As fight fans, we love fighters who blow us out of the water with scintillating knockouts and scary stoppages. Most of these athletes are gifted with jaw-crushing power, yet they work hard to master the art of separating their foes from their consciousness consistently.
Who are these fighters, and why are they so popular? Let’s discuss the UFC fighters with the most knockouts.
Table of Contents
25. Justin Gaethje
| Years Active | 2011-Present |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 25/4 |
| Knockouts | 20 |
Justin, also known as The Human Highlight, is one of the hardest-hitting lightweights in the world and a certified BMF.
The Arizona native started wrestling at only four years old. In high school, he was a four-time finalist and two-time state champion in wrestling. He graduated with an incredible record of 191 wins in 200 wrestling matches.
He first came into contact with mixed martial arts as a freshman at the University of Northern Colorado, where he wrestled the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Clay Guida, and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.
While Gaethje was an above-average NCAA Division I wrestler, he enjoyed striking more in his early years, and his high-octane fighting style is the reason why he’s a fan favorite.
In his early years in MMA, Gaethje most notably competed in the World Series of Fighting, winning the lightweight title and defending it five successive times. Each of his six title fights ended with a knockout, with a couple of leg kick knockouts.
Since signing with the UFC in 2018, Gaethje has continued his reign of terror in the lightweight division, knocking out some of the best fighters in the business with ruthless precision and thunderous power.
The former interim UFC lightweight champion has twelve bonuses in as many fights, and 20 of his 25 career wins have come by way of knockout.
24. Quinton Jackson
| Years Active | 1999-2019 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 38/14 |
| Knockouts | 20 |
From drug dealing and street fighting to UFC glory, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s story is nothing short of a Hollywood movie.
Born in a dysfunctional family, Jackson was left to navigate through life’s hardships on his own when his father, a drug addict, disappeared into an abyss.
Jackson’s life could have ended badly as well if it wasn’t for his entry into wrestling in high school.
“Rampage” initially wanted to be a professional wrestler, but he failed to fulfill his dream of becoming one after he was expelled from college following a fight with his teammate.
A few months following his expulsion, Jackson discovered MMA and made his debut in 1999.
A wrestler with fists of fury, Jackson enjoyed a lot of success early in his career. At 10-1 as a professional, Jackson signed with PRIDE FC, where he fought the best fighters in the world. Jackson most notably defeated Igor Vovchanchyn, Murilo Bustamante, and the iconic Chuck Liddell.
In 2007, Jackson signed with the UFC. In his first two fights, he secured a couple of sensational knockout victories to earn a title shot against Chuck Liddell at UFC 71.
Jackson defeated “The Iceman” for the second time in his career to reach the highest of highs in MMA.
With 20 of his 38 victories coming by way of knockout, Quinton Jackson is truly a legend of the sport.
23. Rich Franklin
| Years Active | 1999-2015 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 29/7/1 |
| Knockouts | 20 |
A former high-school math teacher, Rich Franklin saw a dream and was lucky enough to make it come true, thanks to his incredible fighting acumen.
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Franklin started his martial arts journey through Karate in the early nineties. Between formal education and martial arts, however, he had to choose one option, so he went after college degrees first and martial arts second, making his professional debut in 1999.
After racking up a couple of impressive wins in 1999, Franklin set his priorities straight, and within a few years, he signed with the UFC as one of the finest middleweight prospects in the world. At UFC 53, Franklin stopped Evan Tanner to win the middleweight title.
He made two successful title defenses, against Nate Quarry by first-round knockout and David Loiseau by decision, before facing the man, the myth, the legend, Anderson Silva at UFC 64. As good as Franklin was, he couldn’t hold a candle to Silva and lost by first-round knockout.
Franklin bounced back into title contention with a couple of big wins but lost to Silva again and rode into the sunset five years later after a series of wins and losses.
With 20 knockouts and 5 submissions in 29 victories, Franklin was an underrated finisher.
22. Cris Cyborg
| Years Active | 2005-Present |
| Country | Brazil |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 26/2 |
| Knockouts | 20 |
Next, we have the only woman to grace this list, Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino.
