Top 10 UFC KOs of all time including terrifying Francis Ngannou uppercut and Max Holloway last second buzzer-beater

Throughout the UFC's storied history, there have been a wide variety of terrifying KOs, including some of the sport's biggest stars.

UFC fans have benefited from some incredible moments in the promotion's history, including some star-studded knockouts.

From spinning kicks from Edson Barboza to gruesome uppercuts from Francis Ngannou, there are many KOs that can be considered the 'greatest ever' by fans.

Bloody Elbow has compiled a list of the 10 greatest UFC KOs of all time, taking into account the magnitude of the moment and the final blow itself.

10. Alistair Overeem vs. Francis Ngannou – UFC 218

Fittingly, Francis Ngannou will return to MMA this Saturday at PFL Super Fights 'Battle of the Giants', where he will face Renan Ferreira for the Super Fight heavyweight title, making his promotional debut.

Rewinding to UFC 218 in 2017, Ngannou clashed with a feared heavyweight, Alistair Overeem, in the co-main event.

The devastating power of 'The Predator' was on display in the first round when he landed a hellish uppercut to the Dutchman's chin, knocking him out in what is one of the most viral images in UFC history.

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

9. Korean Zombie vs. Yair Rodriguez – UFC Fight Night 139

Yair Rodriguez's KO of 'The Korean Zombie' in Colorado in 2018 will go down as one of the most bizarre finishes of all time, with fans initially thinking it was a lucky strike.

The event already had a meaningful feel as the UFC was celebrating its 25th anniversary and the promotion used the throwback logo throwback theme.

In the main event, the Mexican striker landed one of the most unique elbows in MMA history within the final seconds of the fight, knocking out Chan Sung Jung.

8. Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards III – UFC 278

At UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Leon Edwards started a trend of terrifying head-kick KOs when he upended Kamaru Usman in the final moments of their huge welterweight title fight.

With the win, 'Rocky' Edwards became only the second ever UFC champion from Great Britain, joining pioneer Michael Bisping in helping to grow the sport on that side of the pond.

The KO will go down as one of the greatest of all time due to the fact that the Brit was dominated for over four rounds and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the dying embers.

7. Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort – UFC 126

Considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Anderson Silva's UFC career has been filled with plenty of star moments, but his KO of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126 stands out as the best.

Heading into the fight, Belfort was largely considered one of Silva's toughest tests to date, but in the first round, 'The Spider' scored the first-ever front kick KO in the promotion's history, retaining his middleweight title.

6. Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje – UFC 300

Recency bias may play a role in this choice, but Max Holloway's last-second KO of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 will be played repeatedly for decades to come.

Because UFC 300 is such a monumental event, as soon as this fight was announced it was marked as 'The People's Main Event', with both fighters being huge fan favorites.

After dominating the former interim lightweight champion for five rounds, 'Blessed' Holloway scored one of the craziest last-second KOs ever to win the BMF title.

What makes this moment even more impressive is the fact that Holloway didn't need to start a brawl in the final moments, but because of the BMF blood coursing through his veins, he did so anyway.

5. Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim – UFC 142

Edson Barboza's highlight reel will go down as one of the most impressive for any fighter in UFC history when he decides to hang up his gloves.

Marking the start of his epic climax, a ferocious KO against Terry Etim at UFC 142 left UFC fans speechless.

Not only was the kick landed with incredible precision, but it was completely unavoidable due to the speed with which the Brazilian landed it.

4. Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren – UFC 239

Potentially too high on the list comes Jorge Masvidal's stunning flying knee KO over Ben Askren at UFC 239, resulting in probably the most repeated UFC KO of all time.

After landing the perfect running flying knee within the first five seconds of their fight, 'Gamebred' Masvidal became one of the UFC's biggest cash cows, completely changing the trajectory of his career.

3. Impa Kasanganay vs. Joaquin Buckley – UFC Fight Night 179

At UFC Fight Night 179 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Joaquin Buckley scored the most unique KO in UFC history when he put Impa Kasanganay to sleep with a leaping, spinning back kick after Kasanganay caught his body kick attempt.

While this KO is probably at the top of the list in terms of uniqueness and technique, it was a fight between two unranked fighters at the time on the undercard of a fight night, with the significance of the event moving it lower on the list.

2. Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm – UFC 193

This KO comes in second on the list because of the sheer significance of the moment and because the KO itself is completely sensational.

At UFC 193 in 2015, more than 56,000 fans attended hoping to witness then-UFC star Ronda Rousey pull off another dominant win.

'Rowdy' Ronda's star power was growing day by day and she was the sole reason why the UFC implemented a women's division.

Despite all that, in the second round of her fight against striker Holly Holm, 'the Preachers Daughter' scored one of the biggest wins in UFC history with a devastating head kick KO.

1. Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor – UFC 194

Who else could top the list? In December 2015, Conor McGregor catapulted himself to superstardom when he KO'd Jose Aldo in the first 13 seconds of their title unification fight at UFC 194.

Not only will this go down as the greatest KO ever, but it will also go down as one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history due to the build-up and hatred between both fighters.

This one is at the top because of what “The Notorious” accomplished after this historic moment.

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