Anderson Silva knocks out Vitor Belfort
Date: Feb. 5, 2011
Event: UFC 126
In a matchup that was full of both freaky athleticism and technical savvy, it was ironically an old school technique that solved the Brazilian showdown between Anderson Silva and [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] back in 2011.
Silva, who was not opposed to mixing in traditional martial arts techniques, opted away from the more-commonly used teep kick (which typically has more of a pushing motion to it), and instead fired off a front kick that snapped back the head of Belfort like a Pez dispenser. This shocking finish quickly imprinted itself into the lexicon of MMA, sparking off two more copycat finishes that same year (Lyoto Machida over Randy Couture and Justin Buchholz over Steve Lopez).
Jose Aldo knocks out Chad Mendes
Date: Jan. 14, 2012
Event: UFC 142
Recency bias has many, including myself, assigning 2019 as “the year of the knee.”
However, when you step back and look at the decade, throwing knees (particularly against wrestlers) has been an overarching theme that was instituted beautifully by [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] in his historic and memorable finish over [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] at UFC 142. Incidental cage grab aside, Aldo’s vaunted takedown defense was on full display, as he demonstrated the importance of both breaking grips and forecasting head placements for those who are hungry for hips.
Edson Barboza knocks out Terry Etim
Date: Jan. 14, 2012
Event: UFC 142
It feels kind of strange selecting two fights from the same event, but how can you leave Edson Barboza’s wheel kick knockout over [autotag]Terry Etim[/autotag] off of this list?
Whether we’re talking about modern-day MMA or my earliest martial arts memories from the early ’90s, people – from professionals to casuals – have always argued the efficacy of spinning kicks in regards to practical applications at the highest levels. But regardless of what side of the argument you fall on, you cannot deny the damage of the well-placed wheel kick (arguably the most powerful kick in the playbook) that Barboza burned into our memory banks.
No. 13: Vitor Belfort knocks out Luke Rockhold
Date: May 18, 2013
Event: UFC on FX 8
I know I just paid homage to a much prettier spin kick, but this selection makes the list for a much deeper reason.
Though MMA’s proverbial elephant in the room arguably has always had something to do with either drug or safety regulations, 2013 was a particularly weird window in our sport, as many athletic governing bodies were giving out exemptions for TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) – which was basically a way for competitors to supplement themselves with steroids.
Enter Vitor Belfort, a man who clearly celebrated and thrived during this time.
Belfort always possessed freakish athleticism and power, but the bolstered physique and technical abilities that rapidly rose in his late 30’s (especially when looking at this particular contest) forced us to acknowledge combat sports’ chicken or the egg conundrum – which likely helped lead companies like the UFC toward third party regulation.