Born in Curitiba, Brazil, Cyborg started her sporting journey with handball at 12 years old, playing at the national level in Brazil.
It was at one of her handball games that Cyborg was discovered by Rudimar Fedrigo, a trainer at one of Brazil’s top MMA facilities, Chute Boxe.
The Brazilian powerhouse fell in love with Muay Thai in her first class and hasn’t looked back since, becoming one of the most feared strikers in women’s MMA, who has cleaned the clocks of more than a dozen women.
Cyborg has won titles in four different promotions. She is the reigning Bellator featherweight champion and has previously held the 145lbs title in the UFC, Strikeforce, and Invicta Fighting Championship.
Considered one of the GOATs of the game, Cyborg holds victories over Gina Carano, Shayna Baszler, Marloes Coenen, Tonya Evinger, and Holly Holm, to name a few.
With 20 knockouts in 26 fights, Cyborg is in a league of her own in women’s MMA.
21. Yuki Kondo
| Years Active | 1996-Present |
| Country | Japan |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 65/38/9 |
| Knockouts | 21 |
With well over a hundred mixed martial arts bouts under his belt, Japan’s Yuki Kondo is a pioneer and a legend of the sport.
Hailing from Niigata, Kondo started his martial arts journey with Shorinji Kemo, a modified version of the Shaolin Kung Fu.
The Japanese phenom started his mixed martial arts journey in 1996, fighting an incredible ten times in the year and most notably defeating Frank Shamrock by a head kick knockout at Pancrase: 1996 Anniversary Show.
While “Sora” competed in the UFC a few times, he has spent most of his career fighting in Pancrase, where he has won multiple titles. He is a former Pancrase middleweight, light heavyweight, and two-time openweight champion.
Kondo has a career total of 65 wins, with 21 coming by way of knockout.
20. Melvin Guillard
| Years Active | 2002-2019 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 32/22/2/3 |
| Knockouts | 21 |
Melvin Guillard is one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts.
Born and raised in Louisiana, Guillard started his athletics journey with basketball before transitioning to wrestling in high school.
In his senior year, he became a state champion, winning the class 5A MVP award. He was also a member of the Louisiana Junior National Team for two years.
Guillard’s success in wrestling was crucial in his transition to mixed martial arts. He started preparing for his professional debut as young as 16 years old.
Guillard started his MMA journey in late 2002, fighting in various promotions throughout his career, including the UFC, Bellator, Rizin, and Australian Fighting Champion. Although he failed to win any major titles in his MMA career, Guillard produced highlight-reel moments on almost two dozen occasions.
In the UFC alone, Guillard earned the Knockout of the Night honors three times, the Fight of the Night honors two times, and he is tied with Edson Barboza for the third most knockouts in UFC lightweight history.
Although he hasn’t officially retired from MMA, Guillard hasn’t competed since 2019. His most recent fight came against Joe Riggs at Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in late 2021. The wrestling ace lost the fight by knockout in the first round.
Guillard has 21 career knockouts in MMA.
19. Mauricio Rua
| Years Active | 2002-2023 |
| Country | Brazil |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 27/14/1 |
| Knockouts | 21 |
Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua belongs to the golden generation of light heavyweights in MMA.
Born and raised in Curitiba, Brazil, in a well-off family, Rua had all the luxuries in the world at his disposal, yet his desire for greatness paved the way for his marriage with martial arts.
The Brazilian started his martial arts journey with Muay Thai at 15 years old and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at 17 years old.
By the time he made his MMA debut in 2002, he was already extremely well-rounded.
After a successful start to his UFC career in Brazil, Rua traveled to the United States and then to Japan, where he competed against the best fighters in the world in PRIDE.
From 2003 to 2007, Rua competed 13 times in PRIDE with 12 victories and a defeat at the hands of Mark Coleman.
His wins came against Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem, and Kevin Randleman. He most notably won the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix in 2005.
In 2007, Rua signed with the UFC. Although his career was full of ups and downs, he still managed to bag key victories, most notably in his rematch against Lyoto Machida at UFC 113, where he won the light heavyweight title by first-round knockout.
Rua also holds notable wins against Forrest Griffin and Corey Anderson.
