Consensus Rankings:   Official  |  Member Designed  |  This Ranking Updated 1 year, 5 months ago  |  All By toastedcereal_25

1. 1

   

   Kasanganay vs. Buckley

   Joaquin Buckley | KO/TKO | Round 2

   2020 | UFC Fight Night

   What can I say that hasn't been said before? When I was in karate classes, and we were learning jumping spinning back kicks, the instructors told as that they would never be effective in an actual combat scenario. Joaquin Buckley would like to have a word with those people. Body kick, catch, pivot, full turn, jump, kick. Absolute movie level stuff, and it happened right in front of our eyes. Anybody who watched this event live like I did has had this KO burned into their memory forever. It's the best KO in UFC history in my opinion, and it is definitively the best KO in all of MMA in the year 2020.
   

2. 2

   

   Assunção vs. Garbrandt

   Cody Garbrandt | KO/TKO | Round 2

   2020 | UFC 250

   This would have easily been KO of the year had #1 not happened. Sadly, this will probably be Garbrandt's last major highlight in the UFC, but what a highlight it was. A wild, swinging right hook thrown directly from Hell that literally sent Assuncao flying. The fact that Cody threw this punch fast enough to get the KO before the bell sounded is impressive enough, and that time crunch made the walk-off aspect built into the KO, which is fantastic. You had a hell of a run Cody, where has time gone.
   

3. 3

   

   Dariush vs. Holtzman

   Beneil Dariush | KO/TKO | Round 1

   2020 | UFC Fight Night

   While yes, this wasn't as well known or high profile as Benny's KO over Drakkar Klose, I'm willing to look past that for how technically perfect Benny's knockout was. A low-angle spinning back forearm floored Holtzman, and no follow-up shots were necessary. Crowds definitely enhance the impact of certain knockouts, but to see a usually wild brawler like Benny land an incredibly technical KO and have it be a walk-off trumps the roar of a crowd in my opinion.
   

4. 4

   

   Chimaev vs. Meerschaert

   Khamzat Chimaev | KO/TKO | Round 1

   2020 | UFC Fight Night

   I've said picture perfect a couple times on this list, but Chimaev's one-hit right hand KO over Meerschaert is just that, picture perfect. Chimaev had a real chance of winning fighter of the year, and this 17 second KO was the exclamation point, and it wasn't even in his usual weight class of welterweight. I know Meerschaert is the definition of hot-and-cold when it comes to fighting upcoming prospects (see the Bruno Silva and Makhmud Muradov fights), but GM3 got absolutely smeshed in this fight.
   

5. 5

   

   Moraes vs. Sandhagen

   Cory Sandhagen | KO/TKO | Round 2

   2020 | UFC Fight Night

   This was when I knew that Cory Sandhagen was for real. Before Moraes suffered his dramatic downfall, he was still thought of as a fantastic fighter, but Sandhagen made him look like an amateur and polished it off with a picture perfect step-in wheel kick. The back roll by Marlon, while not intended probably, just makes this sequence look even better. Enter the Sandman indeed.
   

6. 6

   

   Holland vs. Souza

   Kevin Holland | KO/TKO | Round 1

   2020 | UFC 256

   It's not often that a KO will make me exclaim "what the f*ck," but this one, and another one further up this list did just that. After Holland nearly blew my mind by nearly subbing Jacare with a triangle choke, Holland finds the most improbable KO from the floor, and folds Jacare up like a lawn chair. The KO was probably a once in a lifetime event, and it capped off a great year for Kevin Holland.
   

7. 7

   

   Dariush vs. Klose

   Beneil Dariush | KO/TKO | Round 2

   2020 | UFC 248

   Ah yes, the KO that launched a meme. So yes, I know people watch this a lot for "FuNNi jOe RoGAn fAcE" but the KO itself is insane. Beneil had been getting lit up for the whole round up to that point, he finds a rally, and knocks Klose out cold in another super effective bum rush. The KO was so impactful that it took away any hype that Klose has tried to find since then.
   

8. 8

   

   Anderson vs. Błachowicz II

   Jan Błachowicz | KO/TKO | Round 1

   2020 | UFC on ESPN+ 25

   Some of the best KOs often come from situations where you you saw something going different. When I predicted for Jan Blachowicz to defeat Corey Anderson, I thought it would be a later round TKO after Anderson gassed out, but Blachowicz floored Anderson in round 1. The KO was so powerful that it caused Anderson to leave the UFC. Great way to close a somewhat forgettable fight night.
   

