Daniel Cormier regards Ilia Topuria's brutal UFC Lightweight title does not awarded the precursor for Knock -Out of the Year.
Topuria placed herself in both the Jager of the Year and the Knock -Out of the Year Discussions in 2024 thanks to a few brutal finishes against Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
It took him only one fight back at lightweight to set himself up for a similar scenario in 2025. Topuria hit Charles Oliveira on UFC 317 on 28 June and landed a brutal combination that 'Do Bronx' in the very first round cold.
Many were quickly proclaiming that if the best KO so far of the year, but Cormier thinks they might forget what happened at the same location three months earlier.
Daniel Cormier chooses Mauricio Ruffy Knock -Out about Ilia Topuria's newest violent finish
During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show next to Chael Sonnen, Cormier made his choice for the Midden-Year Koty Award.
While 'The Bad Guy' chose the Triumph of Topuria above Oliveira because of the simplicity of the strike that put out the ex-camp, Cormier went with a more acrobatic selection.
“Topuria caught Charles Oliveira, Malcolm Wellmaker Knock -Out (Kris) Moutinho, and then Mauricio Ruffy hit that rotating heel shovel on King Green,” said Cormier, with the likely nominees.
“I think this is a no-brainer. I think the knockout of Ilia Topuria was the most valuable because of the stage and what it meant, but in terms of a (panting in shock) knockout, it was Mauricio Ruffy's heels of King Green.
“That was strange … Because you know how good is green, you know how good his eyes are … He had no idea that the heel kick would come,” Cormier added. “Ruffy touches him with it, boom, first look on the floor, over. That is my knockout of the year so far.”
Mauricio Ruffy left Daniel Cormier's 'jaw on the floor' with UFC 313 Knock -Out
Cormier's choice is not surprising how he responded in addition to thousands in T-Mobile Arena when Ruffy De Wielschop landed on UFC 313.
Commentators Jon Anik, Joe Rogan and 'DC' remained awe of the victory of the Brazilian, who continued to place both Ruffy and his Fighting Nerds team on the map.
“Wow! Oh, exactly on the temple,” Cormier said while watching a repeat. “Oh my God!
“Guys … My jaw is on the floor … That was always one of the biggest problems of King Green, who kept his hands low. You can't do that with such a man (Ruffy) for you.”
It is still too considered whether someone else can surpass both Topuria and Ruffy's violent finishes in 2025, or that, with both men, they would be expected to compete again in the second half of the year, they can solve their own efforts.