With 21 knockouts in 27 victories, Rua was one of the finest knockout artists of his generation and a legend through and through.
18. Matt Hughes
| Years Active | 1998-2013 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 45/9 |
| Knockouts | 21 |
Matt Hughes is one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time. He is a two-time UFC welterweight champion and a UFC and NJCAA Hall of Famer. He was also considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world during his reign as the 170-pound titleholder.
Hailing from Hillsboro, Illinois, Hughes entered the world of mixed martial arts with high school wrestling, collecting trophies and medals as years passed by. A two-time NCAA Division 1 All-American, Hughes made his mixed martial arts debut in 1998.
In only two years, Hughes fought a ridiculous 23 times, with 22 wins and a loss.
At 29-3 as a professional, Hughes signed a multi-fight contract with the UFC, securing a title shot in his very first fight.
Hughes defeated Carlos Newton by a controversial slam to win the welterweight title at UFC 34. He then established his reign of terror in division with five consecutive title defenses, most notably against Newton and Sean Sherk.
His first title reign was ended by BJ Penn at UFC 46.
Hughes bounced back with a couple of victories and reclaimed his throne by defeating a young Georges St-Pierre to win the vacant title. He defended it a couple of times, most notably against BJ Penn, before losing his belt to GSP at UFC 65 in 2006.
In his illustrious career that lasted 15 years, Hughes secured 45 wins with 21 knockouts and the most finishes in UFC welterweight title history.
17. Robbie Lawler
| Years Active | 2001-2023 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 30/16/1 |
| Knockouts | 22 |
In his heyday, Robbie Lawler was ruthless.
Born in San Diego, California, Lawler had fighting running in his veins, thanks to his father, who is a former marine. The soft-spoken but hard-hitting fighter started his martial arts journey in high school, where he earned the All-State honors in wrestling.
When Lawler was sixteen years old, former UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich took him under his wing and trained him for a professional career in mixed martial arts.
Although he was an exceptional wrestler, Lawler possessed thunderous knockout power, which helped him bag four first-round finishes in his first four MMA fights.
Dana White was very impressed with Lawler’s early performances, and he signed him with only four fights under his belt. In his first three fights in the UFC, Lawler impressed with a decision win and two finishes. However, in his next four fights, he lost thrice and was fired by the world’s top MMA promotion.
For nearly a decade, Lawler competed outside of the UFC, knocking fighters out cold in a devastating fashion and capturing the Elite XC, Icon Sport, and Superbrawl middleweight titles.
Lawler couldn’t garner the same amount of success in Strikeforce, but when the promotion was absorbed into the UFC, the ruthless American earned an opportunity to redeem himself.
Lawler made the most of his second chance in the UFC, winning the welterweight title in late 2014. He defended the belt twice, against Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit.
Robbie Lawler has 22 career knockouts under his belt.
16. Dan Severn
| Years Active | 1994-2013 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 101-19-7 |
| Knockouts | 23 |
The original Beast Incarnate, Dan Severn, is one of the icons of mixed martial arts and professional wrestling.
Born in Coldwater, Michigan, Severn has a long history in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. The Beast is one of the most decorated combat sports athletes of all time. He is a 5th-degree black belt in Judo, a 2nd-degree black belt in Jujutsu, and a two-time NCAA Division 1 All-American.
Severn’s mixed martial arts record is also mind-blowing.
He started his career in 1994 and competed 127 times with 77 finishes. The combat sports icon won titles in various promotions. In the UFC, Severn won the UFC 5 and the Ultimate Ultimate 1995 tournaments.
Outside of the UFC, Severn won the Elite-1 MMA and Continental Freefighting Alliance heavyweight and Gladiator Challenger Superfight heavyweight titles.
Not only does Severn rank among fighters with the most knockouts (23), but he’s also one of the few people with the most submission victories (54) in mixed martial arts.
15. Anderson Silva
| Years Active | 1997-2020 |
| Country | Brazil |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 34-11-1 |
| Knockouts | 23 |
Widely regarded as the greatest fighter of all time and one of the greatest strikers in UFC history, Anderson Silva was a freak of nature.