9. 9

   

   O'Malley vs. Wineland

   Sean O'Malley | KO/TKO | Round 1

   2020 | UFC 250

   So I'm definitely not the first person to say that I'm not a huge fan of O'Malley. I just find him a little obnoxious and his fan base sucks. That being said, performances like this make me respect him as a fighter. After whiffing a wheel kick, O'Malley hits a picture perfect right hand and the walk-off just completes the whole highlight. Granted, this was against Eddie Wineland who may as well be a cardboard cutout, but it's still impressive nonetheless.
   

10. 10

    

    Razak Alhassan vs. Williams

    Khaos Williams | KO/TKO | Round 1

    2020 | UFC Fight Night

    In a fight that could've gone either way in a very short time, Williams turned Alhassan into a tree and chopped his ass down. The way Alhassan stiffens up and falls like that...for a knockout artist like him, it's just insane to see him in that position. Definitely made me a fan of Williams, especially when he held upon the follow up strikes.
    

11+

11. 11

    

    Costa vs. Newson

    Randy Costa | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  UFC Fight Night

    Head kick KOs are great, and if you're gonna be a UFC one hit wonder like Randy Costa is, better make your one hit good. Newsom looked really good after getting a KO win at UFC 247, and Costa smacked him with a picture perfect head kick in round 1. Fantastic introduction for many fans to Costa, just a shame where his career has gone afterwards.
    

12. 12

    

    NGannou vs. Rozenstruik

    Francis NGannou | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  UFC 249

    So, to be honest, aside from the Overeem fight, I've never been too impressed with Ngannou's KOs because at some point it becomes part-and-parcel of watching a fight with him. Despite me not really being impressed by flash KOs at heavyweight due to the insane power carried by every fighter there, this KO is great. Rozenstruik was undefeated, and Ngannou sent him to Mars in 20 seconds with the most effective bum rush in UFC history outside of a Vitor Belfort fight.
    

13. 13

    

    Stephens vs. Kattar

    Calvin Kattar | KO/TKO | Round 2  |  UFC 249

    Elbow KOs have a certain viciousness to them (see for example Perry vs Ellenberger). Stephens, like Oezdemir is another guy who is not often seen knocked down and out, but Kattar completely floored him with a sick elbow that he didn't even need the clinch for. The broken nose was a nice touch.
    

14. 14

    

    Oezdemir vs. Procházka

    Jiří Procházka | KO/TKO | Round 2  |  UFC 251

    What a great way to get introduced to new fighter. Prochazka came in with literally zero fanfare from the UFC, and this knockout put everyone on notice. Oezdemir had never been clean KO'd in his whole career, and Jiri completely flatlined him with two punches. Fantastic.
    

15. 15

    

    Benavidez vs. Figueiredo

    Deiveson Figueiredo | KO/TKO | RD 2  |  UFC on ESPN+ 27

    So this knockout does get somewhat dragged down by the clash of heads that happened right before this, but I still think it's great. The way Joe B. snaps to the ground after Figgy slams him with that right hand is just so great, and pretty damn great especially as flyweight knockouts go, though this still doesn't top DJ's KO over Benavidez.
    

16. 16

    

    Wiman vs. Leavitt

    Jordan Leavitt | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  UFC Fight Night

    Slams. They're always fun. Unfortunately for Leavitt, he was essentially given this matchup as a showcase, but at least he got a pretty great highlight out of it. Getting a KO essentially with a WWE spinebuster is pretty nice. Certainly better than getting T-bagged by Paddy Pimblett
    

17. 17

    

    Ankalaev vs. Cutelaba II

    Magomed Ankalaev | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  UFC 254

    Is it just me, or did this give anyone flashbacks of Condit/Hardy. After the complete blue balling mess that was their first fight, this KO more than made up for it. Ankalaev may not always deliver a finish, but when he does, it's damn great.
    

18. 18

    

    Boser vs. Lins

    Tanner Boser | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  UFC Fight Night

    Probably the best heavyweight KO combo I've seen since Cain vs Big Nog. It's not often that a finishing sequence can tell us as fans about a fighter's personality, but the damn karate chop that Boser lands in the middle of his KO sequence just gets me every time.
    

19. 19

    

    Holland vs. Buckley

    Kevin Holland | KO/TKO | Round 3  |  UFC Fight Night

    I remember back when Joaquin Buckley was irrelevant. To be honest, he wasn't doing too bad in this fight up until this KO. Kevin Holland though, what a 2020 he had, and this isn't even his best KO on this list. A walk-off KO from a single right hand. *chef kiss*
    

20. 20

    

    Bukauskas vs. Crute

    Jimmy Crute | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  UFC Fight Night

    I think this KO is underrated. Maybe it's because of how Bukauskas folds after both right hands, but there's something about this KO that I really enjoy.