10 fastest finishes in UFC title fights ever

#3 Andrei Arlovski vs. Paul Buentello – UFC Heavyweight title – UFC 55 – 15 seconds

UFC fans were left in shock and awe by practically every finish on this list, but this one simply left them confused, even angered until the slow-motion replays showed the truth of what happened.

Fans were expecting a slugfest when UFC Heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski defended against Paul Buentello – but what they didn’t expect was Buentello to dive for a takedown after 15 seconds and ref Big John McCarthy dive in to stop the fight at the same time.

The red flag should’ve been waving when Buentello got to his feet, bleeding from under his left eye and looking dazed and confused. But it was only when the replays showed exactly what had happened that the crowd understood and stopped booing; Arlovski had slipped a Buentello jab and nailed him with a clean right hand counter that knocked him out instantly and sent him falling forwards, giving the illusion of a takedown attempt.

The knockout punch remains one of the best timed counters in UFC history, and Arlovski’s finish of Buentello remains the fastest in any UFC Heavyweight title fight. Interestingly enough, it was the second sub-minute finish from ‘The Pitbull’ in a title fight in 2005 – he’d claimed the gold by beating Tim Sylvia in just 47 seconds eight months prior.