Born in Sao Paulo and raised in Curitiba, Brazil, Anderson Silva had a tough childhood. The son of a poverty-stricken family, Silva spent most of his childhood with his aunt and uncle in Curitiba, where his first foray into martial arts began with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. As years went by, Silva transitioned into Taekwondo, Capoeira, and Muay Thai.
Silva’s mastery of various disciplines of combat helped him stay ahead of the curve in mixed martial arts. “The Spider” started his MMA journey in 1997, and within four years, he won his first belt, the Shooto middleweight title. Three years later, Silva won the Cage Rage middleweight title, and after three successful title defenses, he signed with the UFC in 2006.
In his first fight, Silva dispatched Chris Leben to earn a title shot. In his second fight, he won the belt and kickstarted one of the greatest title runs in the history of MMA. Except for one or two tough fights, Silva eased past everybody, including Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, and Vitor Belfort.
In his first six years in the UFC, Silva was untouchable as he defended his belt a record ten times. His title reign ended in 2012 when Chris Weidman knocked him out at UFC 162.
Silva has 23 career knockouts to his name.
14. Alistair Overeem
| Years Active | 1999-2023 |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 47-19-1 |
| Knockouts | 25 |
Alistair Overeem is one of the greatest combat sports stars to never win a UFC title.
Born in London, England, to a Jamaican father and a Dutch mother, Overeem started training in martial arts early to defend himself from bullies back home in the Netherlands.
At 15 years old, Overeem signed up at Chris Dolman’s Martial Arts gym for a career in prizefighting.
Initially, “Reem” didn’t like the sport, since he was regularly beaten up by more experienced sparring partners. Later, when he met the iconic Bas Rutten, he changed his mind.
Overeem started his MMA journey in 1999, but his start was far from ideal. The Dutch star lost three out of his first seven fights. From 2000 to 2003, Overeem won twelve consecutive times before losing to Chuck Liddell in the quarter-final of the PRIDE middleweight Grand Prix.
Overeem had his most successful years in MMA in Strikeforce, where he won the heavyweight title in 2007. His UFC run was exceptional as well, as he secured victories against Junior dos Santos, Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson, and Andre Arlovski.
25 of Overeem’s 47 career wins came by way of knockout.
13. Wanderlei Silva
| Years Active | 1996-2022 |
| Country | Brazil |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 35/14/1 |
| Knockouts | 27 |
Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva is easily one of the greatest fighters of all time.
Born in Curitiba, Brazil, Silva started his martial arts journey at thirteen years old. Initially, the MMA veteran focused on Muay Thai and competed in several tournaments in his age group, but later, he added Vale Tudo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to his arsenal as well.
Silva made his professional MMA debut in 1996, but it wasn’t until his incredible run in PRIDE FC that he turned into an icon.
From 2000 to 2004, Silva was the pride of PRIDE, where he put together a jaw-dropping streak of eighteen victories in a row, with wins against big names like Quinton Jackson and Kazushi “The Gracie Hunter” Sakuraba.
In his prime, Silva was one of the most feared fighters on the planet, whose ice-cold stare and looping haymakers would send shivers down the spines of those he fought.
With 27 knockouts in 35 wins, Silva’s hands of stone sent many to a place where time doesn’t exist.
Today, the Axe Murderer holds a plethora of records, including most wins (20), most knockouts (15), and most finishes (16) in PRIDE FC history.
12. Jeremy Horn
| Years Active | 1996-2020 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 92-22-5-1 |
| Knockouts | 27 |
Are you even a hardcore MMA fan if you don’t know about Jeremy Horn?
Born and raised in Nebraska, Horn competed in more than a hundred MMA contests. A belligerent child of a single mother, Horn engaged in multiple street fights as a child, so to provide him with an outlet to unleash his anger in a sanctioned manner, Horn’s mother allowed him to train as young as 12 years old along with his brother Matt.
Within a few years, Horn turned professional.
The MMA legend made his professional debut in 1996, fighting six times in the year with five wins and one loss. In his career that spanned 24 years, Horn competed in a plethora of promotions.
