5 best last-gasp finishes in UFC history

#4. Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald – UFC 115

Inspired by coach Greg Jackson, Carlos Condit produced a stunning late finish to stop Rory MacDonald at UFC 115.

The UFC has seen plenty of dramatic comeback victories over the years. However, Carlos Condit’s win over Rory MacDonald at UFC 115 in 2010 – a comeback seemingly inspired by a wild pep-talk from cornerman Greg Jackson - sits near the top of the pile.

It was arguable that Condit was doing better in the fight than the UFC’s commentators made it out to be. However, by the third round, it seemed clear that ‘The Natural Born Killer’ was losing to his younger foe.

Just 20 at the time, MacDonald showcased a blend of wrestling and pressure that forced Condit onto his back foot. That prevented Condit from opening up with his dangerous striking game.

However, before the final stanza, Jackson had a simple message for ‘The Natural Born Killer’. He yelled at the latter that he had 'five minutes of war' left and that he needed to 'punish the kid'.

Evidently, Condit took those words to heart. After pushing forward more than he’d done in the first two rounds, the former WEC champion found himself in top position. He opened up on MacDonald with a relentless barrage of elbows and punches.

‘The Red King’ began to wilt, and with Condit unwilling to let up, the referee was forced to step in with just nine seconds remaining in the fight. The finish was both wildly dramatic and scarily violent, and remains a marker of how ferocious a fighter Condit was in his prime.

It should definitely be considered one of the UFC’s greatest-ever last-gasp finishes.

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#3. Yoel Romero vs. Tim Kennedy – UFC 178

Yoel Romero's finish of Tim Kennedy was dramatic, but it didn't come without controversy.

There was a little longer left on the clock in this fight than in some of the other last-gasp finishes on this list. However, Yoel Romero’s knockout win of Tim Kennedy was too dramatic and controversial to overlook.

The two middleweight contenders faced off on the main card of one of the UFC’s greatest-ever shows – UFC 178. They put on a fight that would end up standing out as probably the best one on offer that night.

However, coming into the third round, it looked like the result would only go one way – in favor of Kennedy. The Army Ranger had slowly begun to edge ahead of his Cuban foe in the second round. As that stanza entered its dying seconds, he caught Romero with a hellacious upper-cut.

‘The Soldier of God’ was badly hurt. Kennedy followed it up more punches that sent his opponent crashing to the ground as the buzzer sounded. For all intents and purposes, Romero looked done.

However, after controversially taking more time on his stool than is usually allowed, Romero came out in the third round knowing only a finish would do. Incredibly, he got it.

In the opening seconds, he decked Kennedy with a huge right hand, sending him back down with an uppercut when he tried to get back up. The Army Ranger desperately tried to recover, but Romero was on him, and his killer instinct had kicked in. He continued to bomb Kennedy with strikes until referee John McCarthy was forced to step in.

The controversial nature of the finish meant Romero was turned into a villain by some sections of the UFC’s fanbase. However, for the most part, everyone watching was simply stunned by the incredible last-gasp finish.