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#2. Rose Namajunas' knockout win proves she's the best (UFC 261)
Perfectly placed and set up, Rose Namajunas' slick head kick knockout reclaimed her the UFC strawweight throne. The kick was never seen coming as Rose set low and hit high on then-champion Zhang Weili. It was a thing of beauty and should be studied by anyone starting in MMA. The win caps off Rose's comeback campaign after losing the strap in devastating fashion back in 2019.
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When watched in slow-motion, you can observe Zhang defending for a low kick with her eyes looking down. It's the perfect depiction of "never seen it coming". Rose's head kick has striking coach Trevor Whittman written all over it. Wittman's technical genius can be seen in his students including Rose and the man in our next entry.
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#1. Kamaru Usman does well on his violent promise (UFC 267)
'The Nigerian Nightmare' Kamaru Usman came through with his promise to finish bitter rival Jorge 'Gamebred' Masvidal at UFC 267. The event was the first UFC pay-per-view event to hold crowds in an arena during the pandemic. It was the perfect "welcome back" to fans as the UFC stacked their card with thrilling fights, all of which delivered in style.
The main event, however, was one for the history books. Usman and Masvidal had had bad blood brewing between them ever since their first outing at UFC 251. The rivalry was at a fever pitch and the perfect ending came a minute into the second round.
A picture-perfect straight right hand from Usman, who put all his weight into the punch, connected on Masvidal's jaw. The challenger dropped like a sack of potatoes and Usman solidified his status as pound-for-pound king. Bar one TKO loss early in his career, Masvidal had never lost via total knockout before this fight. It was as devastating as they come and a strong candidate for knockout of the year.