Much of his success came in smaller promotions, like Elite 1 MMA, where he held the light heavyweight title, and 5150 Combat League, where he bagged the middleweight title. Horn also competed in promotions like PRIDE and the UFC but failed to garner much success.
In the UFC, Horn fought a few times but ended his run in the world’s top MMA promotion with a losing record.
In 120 career MMA fights, Horn secured 92 victories with 27 knockouts and 53 submissions. While Jeremy doesn’t have the most knockouts in UFC history, his record is seriously impressive.
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11. Melvin Mahoef
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| Years Active | 1995-2022 |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 38-14 |
| Knockouts | 27 |
Melvin Manhoef is pound-for-pound one of the most deadly strikers in MMA history. For years, the kickboxing ace cracked the sturdiest chins in the game with his thudding punches and lightning-fast kicks.
Born in Suriname, Manhoef moved to the Netherlands with his family when he was only 3 years old. During his youth, he played soccer but later turned his attention to Muay Thai after his brother introduced him to the sport.
At 18 years old, Manhoef competed for the first time in kickboxing, winning by a decision.
Manhoef’s professional MMA debut came a couple of years after his kickboxing and Muay Thai debut in 1994.
Manhoef had his first MMA fight in 1995, his second in 1999, and his third in 2001. During those six years, his focus was on Muay Thai, but over time, his interest in MMA grew.
From 2002 onwards, Manhoef started competing in MMA regularly and fought in notable promotions, including Bellator, Strikeforce, and ONE Championship.
As far as title victories in MMA are concerned, Manhoef couldn’t garner much success. He only won the Cage Rage light heavyweight championship and defended it two times in his career.
29 out of Manhoef’s 32 career wins came by way of knockout.
10. Gegard Mousasi
| Years Active | 2003-Present |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 49-9-2 |
| Knockouts | 28 |
Gegard Mousasi is one of the most underrated strikers and fighters of all time. The Dutchman doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his incredible achievements.
Born in Iran, Mousasi and his family relocated to the Netherlands after spending a few years in the refugee camps following the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s.
After finishing grade school, Mousasi developed an interest in martial arts, starting his journey with judo before turning to boxing, kickboxing, and, eventually, mixed martial arts.
Mousasi started his MMA journey in 2003, competing three times in the year with two wins and a draw. Since 2003, Mousasi has competed in some of the best promotions in the world, including the UFC, Bellator, DREAM, and PRIDE.
He won the light heavyweight title in Strikeforce, the middleweight and light heavyweight titles in DREAM, and the Bellator middleweight championship twice. Mousasi also competed in the UFC from 2013 to 2017, competing 12 times with nine wins and three losses.
Mousasi was one of the top contenders in the UFC middleweight division when he parted ways with the promotion over a contractual dispute.
In his career spanning over two decades, Mousasi has competed 60 times in MMA, with 49 wins and 28 knockouts. He’s truly a legend of the sport.
9. Mirko Cro Cop
| Years Active | 2001-2019 |
| Country | Croatia |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 38-11-2-1 |
| Knockouts | 30 |
Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery.
Croatian combat sports royalty Mirko Filipovic, commonly known as Mirko Cro Cop, was a force to be reckoned with in his heyday.
A man with gigantic knockout power, Cro Cop defeated some of the greatest fighters of his time and won numerous championships and tournaments.
Born and raised in Croatia, Filipovic started his martial arts journey with Taekwondo at seven years old. Cro Cop’s transition to prizefighting took place when he was serving in the Croatian Army as a radio telegraphist. While serving in the army, Filipovic received an opportunity to train with the national kickboxing team, and he never looked back.
After garnering a lot of success in kickboxing, Cro Cop transitioned to MMA in 2001. In his first nine fights, Cro Cop won seven with two draws before suffering his first loss at the hands of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Cro Cop bounced back from his early setbacks by putting on a series of victories that earned him a PRIDE heavyweight title shot against Fedor Emelianenko, who is widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight of all time.
Although Filipovic failed to win the belt, his fight with Fedor was declared the Fight of the Year 2005. Later in his career, Filipovic also competed in the UFC but failed to garner much success.
In his illustrious MMA career, Filipovic fought 52 times, with 38 wins and 30 knockouts.
