Greatest KO of all-time

[DatSamboKid]

In my view, 4 factors define a great knockout:

1) Technique: For instance, Barboza's spinning kick.

2) Timing: Whether it's extremely early or late in the fight, like Masvidal vs. Askren or Holloway vs. Gaethje.

3) Circumstances: High-stakes situations, such as championship fights, like Edwards vs. Usman 1.

4) Brutality: The severity of the knockout, reflecting how hard the opponent has been hit. Ngannou vs Overeem

 

[Gamer2k4]

If it makes you do this...

Well heck, if that's the criteria, let's put every leg kick ever (not leg kick KOs, just any one that lands) on the list.

 

[Gamer2k4]

In my view, 4 factors define a great knockout:

1) Technique: For instance, Barboza's spinning kick.

2) Timing: Whether it's extremely early or late in the fight, like Masvidal vs. Askren or Holloway vs. Gaethje.

3) Circumstances: High-stakes situations, such as championship fights, like Edwards vs. Usman 1.

4) Brutality: The severity of the knockout, reflecting how hard the opponent has been hit. Ngannou vs Overeem

This is almost word for word my criteria as well. I think I'd swap #1 and #4 from a priority perspective, since brutality often comes from good technique, and if it doesn't, then I prefer the more brutal KO over the more technical one. For example, Silva's KO of Griffin was great in so many respects, but it just doesn't get a top spot from me because it looked so effortless. On the other hand, Jiri's KO of Reyes is way up there for me, even though the stakes weren't particularly high, it was right in the middle of the fight, etc.

I think I'd also expand "Circumstances" to include comebacks too. A KO of someone you've been dominating is fine (Holm/Rousey), but getting the KO after otherwise losing the fight is a lot more special (Boetsch/Okami).

 

[Kinniku]

I think the main criteria should be whether or not the fighter’s name is Fedor.

 

[Jfreemandrums]

Its hard to divorce the context from the actual KO, regardless of how average the technique itself is imo. Yeah, it wasn't some wild 360 tornado kick by Max, but the fact that he pointed at the ground in a fight he was winning, started swinging and KO'd Gaethje at the very last second makes the KO special as a "moment" more so than an actual KO (if that makes sense).

Was it the greatest KO of all time? I'd say no. Masvidal - Askren, Hendo - Bisping, Barboza - Etim, are a few that are more impressive to me personally. Just the setups, execution and sheer viciousness stand out more. Even in those examples, I'd be lying if I said the context (like the knee being the fastest KO, or Bispings trash talk) doesn't play a factor.

Still, as a massive fan of Max, Saturday was a good night for me. That KO was one for the ages no doubt. Possibly Top 5 in the UFC.

HEAVY ON THIS

I've been getting into plenty of arguments saying it's a spectacular moment and an amazing KO, one of the best in the sports history, but the KO itself isn't like a top 10 outright Knockout tbh

Emmett over Mitchell is a better, cleaner KO if you remove the context

 

[Nimrod]

Fedor vs Francis Bueno

savage from the first punch the follow up s on the way down.

The timber fall.

 

[Thai Domi]

 

[ChangeIsComing]

If it makes you do this...

Have to wonder how often he practices that in a mirror.

 

[Poatan Power]

It's the right combo of technique, circumstance and stakes.

Usman vs. Edwards II will always take the cake because of the circumstance and stakes, even though the technique was kind of banal.

Technique though? nothing will ever top Yair Rodriguez elbow KO'ing TKZ. Close second (for me) is Buckley's spinning kick to the face KO.

The reason I put Yair above Buckley is because Buckley's was a great move, but also due to a pretty big mistake. Yair's was just beautiful timing and knowledge of the intricacies of angles in striking.

 

[Shay Brennan]

Here's my criteria:
1. circumstanes ( Is it a title fight, is it a title fight rematch or perhaps a trilogy, or maybe even superfight)
2. technique ( the more rare the technique the better)
3. How long was the KOed fighter out
4. Was it comeback victory.
5. Was the KO ed fighter leaning into the shot or not
6. Was the KOed fighter never KOed before

By this criteria, Edwards' head kick of Usman is probably the best KO.

 

[achoo42]

I consider it the best because of the story:

By your own criteria that you listed, the Leon KO trumps him in every category.

- Max was the underdog and people were predicting that he was doing to get absolutely destroyed like Tony Ferguson. It was a practical death sentence fighting Justin

Leon was a bigger underdog (+235) against Usman than Holloway, who wasn't even that big of an underdog at +135. Yes, people picking Gaethje were predicting him to destroy Holloway but there were a number of sports analysts/Youtubers picking Holloway to win.

- Max dominated the fight and was 4 rounds to zero going into the 5th

Leon was getting dominated in the fight and was on his way to lose a clear decision. Surely that is more impressive than getting a knockout in a fight you were clearly winning and your opponent was already hurt from multiple previous exchanges.

- Max decided to throw down instead of going for an easy decision and got the KO with one second left

Leon was dead tired, looked broken, and only by the words of his coaches and digging deep down was he able to get a KO in the final round.

I just don't know how you top that. Leon being down 4 rounds and getting a KO is up there. Hendo/Bisping is fun. Anderson/Vitor was wild. Barboza/Etim was flashy. None had the story like Max/Justin.

The Leon-Usman fight was for a real belt, with real consequences for the division. Leon knocked out an all-time great, on his sixth title defense, arguably in his prime, and had never been beaten, let alone finished, in the UFC. As a result, Leon is now champion of the world at welterweight.

Holloway won a fake belt in a division that he won't even be fighting in for his next fight, winning a brawl against a brawler who has never been champion and has been finished multiple times in the past. I would say the only thing more impressive about Max's win is that he was moving up a weightclass.

Now, don't get me wrong, Max's KO is on the shortlist for knockout of the year and is one of my favorite of the decade, but surely everything about the Leon narrative tops the narrative in the Max fight.

 

[BJJ4Tone]

Only if you were painfully clueless about basic boxing fundamentals.



Ah.

So there it is...
View attachment 1040210


Perhaps you need to watch the end sequence again.

Max is:

fully in control of his angles of entry and exit
has balanced footwork
control of range and
he slips easily and counters.

This lead to Justin being so off balance Max was against his BACK prior to the ending strike which was

Perfectly timed
Perfectly placed

and thrown with Max in zero danger.


I can see how it looks like "swangin and bangin" to the uneducated eye.
Look closer.

https://media1.tenor.com/m/YlwAH4VlP2QAAAAC/my-name-is-jeff-channing-tatum.gif