30 of the best MMA knockouts of all time [UPDATED AUGUST 2023]
By Amy Kaplan
4. Edson Barboza makes Terry Etim go stiff
From UFC 142 – 2012
Joe Rogan could not have timed this knockout any better. It was truly a thing of beauty. It happened in just an instant. So fast, that Terry Etim had no idea what to do.
Edson Barboza could have the best kicks in the UFC, and for sure he is up there in the lightweight division which is full of killers who can kick your head off. He set this up with a couple of punch combinations and leg kids. It seems that Etim was in retreat mode the entire time, and when that happens, you’re always at risk of a devastating knockout.
If you want to know what Alligator arms looks like, this is it for sure. I’ve never seen anyone go limp the way that Etim did after taking that massive right foot to the face. It’s safe to say that Etim has never been the same. After falling to Barboza, Etim was cut from the UFC after losing to Renee Forte. He won his final Bellator bout back in 2013, but has not fought since.
Not only did Barboza knock Etim into oblivion, there’s a chance that he could have knocked Etim out of the sport. Arguably the most impressive kick in UFC history.