8. Alexander Shlemenko
| Years Active | 2004-Present |
| Country | Russia |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 63-15-1-1 |
| Knockouts | 33 |
Much like Gegard Mousasi, Alexander Shlemenko also happens to be one of the most underrated MMA fighters of all time.
Born and raised in Russia, Shlemenko started his martial arts journey with Greco-Roman wrestling but later transitioned to army hand-to-hand combat, winning several national and world championships.
A master of sport in ARB, Shlemenko started his professional MMA journey in 2004, competing a whopping 14 times in the year, with 12 wins and two losses.
For nearly two decades, Shlemenko has competed against some of the best fighters in the world, including Melvin Manhoef, Gegard Mousasi, and UFC veteran Alex Oliveira.
Shlemenko most notably competed in Bellator, where he won the middleweight title in 2013, and recorded three successful title defenses against Brett Cooper, Doug Marshall, and Brennan Ward.
In 80 mixed martial arts bouts, Shlemenko has earned 60 victories with 33 knockouts.
7. Gilbert Yvel
| Years Active | 1997-2018 |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 40-16-1-1 |
| Knockouts | 34 |
Gilbert Yvel is widely regarded as the most aggressive and dirtiest fighter in all of mixed martial arts. The Dutchman is violence personified, and even referees aren’t safe from his wrath.
Not a lot is known about Yvel’s early life, except for the fact that he was born to Surinamese and Haitian parents and was raised as an orphan in Amsterdam. Yvel came into contact with combat sports through his brother, and he started his martial arts journey with kickboxing and Muay Thai.
As years went by, Yvel unleashed violence on his opponents, establishing himself as the best Dutch kickboxer in the world in his heyday.
Yvel’s MMA journey started in 1997 when he fought seven times with as many wins and knockouts. From 1998 to 2018, Yvel took on everyone his manager put in front of him. He brutally beat bottom and mid-tier competition but failed every time he faced a tougher challenge.
As far as his accomplishments in MMA are concerned, Yvel is a former RINGS Openweight champion and a one-time M-1 Light Heavyweight tournament winner.
In his professional MMA career, which spanned over two decades, Yvel fought 58 times, winning 40 fights with 34 knockouts.
6. Paul Daley
| Years Active | 2003-2022 |
| Country | England |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 44-18-2 |
| Knockouts | 35 |
British MMA legend Paul Daley is the most decorated knockout artist in the United Kingdom’s history.
Born in London and raised in Nottingham, England, Daley played soccer at the junior level for Nottingham Forrest Football Club before transitioning to Muay Thai. The British star started his mixed martial arts journey years later at 18 years old. He didn’t have an ideal start to his career, as he lost two out of his first three fights in 2003.
Daley bounced back with a series of victories in 2004 but would lose again. The trend of wins and losses continued throughout Daley’s career, where he won most and lost some, but he always gave fans their money’s worth.
Although he most notably competed in Bellator, Daley also tried his luck in various top MMA promotions, including the UFC, where he was named The Newcomer of the Year in 2009.
Daley achieved the highest of highs in the sport in the Cage Rage Fighting Championship, where he won the world and British welterweight championships.
Daley retired with 63 professional fights and 43 victories with 35 knockouts.
5. Joe Riggs
| Years Active | 2001-2019 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 49-18-2 |
| Knockouts | 37 |
For more than two decades, Joe Riggs unleashed violence on his opponents.
Born and raised in Sanford, Maine, in the United States, Riggs started boxing and wrestling early, making his professional debut in 2001, fighting two times in the year with a couple of first-round finishes.
Riggs competed in the cage from 2001 to 2019, competing in top MMA promotions like the UFC, Bellator, Strikeforce, and World Extreme Cagefighting. Known for his incredible knockout power and intimidating aggression, Riggs cleaned the clocks of many throughout his career.
He is Bellator MMA’s Fight Master season one winner, a former WEC middleweight champion, and a former Z Promotions light heavyweight champion.
In 70 professional MMA fights, Riggs secured 49 wins with 37 knockouts and ranks fifth in the list of MMA fighters with the most knockouts.
