There’s one sure way to bolster your fan base in the UFC… get in and out quickly with a showreel knockout.
The first ever UFC event took place on November 12, 1993, when the sport was a world away from how it looks now.
There were no judges and the two fighters battled it out over unlimited five-minute rounds with victory earned via KO, submission or corner stoppage.
Almost 30 years down the track and the format has been fine-tuned but that hasn’t stopped us from seeing some incredible knockouts!
As we wait for the first event of 2022 (UFC Vegas 46) on January 15th, now seems like the perfect time to look at the top five quickest knockouts.
5) Terrance McKinney vs Matt Frevola (7 Seconds) – 2021
What better place to start than in 2021. Terrance McKinney made his UFC debut in June last year and he announced himself in some serious style.
McKinney went up against Matt Frevola in the early prelims and the event in Glendale, Arizona, was over in a flash.
With the bell still ringing in his ears, McKinney stepped forward, touched gloves and then caught Frevola flush with a right-left before completing the job with some ground and pound.
4) Chan Sung Jung vs Mark Hominick (7 Seconds) – 2011
After losing to featherweight champion Jose Aldo, Mark Hominick was hoping to get back on the winning path against Chan Sung Jung at UFC 140.
But the Korean Zombie, making just his second appearance in the UFC, had other ideas as he looked to build on a submission victory over Leonard Garcia.
Hominick, seemingly underestimating his rival, came forward ready to unload from the outset and he was made to pay.
The South Korean landed a counter right hand to knock Hominick to the mat where he subsequently forced the referee to step in.
3) Todd Duffee vs Tim Hague (7 Seconds) – 2009
Any list of knockouts wouldn’t be complete without heavyweights so it’s time to look back to 2009 when Todd Duffee made his UFC debut against Tim Hague.
Duffee arrived in the UFC with a 5-0 record and four of those fights had ended inside the first round with his first two professional contests lasting just 15 and 16 seconds respectively.
So it didn’t come as much of a surprise when he stopped Hague with just seven seconds on the clock at UFC 102.
The two fighters met in the middle of the Octagon but Duffee was quicker to the punch when his left jab landed flush, Hague immediately hit the deck and absorbed further damage until the referee pulled them apart and called a close to the contest.
2) Duane Ludwig vs Jonathan Goulet (6 Seconds) – 2006
Duane Ludwig picked up the quickest knockout in UFC history in 2006 but he had to wait another five years to have that record officially recognised.
Aptly nicknamed Bang, Ludwig knocked out Jonathan Goulet after just six seconds, however, the time keeper clearly wasn’t paying attention and didn’t stop the clock for a further five seconds, prompting the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NASC) to record the official time at 11 seconds.
NASC still won’t change the time in the record books but UFC President Dana White acknowledged the mistake in 2011 and Ludwig rightly gets his place at number two on the list.
1) Jorge Masvidal vs Ben Askren (5 Seconds) – 2019
Taking first place on the list is BMF title holder Jorge Masvidal following his showreel five-second KO of Ben Askren at UFC 239.
It seems almost unthinkable that a fight could be ended so quickly but Masvidal pulled it off with a flying knee.
Askren, known for his wrestling skills, walked to the centre of the octagon as Masvidal sprinted from the opposite side and he changed level to attempt a takedown.
Masvidal was clearly prepared for this approach and he leaped up to land a fight-ending knee, leaving Askren out cold.
Askren’s record defeat hasn’t completely been forgotten but most know him more for his knockout loss to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul last year.