Before the Octagon touches down in Manchester, England, we present to you 10 of the best knockouts and submissions from the fighters that will compete this Saturday at UFC 304 including defending champions Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall.
10. Molly McCann vs. Hannah Goldy – UFC Fight Night 208
How do you top a Performance of the Night worthy spinning elbow knockout? Well if you’re Molly McCann, the answer is simple: just do it again but faster. Several months after shocking the MMA world with her stunning third round KO of Luana Carolina, McCann would return to the O2 Arena to face Hannah Goldy.
Late in the first round, McCann escaped a leg lock attempt and motioned for Goldy to stand back up. Without a trace of hesitation, McCann swarmed her with an overhand right before pushing her to the fence. As Goldy bounced back, she was met with a spinning elbow that opened her up for a barrage of punches. Herb Dean stepped in just moments later.
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9. Giga Chikadze vs. Cub Swanson – UFC Vegas 35
Former Glory kickboxer Giga Chikadze began his UFC run with seven straight wins. One of those came at the expense of longtime veteran Cub Swanson in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 35.
It didn’t take long for him to show off just how advanced his striking was compared to his peers. As the first minute of the opening round ended, Chikadze landed a hard body kick that shut Swanson down. “Killer Cub” fell to the floor and took a few ground punches before the fight was stopped.
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8. Arnold Allen vs Dan Hooker – UFC Fight Night 204
After running into a brick wall against eventual lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, Dan Hooker would return to the featherweight division with a co-main event against Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 204. Allen decided to stay in his native UK with his original coaches to prepare for the O2 Arena bout.
The two wasted no time getting to business. Before the halfway point in the first round, Allen landed a solid combination that rocked Hooker. Hooker landed his own counter and earned a stay of execution. Allen reset, landed another combination, and blitzed his opponent to the fence. This time Hooker wouldn’t survive as a standing TKO was called.
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7. Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady – UFC 280
After going unbeaten for eight straight fights, Belal Muhammad was the glaringly obvious choice for a title shot. However, his tendency to win decisions that weren’t as entertaining as some other contenders hurt his case in the eyes of the promotion and fans. He would try to change that narrative in the featured prelim of UFC 280.
Betraying his strong wrestling skills, Muhammad elected to keep things standing. After denying several of Brady’s takedown attempts, Muhammad began connecting well timed combinations. The Philadelphia native was helpless with his back against the fence when the standing TKO was called.
6. Manel Kape vs. Ode Osbourne – UFC 265
After Manel Kape concluded his stint in Rizin with three consecutive second round finishes, fans were eager to see what he had to offer the UFC roster. He came up short in his first two trips to the Octagon, but he’d get back on track at UFC 265 against Ode Osbourne.
Osbourne spent most of the first round attempting to cut off the cage. Kape’s footwork and speed kept him from getting trapped and helped him bait his opponent into a flying knee. Osbourne dropped to the canvas, absorbed a ground strike, and was saved by the referee with just 16 seconds remaining in the round.
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5. Curtis Blaydes vs. Alistair Overeem – UFC 225
Several months after getting his hand raised against Mark Hunt, Curtis Blaydes would be booked against Alistair Overeem, another former title challenger and K1 Grand Prix winner, in the featured prelim of UFC 225.
Blaydes put Overeem on his back in the first two rounds, winning the rounds based on positioning and control. But in the final round, Blaydes would display some of the most devastating ground and pound in recent memory. As an exhausted Overeem covered up from a combination against the fence, Blaydes took advantage of the veteran’s high guard and took him down yet again. In moments, he’d unleash several brutal elbows that instantly opened his face and forced the stoppage.
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4. Gregory Rodrigues vs. Chidi Njokuani – UFC Vegas 60
Fresh off of a first round KO of Julian Marquez, Gregory Rodrigues would be paired with former kickboxer Chidi Njokuani in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 60. Things would go wrong very quickly for “Robocop.”
Not even 45 seconds into the fight, Njokuani landed a powerful knee to Rodrigues’ head. The blow opened up a massive cut in the middle of his forehead, instantly turning things into a bloody mess. Amazingly, the Brazilian survived the round and the doctor’s examination.
Fighting like a man on borrowed time in the second round, Rodrigues overwhelmed his opponent with a barrage of strikes before throwing him to the canvas. He unloaded ground and pound shots until the ref declared the TKO.
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3. Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich – UFC 295
At this point, Tom Aspinall has never needed a judge’s scorecard during his UFC career. But perhaps his best finish came at his biggest moment. After an injury to heavyweight champion Jon Jones forced a late shuffle, Aspinall and fellow knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich were paired for an interim title.
Before the Russian could even work up a sweat, Aspinall used fast feet and fluid movement to set up the end. A two-punch combination left Pavlovich dazed and the next two punches finished the job.
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2. Bobby Green vs. Grant Dawson – UFC Vegas 80
After impressing on the Contender Series, Grant Dawson burned through other lightweight hopefuls with a draw being the lone blemish in his next nine fights. With a pro career dating back to 2008, Bobby Green was supposed to be a stepping stone for Dawson in the main event of UFC Vegas 80. “King” Green had other plans.
In the opening seconds, Green showcased the slick defense and low hand stance that has become his signature in his near 50 fight career. And in an instant, the Strikeforce veteran landed a right hand that floored Dawson. Before he could recover, Green followed up for the fight-ending ground strikes.
1. Leon Edwards vs. Kamaru Usman 2 – UFC 278
After dropping a unanimous decision to Kamaru Usman in 2015, Leon Edwards would have a slow climb back towards avenging that loss. After going unbeaten in his next 10 fights, he would finally get the chance with the highest stakes attached.
After getting controlled and outwrestled for the overwhelming majority of the fight, things would take a turn in the final minute of the final round. That’s when Edwards would set up a head kick that instantly slept the defending champion and changed ownership of the welterweight throne.
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