Before the Octagon return to Salt Lake City for UFC 307, we present 10 of the best knockouts and submissions from the fighters competing on Saturday, including headliners Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree.
10. Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm – UFC 300
After a dominant run in PFL and two tournament championships, Kayla Harrison was expected to impress in the Octagon. She got her first opportunity at UFC 300 against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
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Harrison more than lived up to those expectations that evening. The former champ had little to offer as the judo gold medalist landed strikes at will and completely controlled the grappling. In the second round, Harrison got Holm to the floor again. After landing some ground and pound, she quickly sunk in a rear naked choke.
9. Raquel Pennington vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith – UFC 181
After standing out among the cast of TUF 18, Raquel Pennington’s momentum halted with a close decision loss to Jessica Andrade. She would face hyped newcomer Ashlee Evans-Smith months later at UFC 181. The scrappy back-and-forth action would yield much better results for “Rocky” this time around.
As the bloodied and bruised ladies would scramble against the fence as the first round came to an end, Pennington would find her moment. She turned a back clinch into a bulldog choke as the 10 second warning sounded. Just a second before the bell, the choke rendered her opponent unconscious.
8. Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill – UFC 300
With all due respect for Sean Strickland’s horribly conceived gameplan at UFC 276, Alex Pereira’s definitive knockout came two years and two title reigns later. In his first light heavyweight defense, Poatan met former champ Jamahal Hill at UFC 300.
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In less than a round, Pereira would reduce his predecessor to a meme. After the fight was briefly interrupted due a foul, Pereira waved off Herb Dean and insisted on continuing. Just a moment later, he dropped a hammer on Hill that left him looking up at the arena lights with confusion.
6. Juliana Pena vs. Amanda Nunes – UFC 269
Amanda Nunes will be remembered as one of the best to ever step into the Octagon. Her dual title reign is undoubtedly one of the most dominant in history. So when Nunes was set to defend the bantamweight title against Juliana Pena at UFC 269, it was no surprise that she was a heavy betting favorite.
Pena showed that legacy and the oddsmakers no respect on the way to a huge upset. By standing toe-to-toe in the second round, she goaded Nunes into a brawl. After absorbing her fair share of significant strikes, an exhausted Nunes was helpless as Pena dragged things to the floor. Moments later the “Venezuelan Vixen” forced a tap.
5. Stephen Thompson vs Jake Ellenberger – The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale
When Jake Ellenberger was matched up against Stephen Thompson, the former collegiate wrestler was confident. So confident that he provided the sport with a memorable self-own when he dismissed the danger of Thompson’s karate background. At the TUF 21 Finale “Wonderboy” showed just how effective traditional martial arts could be.
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It didn’t take long for Thompson to find his rhythm. After surviving a tense moment, he began unloading a variety of strikes including a spin kick to the head. Moments later, a second spin kick put Ellenberger to sleep.
4. Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson – WEC 41
While Jose Aldo has had a slew of incredible highlights throughout his career, his most iconic finish predates his UFC tenure. Before becoming a world champion for the first time, Aldo faced Cub Swanson in the co-main event of WEC 41 in a featherweight title eliminator.
Whatever his game plan was that night, Swanson wouldn’t be given the chance to show it. Just a few seconds into the fight, Aldo connected with a double flying knee that immediately opened Swanson’s face and led to the quick stoppage.
3. UFC 256 – Kevin Holland vs. Ronaldo Souza
The last time Kevin Holland won a fight at middleweight, he gave us one of the most spectacular finishes of 2020. Paired with former Strikeforce champ Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, Holland was concluding a busy 2012 with his fifth appearance in the Octagon.
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While having the decorated grappler in his guard throwing down strikes, Holland began one of his “normal” mid-fight conversations with Jacare. As he scrambled out of the position, he managed to land a series of punches that put his opponent out cold against the fence. The victory set the record for the most wins in a single calendar year.
2. Khalil Rountree vs. Modestas Bukauskas – UFC Vegas 36
Khalil Rountree has developed a reputation as one of the most frighteningly violent fighters on the UFC roster. Among the UFC 307 headliners many brutal knockouts, UFC Vegas 36 stands above the rest.
Paired against Modestas Bukauskas, Rountree needed to deliver after dropping two consecutive fights. “The War Horse” wasted no time, pressuring his opponent from the opening bell. After dishing out a beating in the first round, a side kick to Bukauskas’ knee would be the kill shot. Herb Dean declared the TKO victory for Rountree immediately after Bukauskas collapsed to the canvas.
1. Joaquin Buckley vs. Impa Kasanganay – UFC Fight Island 5
Before UFC Fight Island 5, Joaquin Buckley was a little-known newcomer to the promotion. After mixed results in Bellator and losing in his Octagon debut, expectations were not high for the St. Louis native. That all changed with one viral moment.
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Two minutes into the second round, Kasanganay caught Buckley’s roundhouse kick. “New Mansa” used it to throw a jump spinning back kick to the head that would make Jet Li blush. The knockout was so spectacular it spawned a phone call from the sitting president and a Kanye West song.
