Conor McGregor celebrates winning the lightweight title. Photo: photosport
Mixed martial arts is a sport that can shock like no other.
The octagon produces moments that leaves fans with their jaws on the floor, struggling to comprehend what they just witnessed.
Earlier this month, our own Israel Adesanya added another incredible highlight to his reel.
So, sports reporter Jonty Dine has compiled his most shocking moments in the sports premier organisation, the UFC.
Honourable mentions
Joaquin's ninja knockout- A spinning back kick knockout by Joaquin Buckley with sickening impact amplified by an empty arena.
Khamzat's mid-fight chat with the boss- The Swedish welterweight picks up Li Jingliang and walks him across the octagon while screaming at Dana White to pay attention.
Connors post-fight vitriol- An ugly outburst on the mic by a defeated Conor McGregor after snapping his leg. "Your wife is in me DM's!" Yikes.
10. The Dutch dentist
The very first fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship took place in 1993 and introduced the public to a new level of sanctioned violence. With many skeptics questioning the legitimacy of the event, believing it was akin to professional wrestling, that notion was soon shattered along with Taylor Wily's jaw. The sumo wrestler met kickboxer Gerard Gordeau in the inaugural contest and it took just 26 seconds before the Dutchman sent Wily's tooth flying into the crowd with a vicious head kick. The UFC had officially arrived in brutal fashion.
9. A vintage performance
Randy Couture was 43 years old when he defeated Tim Sylvia in 2007 to become the baddest man on the planet for a third time. Couture was flawless against the giant, sweeping all three scorecards for a 50-45 unanimous decision win. 'The Natural' lived up to his nickname, defying both his age and the overwhelming odds against him, dominating Sylvia from bell to bell.
8. El Cucuy enters shadow realm
On a three fight losing skid, the aura surrounding the great Tony Ferguson was beginning to wane. The boogeyman of the lightweights, he went on an absolute tear in the division with an historic run of twelve straight victories. However, when his cursed match up with champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was cancelled for a fourth time, Ferguson ran into a resurgent Charles Oliveria, a violent Justin Gaethje and a suffocating Beneil Dariush to rack up three straight losses. Ferguson's downfall was then set in stone when at UFC 274, Iron Michael Chandler sent him crashing to the canvas with a savage front kick to the face.
7. Overeem knocked into another stratosphere
There was tremendous hype surrounding Francis Ngannou when he entered the UFC. His life before fighting is the sort of thing movie scripts are made of, and he was quickly marketed as the most powerful puncher the promotion had ever seen, touting his right hand as the equivalent to a Ford Escort hitting you at full speed. The Cameroonian-Frenchman proved the hype was very much real when at UFC 216 he connected with an uppercut that almost separated Alistair Overeem's head from his shoulders.
6. Conor's clinic in New York
At UFC 205, Conor McGregor was firmly established as a superstar of the sport. A year prior, he had stunned the world with a 12 second knockout of Jose Aldo, the Brazilian's first loss in a decade. He was also coming off the back of two blockbuster battles with Nick Diaz, where he avenged his first UFC loss. However, McGregor fought his way to immortality in Madison Square Garden on November 12 2016, putting on a masterclass against the underground king Eddie Alvarez. The Irishman at one stage had both hands behind his back as he taunted his opponent before landing a mesmeric four punch combo to claim the lightweight title and double champ status.
5. Silva's hubris ends his reign
Anderson Silva looked superhuman during his six year title reign. The Spider moved like Neo from the Matrix and left opponents looking like amateurs as he toyed with them before finding the inevitable finish. However, at UFC 162, Silva ultimately flew too close to the sun and Chris Weidman took full advantage and his middleweight title in the process. While pretending to be hurt as he evaded punches, Silva was eventually caught right on the chin and his mythical run was over to the absolute shock of the Las Vegas crowd.
Anderson Silva's UFC 162 performance prompted Joe Rogan to say "You can't play games in the octagon." Photo: photosport
4. That Head Kick
Ronda Rousey was such a popular figure in the fight game she made president Dana White backtrack on his statement that women would never fight in the UFC. The judoka master made light work of her previous prey, accumulating a 12-0 record and became renowned for finishing opponents with her patented armbar. A heated build up to her clash with Holly 'The Preachers Daughter' Holm, meant anticipation for their clash in Melbourne at UFC 193 was immense. After refusing a glove touch, Rousey was humbled before the world as Holm's shin cracked Rousey's chin and ultimately ended her career, as she was thoroughly beaten in her comeback fight against Amanda Nunes too.
3. Jorje baptises Ben
Prior to his breakout 2019, Jorje Masvidel was best known as a journeyman of the welterweight division or even for his his backyard brawls in Florida with the late, great Kimbo Slice. After UFC 239, Gamebred will forever be known as the owner of the fastest knockout in UFC history. Unbeaten at 19-0, Ben Askren would be on the receiving end as Masvidel sprinted across the octagon at the sound of the bell and landed a picture perfect flying knee after just five seconds, three of which included some "super necessary," follow up shots to a prone Askren.
2. Izzy's return to the throne
New Zealand's own Israel Adesayna has had his fair share of highlights in and out of the cage. The Last Stylebender perhaps made his greatest statement at UFC 287 earlier this month against Alex Pereira. Down 3-0 in a series covering seven years, three continents, and two combat sports, Adesanyna faced a career crossroads against Poatan. After goading the Brazilian powerhouse into a flurried exchange on the cage, Pereira overcommitted and caught a vicious right shot from Izzy on the button.The follow up shots were academic, but emphatic. The king was back.
1. Khabib jumps the cage
A dominant but humble champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov left his talking to the octagon. Conversely, Conor McGregor, engages in psychological warfare, often crossing numerous lines in order to get inside his opponents head. This clash of personalities led to one of the most heated rivalries in the companies history. With his wife and religion insulted in the lead up, Nurmagomedov snapped. It culminated at UFC 229 when after submitting the Irishman with a neck crank, the Eagle hurled words at the defeated McGregor before jumping the cage and leaping into the crowd to fight Conor's entourage as a wild brawl ensued. No doubt the most shocking moment in the UFC's 30 year history.
Holly Holm ended Ronda Rousey's incredible career with a single head kick. Photo: photosport
