Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman and 4 other last-minute finishes in UFC history
UFC fighters, as is the case with all mixed martial artists, do their very best to finish their opponents. Unfortunately, early first-round finishes aren't as easy to come by as fans and fellow fighters would like.
Jorge Masvidal's five-second knockout over decorated folkstyle wrestler Ben Askren is a rarity. Strangely, last-minute finishes are also rare. While fighters pour every ounce of effort into finishing their opponents, certain fighters adjust and render themselves more difficult to finish as the fight progresses.
In other cases, a fighter's foes absorb so much damage that they can sustain no more past a certain point. This list revolves around UFC fighters who managed to pull something out of the bag and finish their opponents in the very last round with little to no time remaining for them to turn things around.
#5. Jiří Procházka vs. Glover Teixeira, UFC 275
UFC 275 played host to 2022's Fight of the Year. The headline bout involved Czech striking dynamo Jiří Procházka and Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Glover Teixeira. Prior to the bout, the 30-year-old was favored to dominate the striking exchanges due to his natural knockout power and Muay Thai skills.
We saw one of the all-time best Heavyweight bouts at #UFC275 last night as Jiri Prochazka (-225) took down Teixeira 🔥
https://t.co/hW5TEQHubR
Meanwhile, Teixeira was predicted to take complete control over the grappling sequences given Procházka's status as a BJJ white belt. Instead, what ensued was a back-and-forth affair that saw both fighters have success in the areas that they were predicted to struggle in.
Despite the competitive nature of the bout, the Czech superstar was trailing his foe in the fifth round. With just a few seconds remaining before his opponent was declared the winner, a grappling sequence ensued and Procházka secured a rear-naked choke to elicit a tap into the bout's dying moments.
#4. Demetrious Johnson vs. Kyoji Horiguchi, UFC 186
Despite his lack of success on the promotional side of things, Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. According to some, he is the greatest of all time. At UFC 186, he set one of several records that he would come to own by the time his run under Dana White's banner was over.
Demetrious Johnson submits Kyoji Horiguchi with ONE SECOND left in the match... the latest finish in UFC history. http://t.co/c7u8NnFRYu
He faced Kyoji Horiguchi in the event's headline bout. While his foe was on a 9-fight win streak at the time, it meant little to 'Mighty Mouse'. What ensued was a dominant affair in the American's favor. As the fight progressed, Johnson seemed to be cruising to a lopsided unanimous decision win.
But as fate had it, the former UFC flyweight kingpin wouldn't win via decision. Instead, he shattered the promotion's record for the latest submission and latest finish by submitting his foe with an armbar with one second remaining in the round.
#3. Yair Rodriguez vs. Chan Sung Jung, UFC Fight Night 139
While Demetrious Johnson owns the record for the latest submission win in the promotion's history, Yair Rodriguez owns the record for the latest knockout win in the UFC. He came upon the achievement during his main event bout against Chan Sung Jung back in 2018 in Denver.
@UFCONFOX @ufc Yair Rodriguez KO’d the Korean Zombie w/ one sec. left in the 5 round fight. Unbelievable elbow. https://t.co/fLdqI8SjlM
It was an action-packed fight that earned Fight of the Night honors. Throughout the bout, 'The Korean Zombie' seemed to have an edge in the striking department. Towards the end of the bout, 'El Pantera' realized he was down on the scorecards. In the very last second, however, everything changed.
As the two-time featherweight title challenger charged forward, his foe ducked under his punches and uncorked a rising elbow that separated him from consciousness in brutal fashion with only one second left in the bout.
#2. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 2, UFC 278
At UFC 278, Leon Edwards was finally afforded the chance to fulfill his lifelong dream by challenging the then reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman for his divisional strap. The title shot eluded 'Rocky' for most of his career, so it stood to reason that he would throw the kitchen sink at his foe.
The pair locked horns in a rematch of an initial clash that took place years prior. The two men have undergone significant improvements since then, and this was evidenced by Edwards becoming the first UFC fighter to take down Usman. Unfortunately, his first-round success quickly faded.
Pound for pound, headshot ! 🎯
Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman sera le main event du prochain UFC numéroté. 🔥🤩
#UFC286
https://t.co/DYRTSV6fqA
The high-altitude demands of Salt Lake City left Edwards gasping for air. Meanwhile, Usman was accustomed to it due to his high-altitude training. He outwrestled and dominated the Englishman for three straight rounds. As the fifth round progressed, a Usman win seemed certain.
But with 46 seconds left, 'Rocky' pulled something out of the fire as his coach had demanded—and flatlined the Nigerian phenom with a head kick to capture the welterweight title in one of 2022's biggest upsets.
#1. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, UFC 117
The rivalry between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen is a storied one that began 13 years ago at UFC 117. At the time, 'The Spider' was the most feared fighter in the promotion, with most of his foes losing to him before ever setting foot inside the octagon. Chael Sonnen, however, was cut from a different cloth.
10 years ago today, Chael Sonnen dominated Anderson Silva for four rounds and was moments away from UFC glory...
Then came the triangle armbar 😫 https://t.co/Ce3CT8nMI5
He faced the Brazilian legend without fear and used his patented combination of volume, pressure, and wrestling to dominate the proceedings. Silva found himself unable to stop his rival's takedowns while Sonnen thoroughly controlled the bout. Not only did he outwrestle 'The Spider', but he outstruck him as well.
As the fifth round came through, everyone was certain that Silva's 12-fight win streak was coming to an end. Instead, with two minutes left in the bout, the middleweight great trapped his foe in a triangle armbar that forced Sonnen to surrender in one of the greatest comebacks in the promotion's history.