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The Top 7 MMA Knockouts and What We can Learn from Them

MMA fighters are adaptable creatures, but everyone can be caught off guard and surprised by an opponent that switches things up. We make sure that anyone who comes through the doors of our martial arts school at the Integrated Combat Centre understands just how complex and unpredictable real fights can be.

Over the years, we’ve seen some amazing situations in the UFC octagon.  Even though some knockouts may look flashier and more epic than others, we decided to take a look at some KOs from which you can actually learn some valuable lessons.

Aldo Vs McGregor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI2N1-7tmYc

The fight between Aldo and Conor McGregor was highly anticipated and a lot of fans were shocked that the fight ended in just thirteen seconds. Conor, in his own style, hyped up this fight with a lot of trash talk.

He was able to provoke Aldo enough to make him rush into the fight recklessly and Aldo paid a steep price. He took a quick left to the chin and a few more consecutive shots which brought him down to the floor.

Ben Nguyen Vs Julian Wallace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LmeQ3Vci-w

Sportsmanship is a good thing for every fighter to have. Sure, a bit of pre fight provocation and showmanship isn’t a problem, but never get too cocky. The pre fight photo session with Ben Nguyen and Julian Wallace was going fine until Julian decided that he wanted to prove his superiority by bullying Nguyen.

Nguyen kept his calm, didn’t fall for the provocation and proved his worth within the octagon by knocking out Wallace in under 30 seconds. Being overly aggressive and provocative can mess with our own head, especially if we don’t manage to phase the opponent. No matter the odds, you should always keep a clear head and remember that no one is invincible.

Michael Page Vs ‘Cyborg’ Santos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VplnCL0zfs

Sometimes the lessons learned in fighting are a result of complex situations and a lot of knowledge, and sometimes they are as simple and direct as they come. The lesson in this fight is of the simpler kind, and it goes: “Watch out for the knees!”

Santos got into a lot of trouble from a not-so-difficult situation and ended up with one of the worse injuries and more brutal knockouts in MMA history. He didn’t respect the leg speed and precision that Michael Page demonstrates from fight to fight, and he paid the price.

Ben Henderson Vs Anthony Pettis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz7W86wvjZE

With the level of skill and the amount of practice professional MMA athletes put in, it really makes sense to expect the unexpected. In some situations we really get to witness a level of skill that is movielike. Ben Henderson’s wall-jump-kick knockout against Anthony Pettis was one such situation.

While you may argue that expecting the unexpected isn’t really a helpful piece of advice, it works for MMA fighters rather well. Most of these athletes have exceptional skills, and you should never take a situation lightly and lower your guard. The octagon is small and your opponent is always a threat.

Rashad Evans VS Chuck Liddell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsZh3nMP41I

Some fighters have natural endurance and can take a serious beating. Chuck Liddell is known for his iron jaw, and the ability to take a punch and then proceed to tackle the opponent or respond with his own swing.

Still, in this fight against Rashad Evans he gets cut short by Rashad’s vicious overhand cross. The Iceman goes down and Rashad takes the victory. Don’t try to compensate a lack of skill with pure, stubborn endurance – it doesn’t always end well.

Pat Barry vs Cheick Kongo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JebJ6RduIBQ

On the other hand, sometimes endurance and grim determination pay off big time. Cheick Kongo pulled of an amazing turnaround when he knocked his opponent down after being knocked down twice himself. With some amazing ground work and an iron will he managed to get up and knock out his opponent.

Gray Maynard vs Rob Emerson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkPxSTHKYts

Some fights are memorable for all of the wrong reasons. In some situations things can get weird in the octagon and when that adrenaline starts kicking in, you might feel invincible and be inclined to be a bit more reckless.

Gray Maynard attempted a takedown in the second round and ended up knocking himself out by hitting his head on the floor. Rob Emerson tapped out due to an injured rib, so the fight ended up being a no-contest.

Pro MMA fights can teach us a lot, but nothing replaces first-hand experience and a good training session. We offer the best self-defence training in Sydney and can help you learn your lessons without being knocked out, so give our free 7 day MMA training trial a shot. Don’t just watch MMA fights and cheer, start analysing and learning from the mistakes the pros make and applying it in your training.

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