Highlights
The Knockouts | 2024 UFC.com Awards
Everybody Loves A Good Knockout, And These 10 Stood Out Above The Rest In 2024
The highly unofficial awards season continues with the biggest knockouts of 2024 and how we saw them on fight night ...
UFC.com's 2024 Awards: Newcomers | Submissions | Fights
1 - Max Holloway defeats Justin Gaethje by KO (right hand) at 4:59 of Round 5
Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
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Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
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Max Holloway is the latest to hold the UFC’s BMF title, claiming the symbolic belt with a masterful performance against Justin Gaethje midway through Saturday’s pay-per-view main card, capped by one of the gnarliest knockouts you're ever going to see.
The former featherweight champion was sharp from the start, using his long punches to pick at Gaethje early before shattering his nose with a spinning back kick on the buzzer at the end of the first round. From there, “Blessed” continued to consistently land the better shots, stinging Gaethje on multiple occasions while weathering the shots coming back his way exceptionally well through the first 15 minutes.
Gaethje found more success in the fourth, dropping Holloway and continuing to crash home low kicks to the Hawaiian’s battered lead leg, but Holloway responded by taking the fight to him in the fifth… and then it happened.
When the final 10 second clacker sounded, Holloway invited Gaethje to stand in the center with him, much like he did Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199. Gaethje obliged and the two started slinging, with Holloway putting a right hand on Gaethje’s jaw, knocking him out cold.
This was every bit as captivating as expected, and an absolutely tremendous showing from the long-time ruler of the 145-pound weight class, with an insane finish that affirmed his standing as the baddest dude on the planet.
2 - Ilia Topuria defeats Max Holloway by knockout at 1:34 of the third round
Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria made another statement in his first title defense Saturday in Abu Dhabi, as he knocked out former champ Max Holloway in the third round of the UFC 308 main event.
Topuria won the title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in February, and today, he added another all-time great to his perfect resume.
As promised, both fighters called for a slugfest as the bout began, but then the fight started at long range, Holloway busy as Topuria pressured, then took the challenger down twice. Upon rising, Topuria landed a hard right hand and started mixing kicks in. Holloway kept firing, though, landing more and more as the round progressed.
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Topuria’s power shots began to find their mark with more frequency in round two, and while they got Holloway’s attention, he didn’t stray from his gameplan or lower his work rate, as he continued to outwork the champion.
In the second minute of round three, a right hand hurt Holloway, and Topuria unleashed his arsenal on the Hawaiian. Holloway initially weathered the storm, but then a left hand sent him hard to the canvas, with referee Marc Goddard halting the fight moments later at 1:34 of the third frame.
With the win, Topuria moves to 16-0. Holloway falls to 26-8.
3 - Vinicius Oliveira defeats Benardo Sopaj by KO (flying knee) at 4:41 of Round 3
Vinicius Oliveira Flying Knees Benardo Sopaj | UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Gaziev
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Vinicius Oliveira Flying Knees Benardo Sopaj | UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs Gaziev
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Vinicius Oliveira and Benardo Sopaj combined for one of the best fights between duelling debutants in UFC history, with the Brazilian capping things in spectacular fashion.
Oliveira started well, taking advantage of some nerves on the part of Sopaj before the 23-year-old settled into the contest and grabbed hold of all the momentum. Midway through the second round, it seemed like Sopaj was on the verge of securing a finish, but Oliveira survived and shifting things back into his favor, hurting his fellow newcomer later in the round and before capping things with an insane flying knee knockout in the waning moments of the third.
This was a thoroughly entertaining fight and a devastating finish, one that instantly rockets to the top of the Knockout of the Year standings.
4 - Alex Pereira defeats Jamahal Hill by TKO (strikes) at 3:14 of Round 1
Statement made.
Alex Pereira successfully defended the light heavyweight title in spectacular fashion, flooring Jamahal Hill with a massive left hook midway through the opening round. The champion didn’t even land completely flush, and yet Hill fell backwards to the canvas. Pereira pounced, swarming and securing the finish, making it look easy.
“Poatan” is putting together one of the most remarkable resumes in UFC history, and he’s doing it against elite tier talent. That’s now three straight in the 205-pound weight class for Pereira, each coming against a former titleholder, and a 7-1 record inside the Octagon with three championship fights, all in less than three years.
What an incredible way to close out a phenomenal night in Las Vegas.
