1 best knockout from every major MMA promotion (Video)

Knockouts are undoubtedly the most exciting part of MMA. We'd be lying if we said we were not tuning in hoping to see someone flattened on the canvas. All-out brawls and painful submissions are fun to watch too, but nothing compares to a walk-off knockout or a brutal TKO. Below I will pick one of my favorite knockouts from each of the six major MMA promotions. I consider the UFC, Bellator, PFL, ONE Championship, RIZIN, and Invicta the top six, for the purposes of this story. These are presented in no particular order.

RIZIN - Yusuke Yachi vs. Daron Cruickshank

Yusuke Yachi vs. Daron Cruickshank took place at RIZIN 2017 in Yokohama: Sakura, the bout was an early prelim and just a two-round fight. But at 5:11 in the first round, Yachi landed a nasty right hook that dropped Cruickshank out cold with his head literally hanging out of the ropes.

ONE Championship - Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson 1

The first time Adriana Moraes and Demetrious Johnson fought, a lot was on the line. The ONE Championship flyweight title was up for grabs and Johnson was eager to prove his departure from the UFC was a good decision. The fight took place on April 7, 2021, and was the first card televised on TNT Sports for the Asian based promotion. In the second round Johnson suffered a shocking loss when Moraes landed a brutal knee. The pair has fought twice more since then, Johnson winning both the rematch and the trilogy fight.

Invicta - Chantel Coates vs. Ashlynn Kleinbeck

Women's MMA isn't exactly known for flashy knockouts, but when it happens, it makes it even more special. That's what we saw when Chantel Coates knocked out Ashlynn Kleinbeck in just 28 seconds at Invicta 33 on Dec. 15, 2018.

Bellator - Michael 'Venom' Page vs. Cyborg Santos

Bellator has had many insane knockouts throughout the years and I battled with myself over which to pick. I eventually landed on the Michael "Venom" Page vs. Cyborg Santos fight due to the whole shattering of the skull element. The fight took place on July 16, 2016, in London but it was a crack heard around the world. Page landed a wild flying knee right to the forehead of Santos who was out immediately. It as later revealed he had a kneecap-shaped crack in his skull. This replay is not for the faint at heart.

PFL - Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Damon Jackson

The Professional Fighter's League hasn't been around as long as these other promotions so I went with their fast knockout as one of the best. The fight between Movlid Khaybulaev and Damon Jackson took place at PFL 2 in 2019. The pair were competing for a chance at advancing to the PFL Semifinals and Khaybulaev made sure he left nothing to chance. In just 10 seconds Khaybulaev dropped Jackson with a jumping knee knockout and the the crowd went wild.

UFC - Joaquin Buckley vs. Impa Kasanganay

The knockout during the Joaquin Buckley and Impa Kasanganay fight is one of the best on this list because it's never been seen before and hasn't been done since. Buckley went to kick Kasanganay who grabbed his foot. Normally, that's where it would stop but Buckley spun around and kicked Kasanganay in the face, while he was still holding his leg and knocked him out cold. The highlight instantly went viral and is still one of the most watched knockouts in UFC history.