5 best finishers in the UFC right now

There are many ways a fighter becomes popular with UFC and combat sports fans in general.

Fighters like Chael Sonnen, Conor McGregor, Colby Covington and Henry Cejudo adopted over-the-top personas that demand attention from the masses. Meanwhile, fighters like Donald Cerrone, Dan Hooker and Kevin Holland endear themselves among MMA fans with their ‘anyone, anywhere, anytime’ attitudes.

However, the ability to finish fights is perhaps the most organic way a fighter can grow his/her stock. Fans, promoters and matchmakers love finishes. So much so that in the UFC, $50,000 bonuses are often awarded to those fighters who put away their opponent in impressive fashion.

Anderson Silva, at the height of his powers, was renowned for his ability to finish his opponents. Upon joining the UFC in 2006, Silva went on a 15-fight winning streak, comprising 14 finishes. His incredible run between 2006 and 2012 saw 'The Spider' cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

That said, here are the five best finishers in the UFC right now. Honorable mentions include Sean O’Malley, Islam Makhachev, Jiri Prochazka, Magomed Ankalaev and Tom Aspinall, to name a few.

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#5. Khamzat Chimaev (4-0 in the UFC, 4 finishes)

Khamzat Chimaev is undoubtedly the hottest prospect in the UFC right now. Chimaev held a professional record of 6-0 before joining the world's premier MMA organization. All six of his victories came by way of KO/TKO or submission.

The Chechen-born Swedish phenom made waves in the MMA community with a couple of dominant performances in Abu Dhabi in 2020. He choked out John Phillips in his promotional debut and secured a TKO victory over Rhys McKee just 10 days later.

Subsequently, Chimaev took on Gerald Meerschaert just two months later. 'Borz' knocked Meerschaert out 17 seconds into the bout, establishing himself as one of the most intriguing prospects in years.

In 2021, Chimaev was booked to fight No.11-ranked Li Jingliang at UFC 267 on Fight Island. Many believed that the durable Chinese welterweight, who had never been finished in the promotion, would pose a threat to 'Borz'.

However, Chimaev secured a double-leg takedown and effortlessly choked out Jingliang in the very first round of their bout.

Khamzat Chimaev's background in sambo-style wrestling, coupled with his underrated striking and relentless aggression, will prove to be a real handful for anyone in the 170 and 185-pound divisions.

Chimaev is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the world, making him an incredibly tough matchup for anyone he fights. At just 27 years of age, it's scary to think that ‘Borz’ still has a lot to learn and is not even close to his prime.

He currently holds a record of 10-0 with 10 finishes. Notably, he's hardly been tested during his appearances inside the cage. None of his fights have entered the third round.

#4. Valentina Shevchenko – (11-2 in the UFC, 6 finishes)

Valentina Shevchenko has established herself as one of the best fighters in the UFC in recent years, irrespective of gender. The lifelong martial artist has enjoyed an incredible career so far. The Kyrgyzstani phenom is one of the most dominant champions in the world, having defended her flyweight title six times.

Shevchenko spent almost half her career competing at bantamweight before dropping down to the 125-pound division. Despite clearly being undersized, ‘Bullet’ emerged as one of the best fighters in the bantamweight division, picking up wins over Holly Holm and Julianna Pena.

Her impressive bantamweight run pre-dated the UFC’s flyweight division altogether. When the division was eventually created, she secured a title shot with a win over Priscila Cachoeira and defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant gold. She has been defending her belt ever since.

Shevchenko holds an overall MMA record of 22-3. 15 of her wins have come by way of KO/TKO or submission.

Notably, she seemingly takes pleasure in using her opponent's strengths against them. In her fights against Julianna Pena and Jessica Andrade, two wrestling specialists, 'Bullet' took both fighters down and dominated the exchanges on the mat before securing finishes.

Her headkick KO against Jessica Eye remains one of the greatest knockouts in women's MMA history.

Watch some of Valentina Shevchenko's highlights in the video below:

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#3. Derrick Lewis (17-6 in the UFC, 13 finishes)

Derrick Lewis owns the record for the most knockout wins in the history of the UFC (13). He is also tied with Frank Mir for the most finishes in the heavyweight division.

Lewis is one of the most beloved and entertaining fighters on the roster. His incredible sense of humor, coupled with his intensity and propenity for jaw-dropping knockouts, has made him a fan favorite.

During his time in the promotion, 'The Black Beast' has knocked out the likes of Shamil Abdurakhimov, Travis Browne, Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, Alexey Oleynik, Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus.

His KO victory over Blaydes last year was one of the most vicious knockouts in the history of the heavyweight division. His most recent victory over Daukaus saw the Houston native take the top spot for most KO victories.

Lewis is set to take on fellow knockout artist Tai 'Bam Bam' Tuivasa in his next bout. He will look to build on his record with another knockout win.

Watch a compilation of Derrick Lewis' best knockouts in the video below:

#2. Francis Ngannou (11-2 in the UFC, 11 finishes)

Francis Ngannou has emerged as one of the biggest stars in the UFC in recent years. The reigning heavyweight champion's propensity for viciously violent knockouts has captured the imagination of combat sports fans worldwide.

Ngannou started training in MMA at the age of 23, unlike most of his opponents who've been training all their lives. His legendary power has proven to be an incredibly effective equalizer throughout his career.

In the lead-up to the Cameroonian's championship fight against Stipe Miocic in 2018, Dana White shared some unbelievable stats pertaining to the power he possesses.

Ngannou boasts a professional record of 16-3. All of his career wins have come by way of finishes, with 12 KO/TKOs and 4 submissions.

His KO victories over the likes of Andrei Arlovski, Alistair Overeem, Curtis Blaydes, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Stipe Miocic have ensured that 'The Predator's status as one of the most lethal finishers in MMA history is set in stone.

Watch a compilation of Francis Ngannou's finishes below:

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#1. Charles Oliveira (20-8 in the UFC, 18 finishes)

Charles Oliveira is the best finisher in UFC history, period.

The Brazilian not only has the most finishes in the history of the promotion (18), but the most submissions (15) as well. Out of Oliveira’s 31 career wins, 19 have come by way of submission and 9 by way of KO/TKO. His current 10-fight win streak comprises eight finishes.

Oliveira joined the UFC in 2010. For over a decade, the Brazilian endured a tumultuous run in the promotion that culminated in spectacular fashion against Michael Chandler last year. The duo battled it out for the vacant lightweight title following the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Chandler hurt Oliveira on numerous occasions in the first round of their bout. However, the 32-year-old mounted an admirable comeback in the second round, knocking out his American counterpart 20 seconds into the frame to win the belt.

Oliveira took on Dustin Poirier in his first title defense at UFC 269. The Brazilian was the betting underdog going into the bout as many believed he would struggle against the power and pressure of 'The Diamond'.

However, Oliveira made a resounding statement with a stunning victory over Poirier. Adding to his record for most submission wins and finishes in promotional history, 'Do Bronx' sunk in a rear-naked choke in the third round of the bout. Poirier was forced to tap and Oliveira secured his first title defense.

At just 32, Oliveira has just entered the prime of his career. Considering 90% of his wins in the UFC have come by way of finish, expect his records to sit atop the leaderboards for a long time to come.

Watch a compilation of Charles Oliveira's finishes below: