5 most lethal knockout artists in the UFC right now

There are many ways a fighter can endear themselves to UFC and combat sports fans in general. Some adopt over-the-top personas while others are beloved for their 'anyone, anywhere, anytime' mentality. The ability to separate someone from consciousness, however, remains the most organic way to grow one's fanbase.

In his prime, Anderson Silva was renowned for his ability to put away his opponents. Despite barely speaking English, 'The Spider' emerged as the face of the sport between 2006 and 2012, largely thanks to his astonishing 15-fight winning streak, comprising 14 finishes. Out of 14 finishes, 13 came via knockout.

The likes of Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka are sensational strikers with devastating fight-ending power. However, both fighters have only had two fights in the octagon thus far. With a few more statement-making victories, 'Po Atan' and 'Denisa' will be considered among the hardest hitters on the roster.

On that note, here are the five most lethal knockout artists in the UFC right now.

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#5. Sean O'Malley – UFC bantamweight

Looking at Sean O'Malley's career so far, the rising bantamweight is a bonafide superstar. 'Sugar' seemingly has a bigger fanbase than most champions in the promotion, largely thanks to his unique personality, supreme confidence, and of course, his spectacular knockouts.

O'Malley is a lethal knockout artist. We don't often see fighters get knocked out cold in lighter weight classes in MMA. Somehow, this streaking bantamweight already has a scorching highlight reel, comprising KO/TKO victories over Jose Quinonez, Eddie Wineland, Thomas Almeida, Kris Moutinho and most recently, Raulian Paiva.

O'Malley doesn't seem to be in a hurry to climb the ranks and doesn't mind fighting unranked fighters either. Currently ranked No.13 in the division, the popular 135-pounder's next few bouts will give fans a clear idea of his potential.

He has barrelled through almost every opponent he's faced so far and it remains to be seen how he performs against high-level opposition. While he is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the division, we haven't seen him get tested by a solid wrestler yet. If his takedown defense and grappling is as good as he says it is, we could have a future champion on our hands.

#4. Valentina Shevchenko – UFC women's flyweight champion

Valentina Shevchenko has solidified her status as one of the best fighters in the world in recent years, irrespective of gender. The lifelong martial artist has enjoyed an incredible martial arts career so far and is also one of the most dominant champions in all of combat sports.

Shevchenko spent almost half her career competing at 135 pounds before dropping down to the 125-pound weight class. Despite clearly being undersized for bantamweight, ‘Bullet’ emerged as one of the best fighters in the division, picking up wins over current champion Julianna Pena and former titleholder Holly Holm.

Her impressive run in the bantamweight division pre-dated the UFC’s 125-pound bracket altogether. When the division was eventually created, she secured a shot at the title with a win over Priscila Cachoeira and defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant belt. She has been defending her flyweight belt ever since.

Shevchenko holds an overall MMA record of 22-3, with eight of her wins coming via KO/TKO. Notably, she appears to take pleasure in using her opponent's strengths against them. In her fights against Julianna Pena and Jessica Andrade, two grappling specialists, 'Bullet' took both fighters down and dominated the exchanges on the mat before securing finishes.

Despite her obvious improvements in the grappling realm, Shevchenko's bread and butter lies in the striking arts. The multi-time kickboxing world champion's stand-up is arguably the best in all of MMA. Her headkick knockout against Jessica Eye remains one of the greatest finishes in women's MMA history.

Check out Valentina Shevchenko's UFC highlight reel below:

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#3. Derrick Lewis – UFC heavyweight

Derrick Lewis owns the record for the most knockout wins in UFC history (13). His incredible sense of humor, coupled with his intensity and penchant for jaw-dropping finishes, has seen him emerge as a fan favorite.

So far, '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 victory over Blaydes last year remains one of the most vicious knockouts in the history of the weight class.

Following his victory over Chris Daukaus in December 2021, Lewis became the record-holder for most knockouts in the history of the promotion. While his power is respected and feared by his peers, his largely one-dimensional style has cost him in big moments.

Nevertheless, he will go down in history as one of the most intimidating knockout artists in all of MMA.

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

#2. Justin Gaethje – UFC lightweight

Justin Gaethje was known for being a devastating knockout artist long before joining the UFC. The all-action lightweight was a dominant champion in the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) until 2017 when he opted to move over to the world's premier MMA promotion.

Prior to signing with the UFC, Gaethje boasted a perfect 17-0 record, comprising 14 knockouts. In his promotional debut, he delivered as advertised, putting on an absolute barnburner with Michael Johnson that ultimately saw him find the finish.

After a brief two-fight skid, 'The Highlight' would go on to secure KO/TKO wins over James Vick, Edson Barboza, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson.

Gaethje's fights don't usually go the distance. His 'kill or be killed' mentality has produced some of the most memorable slugfests we've ever seen inside the octagon and he has vowed to never stray from his trademark style. Now in the athletic prime, he will undoubtedly add to his highlight reel in the coming years.

Watch a compilation of Justin Gaethje's finishes below:

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#1. Francis Ngannou – UFC heavyweight champion

Francis Ngannou is one of the biggest stars in the UFC, both literally and in terms of superstardom. The reigning heavyweight titleholder's propensity for vicious knockouts has captured the imagination of combat sports fans worldwide.

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

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

Ngannou boasts a professional MMA record of 17-3. All but one of his career wins have come by way of finishes, with 12 knockouts and 4 submissions.

His knockout 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 potent finishers in MMA history is set in stone.

Watch a compilation of Francis Ngannou's finishes below: