Top 5 UFC knockouts of the decade (2010-2019)

#1 Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren, UFC 239 – 07/06/2019

Jorge Masvidal's KO of Ben Askren shattered the UFC's record for fastest knockout

Back in January 2006, Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig knocked out Jonathan Goulet in just six seconds, setting a UFC record for the fastest KO in promotional history in the process. By the time the start of 2019 rolled around, it’d been 13 years since Ludwig’s marker and nobody had managed to break it, despite a couple coming close.

That all changed this past July when Welterweights Jorge Masvidal and Ben Askren met at UFC 239. The stakes weren’t overly high – rumours were swelling of a title shot for Askren with a win, but that was it – but the fight was still massively heated coming in due to the animosity between the two men. Unfortunately for Askren, none of his animosity was given the chance to boil over come fight time.

Masvidal charged out of his corner, and as Askren leant forwards for a takedown – a move ‘Gambred’ and his team had anticipated – the Cuban fighter leapt into the air and hit him with a perfect flying knee to the temple. ‘Funky Ben’ was sent crashing down, already stiff as a corpse, and although Masvidal landed a couple of follow up shots, they weren’t needed.

The fight was called off after just 5 seconds – finally breaking Ludwig’s record – but in reality Askren was unconscious after just two or three. Simply put, this was a ridiculous, mind-bending knockout and easily the best flying knee in the history of MMA. And what’s more, it launched Masvidal as a UFC superstar too – just in time for a new decade to begin. For me, there’s been none better in the last ten years.