5 - Alex Pereira defeats Jiri Prochazka by KO (high kick) at 0:13 of Round 2
Alex Pereira is operating on another level than everyone else in the UFC right now.
Saturday night, “Poatan” successfully defended his light heavyweight title with a left high kick seconds into the second round that caught Jiri Prochazka all the way out. The follow-up blows were academic.
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Pereira is now 4-0 at light heavyweight, with each of his last three victories coming in devastating fashion. He has eight wins and titles in two weight classes all in the span of 32 months; it’s unprecedented what he’s doing.
6 - Ilia Topuria defeats Alexander Volkanovski by KO (right hand) at 3:32 of Round 2
Ilia Topuria is your new featherweight champion!
For the entirety of the fight, the undefeated challenger stalked the champion, looking for an opening to land a devastating shot that ended the fight in a hurry. He just missed a couple of times during the first and through the midway point of the second, but late in the frame, as the two men got into close quarters along the fence — BOOM!
A right hand found the chin and put Alexander Volkanovski out cold, ushering a new era in the UFC featherweight division.
Just an absolutely tremendous performance from the confident, unbeaten Spaniard, who becomes the sixth undisputed champion to sit on the throne in the 145-pound weight class.
7 - Shara Magomedov defeats Armen Petrosyan by knockout at 4:52 of the second round
Unbeaten middleweight prospect Shara Magomedov continued to impress, as he scored a highlight reel second-round knockout of Armen Petrosyan in the main card opener.
Petrosyan got after Magomedov immediately, briefly stunning the Russian, who was forced to fight off his back foot to begin. Soon, Magomedov got his rhythm and the two began to scrap, with the fans roaring in appreciation, especially as Magomedov surged down the stretch and answered Petrosyan’s kicks with a variety of counters.
The fast pace continued in round two, but Magomedov was starting to pull away, and then, out of nowhere, he threw a double backfist, and the second one dropped Petrosyan hard to the canvas, prompting an immediate stoppage from referee Kerry Hatley at the 4:52 mark as “Shara Bullet” walked away in victory.
Magomedov moves to 15-0 with the win. Petrosyan falls to 9-4.
8 - Shi Ming defeats Feng Xiaocan by KO (head kick) at 0:46 of Round 3
Shi Ming Finishes Feng With Vicious Head Kick | UFC Macau
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Shi Ming Finishes Feng With Vicious Head Kick | UFC Macau
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Shi Ming snatched a UFC contract in spectacular fashion in the Road to UFC strawweight finale, putting Feng Xiaocan to sleep with a thudding head kick early in the third round.
Likely down two rounds, Shi feinted a level change and fired high, putting her right shin across the neck and jaw line of Feng with force, sending her young opponent crashing to the canvas in an unconscious heap, instantly halting the action.
This was an outstanding finish in a massive moment for 30-year-old Shi, a practicing doctor who has now earned five straight victories. With the win, Shi becomes the first female tournament winner in Road to UFC history, and earns a place on the UFC roster.
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9 - Carlos Prates defeats Li Jingliang by KO (left hand) at 4:02 of Round 2
Carlos Prates continued his outstanding rookie campaign in the UFC by becoming the first person to knock out Chinese veteran Li Jingliang to kick off the UFC 305 main card.
“The Nightmare” showcased his outstanding striking throughout, happily wading into the pocket to trade blows with the returning Li from the outset. After hurting him multiple times in the first, Prates stayed on the offensive in the second, patiently finding punishing shots before driving home a left hand that found the mark and put “The Leech” on the canvas.
A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’23, Prates is now 3-0 in the UFC this year, with each of his three wins coming inside the distance. The streaking Muay Thai stylist has won 10 straight overall and continues to make his case for both Rookie of the Year and a place in the Top 15.
10 - Esteban Ribovics defeats Terrance McKinney by KO at 1:35 of Round 1
Lightweight finishers Esteban Ribovics and Terrance McKinney weren’t expected to go the distance, and they didn’t, with Argentina’s Ribovics ending matters in less than a minute.
Both fighters wasted no time getting after it, but after some heated exchanges, it was a single right head kick by Ribovics that dropped and finished McKinney. The official time was :37 of round one.
With the win, Ribovics moves to 13-1. McKinney falls to 15-7.
Voters – Aziz Bawany, Juan Cardenas, Thomas Gerbasi, Christoph Goessing, Simon Head, E. Spencer Kyte, Steve Latrell, McKenzie Pavacich, Zac Pacleb, Ryan White