He tends to use looping punches and if one lands, his target is destroyed. That makes him unique, even in the heavyweight division, and explains his dominance.