MMA
VIDEO: Did Gaethje’s crazy highkick bring the winner of this year’s KO? Recap the top five UFC knockouts so far in 2023!
The highly anticipated UFC 291 gala offered one of the best events of the year, culminating in a BMF title fight that provided one of the best highlights of the year so far in the biggest MMA organization in the world.
The highly anticipated UFC 291 gala offered one of the best events of the year, culminating in a BMF title fight that provided one of the best highlights of the year so far in the biggest MMA organization in the world. With his kick to Dustin Poirier’s head, does Justin Gaethje have a chance to win the award for best KO of the year?
The insane head kick has sent shockwaves around the martial arts world, and after nearly seven months of events, the UFC Knockout of the Year is being debated. Gaethje’s head kick is sure to be among the top contenders, but what opponents has he faced so far this year? We’ve picked out five of the most intriguing.
Justin Gaethje vs. Poirier, UFC 291, July
The main event of the UFC 291 gala was graced not only by the title shot for the Greatest Thug on the Planet, but more importantly by the course of the fight itself. For in it, Justin Gaethje lived up to his nickname and sent Dustin Poirier unconscious with the highlight of the night.
Israel Adesanya vs. Pereira, UFC 287, April
Despite having hundreds of fights under their belts, they have literally become fated rivals. After Alex Pereira’s arrival in the UFC, everything was pointing towards his fight with champion Israel Adesanya.
The two shared a tale of two mutual encounters within kickboxing, which Pereira was able to dominate both times. Although Adesanya announced that MMA was a completely different sport when it came to their first fight, it was Pereira who took the championship belt from his opponent.
Then when the rematch took place in April, fans were curious to see how “The Last Stylebender” would handle the immense pressure. But at the end of the second round, he lured his opponent into a trap and from the retreat, he dealt his nemesis a knockout followed by an iconic archery celebration.
Moreover, after Pereira’s victory at the aforementioned UFC 291, it looks like it could be a trilogy. Moreover, the Brazilian has already managed to brush off any speculation about which weight class the potential fight will be in by pointing to a return back to middleweight.
Ismael Bonfim vs. McKinney, UFC 283, January
Brazil’s Ismael Bonfim put on a terrific performance on his debut in the biggest MMA organization in the world. In his first fight after earning a contract as part of Dana White’s Contender Series, he showed off quite possibly the very best candidate for a UFC knockout in 2023.
It was Bonfim’s fight with American Terrance McKinney that opened the Prelims card at January’s UFC 283 Teixeira vs. Hill.
Only 27 years old, the Brazilian, who was pulling a string of twelve straight wins, landed a combination midway through the second round that saw the mouthguard fall off his opponent. A jumping knee followed seconds later, sending McKinney’s limp body to the floor.
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Barcelo, UFC Fight Night, January
The first UFC tournament of the year and immediately one of the knockout of the year candidates. It was taken care of by Umar Nurmagomedov, the younger cousin of former undefeated champion Khabib. And it is that unbeaten record that links him to his more famous mentor.
Ironically, then, it may seem that while it is Umar who is most like Khabib, at least in terms of finishing methods, it was he who delivered the knockout.
In his fourth fight in the top MMA league in the world, he secured his third termination, but this time with a bonus for performance of the night. At the end of the first round of his fight with Raoni Barcelos, he hid a hidden left hand behind a kick to shut down his opponent.
Dan Ige vs. Jackson, UFC Fight Night, January
On the same card, just three fights after knocking out the Dagestani, the crowd was treated to another insane finish. Damon Jackson, who had only tasted the bitterness of defeat to Spanish matador Ilio Topuria in the UFC, was looking to move past Dan Ige into the top 15 of the featherweight rankings.
But he crashed hard in his fight with the 31-year-old American. For Ige, who has been in the biggest MMA organization in the world since 2018 and has headlined two events, caught his opponent with a terrific left hook that sent Jackson into dreamland.
Source: UFC, Twitter, MMA Fighting
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