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While it’s hard to beat a single-shot knockout in the UFC – think Francis Ngannou’s thunderous uppercut finish of Alistair Overeem – there’s something even more beautiful about a combination finish.
Over the years we’ve seen numerous fighters finish their opponents inside the UFC octagon with combinations. Naturally, some stand out more than others.
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Some of these combinations are more famous because they took place in big-time UFC title fights or main events. Others simply stand out due to their sheer brilliance.
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So without further ado, here are five of the most famous combination finishes in UFC history.
#5. Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben – UFC Fight Night 5
Arguably the greatest champion in UFC history, Anderson Silva’s legend was written largely over his epic seven-year reign as middleweight champion.
However, ‘The Spider’ made an instant mark upon his debut in the UFC some five months before he unseated Rich Franklin to claim his title.
Faced with the iron-chinned Chris Leben, many fans expected Silva to struggle in his first visit to the octagon. Incredibly, though, the Brazilian not only defeated Leben – becoming the first fighter to stop him in the process – but he made it look easy.
The fight lasted just 49 seconds. It essentially consisted almost entirely of an extended combination from Silva, while Leben was unable to land a strike in return.
‘The Spider’ opened with a pair of jabs and a one-two. As Leben attempted to fire back, Silva landed a head kick before dropping him with another one-two.
‘The Crippler’ managed to wobble back to his feet, only for Silva to follow that combination with a right hand, uppercut and finally a knee to the head. Leben simply melted under the ferocity of the strikes. The fight was over, stunning the crowd.
Basically, Silva landed every strike he threw in this fight, chaining all eleven together in a perfect sequence. It was about as flawless a victory as a fighter could possibly achieve. It turned out to be a precursor to one of the most dominant title reigns in UFC history.
#4. Donald Cerrone vs. Rick Story – UFC 202
Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone is renowned as one of the most exciting fighters in UFC history, and that reputation is not without good reason. Not only does the veteran hold the record for the most wins in UFC history with 23, he’s also scored the second-most finishes with 16.
Cerrone has taken out opponents like Edson Barboza, Matt Brown and Jim Miller during his UFC career. His greatest finish undoubtedly came over Rick Story at UFC 202 in 2016.
Not only did ‘Cowboy’ finish ‘The Horror’ by knockout, he did it with the kind of combination that looked like it’d been lifted directly from a video game.
Story was already struggling with Cerrone’s sharp striking by the time the fight made it into the second round. ‘Cowboy’ appeared to be picking him apart with basically every shot he threw.
When ‘The Horror’ lunged in with a left hand, Cerrone unleashed hell. He countered with a left hand, followed that with a pinpoint right hand to the body and, before Story could respond, nailed him with a vicious right head kick.
‘The Horror’ was unsurprisingly hurt. He stumbled back, allowing Cerrone to unleash a wild flurry that sent him down and out.
The combination was easily one of the best ever seen in the UFC. It immediately went viral after the event, with videos made comparing it to something from Mortal Kombat or Dragonball Z. Five years later, its excellence still holds up.
#3. Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – UFC 110
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is usually considered amongst the greatest big men in MMA history. In his prime, he ruled his division with an iron fist.
Most of Velasquez’s victims fell prey to his powerful wrestling and ground-and-pound. However, the product of the American Kickboxing Academy could strike with the best of them too.
He showed off that striking ability in his 2010 win over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the headliner of UFC 110.
Renowned for his iron chin and ability to absorb punishment, Nogueira was expected to give Velasquez his toughest test to that point. However, the Brazilian was simply blown away in the first round by a truly vicious combination.
Velasquez’s striking looked sharp from the word go in this fight. He peppered Nogueira with jabs and leg kicks while ‘Minotauro’ appeared to be struggling to keep up.
When Nogueira threw a left hand, Velasquez slipped it with expert timing. He then fired back with a brutal left-right-left combination that dropped the Brazilian to the ground.
‘Minotauro’ was realistically done there, but Velasquez followed up with another combination – bouncing the veteran’s head off the canvas – to seal the deal for good.
The win was a signal that not only was Velasquez ready to make a run at the UFC heavyweight title, but he also had arguably the most dangerous striking game in the division. Eight months later, he dethroned Brock Lesnar and claimed UFC gold.
#2. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz – UFC 47
The famous UFC combinations we’ve looked at previously were all made memorable by their technical expertise as well as their brutality. Chuck Liddell’s finish of Tito Ortiz at UFC 47, on the other hand, was made famous due to its sheer ferocity.
Liddell and Ortiz had supposedly been good friends and training partners, but that friendship was shattered by the time they faced off in April 2004. At the time, there was no bigger fight in the UFC. The eyes of the world were on this fight like never before.
After a slow first round that saw neither man land many significant strikes, it felt like something had to give in the second.
When Liddell clipped Ortiz with a punch that forced ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ to retreat, ‘The Iceman’ had an opportunity he capitalized on.
Liddell threw a big left-right combination that forced Ortiz to cover up. Smelling blood, he followed it up with a wild flurry of punches that seemed to be moving at a blur.
The shots may not have been all that accurate, but Ortiz simply couldn’t stop them. Eventually, enough punches got through to slice his face into ribbons, sending him crashing to the ground in a heap.
Announcers Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg compared the combination to those thrown by Vitor Belfort and Phil Baroni. In reality, Liddell’s ferocity was in a league of its own.
The win was the biggest of his career to that point, and propelled him onto a path that led him to become the UFC’s biggest star for a time. However, it’s arguable that despite all of his success, he never quite matched this combination for its sheer brutality.
#1. Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez – UFC 205
Conor McGregor’s win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 made history for a number of different reasons. Not only did it make the Irishman the first fighter to hold UFC titles in different weight classes simultaneously, it also cemented him as the promotion’s biggest-ever star.
What’s more, ‘The Notorious’ finished Alvarez with arguably the greatest display of combination striking that UFC fans had ever been treated to.
Despite moving up from 145lbs, McGregor appeared to be the bigger man inside the octagon, particularly in terms of his height and reach. It seemed like his striking was much sharper than Alvarez’s from the off.
He sent ‘The Underground King’ to the canvas on three separate occasions in the first round alone. He saved his best combination for the second round, using it to finish Alvarez for the first time in his UFC career.
As Alvarez, who was already hurt, attempted to push forward, McGregor countered with a picture-perfect series of punches. He landed a left-right, left-right combination that dropped ‘The Underground King’ to the ground.
Alvarez wasn’t completely unconscious, but he was clearly done. Referee Big John McCarthy wasted no time in calling the fight off.
Newer fans of the UFC who’ve only seen McGregor’s plodding performances in his recent losses to Dustin Poirier may wonder what the big deal around ‘The Notorious’ is. Anyone who witnessed this win would never ask such questions.
Simply put, in his prime, the Irishman was a striker like no other. This combination remains the most memorable – and most famous – in UFC history.
