5 times that Dana White was shocked by a brutal knockout

#2. Uriah Hall vs. Adam Cella – The Ultimate Fighter 17

Uriah Hall's knockout of Adam Cella left everyone, including Dana White, in shock

When the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter was being filmed to air in early 2013, a rumor emerged that the show had unearthed a “beast” who could instantly contend for the UFC middleweight title.

While Uriah Hall didn’t quite manage to live up to the hype – in fact, he didn’t win the season in the end – it was easy to see why everyone, including Dana White, believed that he could make such a huge impact.

In his first fight on the show, ‘Prime Time’ delivered one of the scariest knockouts in MMA history, landing a spinning heel kick to the head of opponent Adam Cella that instantly switched his lights out. To say White – as well as coaches Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen – were shocked would be an understatement.

In truth, even Hall seemed shocked at what he’d done, and it was understandable. White later revealed that Cella was so badly knocked out that he didn’t come around for four minutes, couldn’t sit on his stool for six minutes, and was quickly taken to hospital via an ambulance.

Almost a decade on, this knockout remains truly terrifying to watch, and stands as one of the few finishes in the octagon that didn’t just shock Dana White – it clearly scared him, too.

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#1. Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo – UFC 194

The only person more shocked than Dana White by Conor McGregor's knockout of Jose Aldo was Frank Fertitta

When Conor McGregor finally faced off with Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight title in late 2015 after what felt like a lifetime of build, UFC fans around the world were expecting a truly titanic clash between the two stars.

Given that Aldo was by far the more proven fighter – and hadn’t lost a bout in a decade – the last thing they were expecting was to see the Brazilian knocked unconscious by ‘The Notorious’ in a matter of seconds, but as everyone now knows, that’s exactly what happened.

Despite his experience, Aldo seemed overwhelmed by the occasion, over-reached on one of his first punches – and ate a clean left hand counter from McGregor that instantly turned out his lights.

Naturally, everyone watching – whether they were in attendance or enjoying the event on pay-per-view – was shocked by what happened, and that included Dana White, who looked utterly blown away when the camera cut to him at the side of the octagon.

Incredibly, though, White’s reaction wasn’t the most memorable one – that belonged to the UFC’s co-owner Frank Fertitta, who outright slammed the featherweight title belt onto a table, he was in so much shock.

While some fans claimed conspiracy theory on this – essentially suggesting the UFC wanted ‘The Notorious’ to lose, White later cleared things up, instead stating that Fertitta was a “moose” who, like everyone else, was stunned by McGregor’s performance.