4. Luis Santos
| Years Active | 2000-2019 |
| Country | Brazil |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 65-12-1-1 |
| Knockouts | 38 |
Luis Santos is a rather unknown personality in mixed martial arts because he spent a major part of his professional life competing in bottom and mid-tier promotions.
The Brazilian started his mixed martial arts journey in 2000, earning four consecutive first-round finishes to cap off a successful debut year. Santos fought for 19 years and accumulated dozens of victories against fighters in Brazil.
His most notable defeat came at the hands of Adriano Martins, the only man to defeat UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Santos most notably competed in Bellator and in ONE Championship, where he challenged Ben Askren for the promotional welterweight title. However, the fight was ruled a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke.
In 79 professional MMA fights, Santos has 65 wins with 38 knockouts. In terms of the most KOs in UFC history, Santos has certainly earned himself a spot near the top of the list.
3. Travis Wiuff
| Years Active | 2001-2021 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 78-22-1 |
| Knockouts | 39 |
Travis Wiuff is one of the few combat sports legends with over 100 professional fights.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Wiuff started his martial arts journey with wrestling at the age of five and continued through high school and college.
After college, Wiuff was persuaded by Brad Kohler to take up professional fighting. Wiuff didn’t like the idea at first, but later accepted the offer and started training at Kohler’s Lion’s Lair gym. Wiuff made an instant impact, winning his first two fights by first-round TKO.
Wiuff competed for two decades, most notably in the UFC and Bellator, scoring notable wins against Travis Fulton, Chris Tuchscherer, and Sean Salmon.
With 78 wins and 39 knockouts, Travis Wiuff has the third most knockouts in MMA history.
2. Igor Vovchanchyn
| Years Active | 1995-2005 |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 56-10-1-1 |
| Knockouts | 41 |
Igor Vovchanchyn is the greatest Ukrainian MMA fighter of all time.
Born and raised in a small district of Soviet Ukraine, Vovchanchyn was a mischievous child who regularly got into street fights and caused trouble.
In his teenage years, he became more disciplined thanks to his transition to boxing, kickboxing, and, eventually, MMA.
A tank reincarnated as a human, Vovchanchyn was one of the most feared fighters of his time, courtesy of his thunderous knockout power.
The Ukrainian started his MMA journey in 1995 and ended it in 2005. In those ten years, Vovchanchyn cracked multiple chins and won notable accolades. He most notably competed in PRIDE.
Vovchanchyn’s list of vanquished foes includes Kazushi Sakuraba, Gary Goodridge, Gilbert Yvel, and Masaaki Satake.
With 41 career knockouts, Igor Vovchanchyn is the second-greatest knockout artist of all time in MMA.
1. Travis Fulton
| Years Active | 1996-2021 |
| Country | United States of America |
| Win/Loss Ratio | 255-54-10-1 |
| Knockouts | 143 |
The greatest knockout artist in MMA history, statistically, was the controversial Travis Fulton.
Born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa, Travis Fulton started wrestling in high school, following in the footsteps of his brother.
With time, Fulton’s priorities shifted, and he entered the world of mixed martial arts, fighting more than 300 times, which is a gigantic achievement in itself.
From 1996 until his death in 2021, Fulton competed 320 times. He competed in a plethora of promotions, most notably the UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting, fighting almost every other week.
With 143 knockouts in 320 fights, Fulton was widely respected in MMA circles as one of the legends and icons of the sport until he had a major fall from grace.
In 2021, Fulton was charged with a disgusting crime. If convicted, the MMA legend would have faced up to 70 years in prison, but he died by suicide while in custody.
Wrap Up:
| Fighter | Wins | Knockouts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Travis Fulton | 255 wins | 143 knockouts |
| 2. Igor Vovchanchyn | 56 wins | 41 knockouts |
| 3. Travis Wiuff | 78 wins | 39 knockouts |
| 4. Luis Santos | 65 wins | 38 knockouts |
| 5. Joe Riggs | 49 wins | 37 knockouts |
| 6. Paul Daley | 44 wins | 35 knockouts |
| 7. Gilbert Yvel | 40 wins | 34 knockouts |
| 8. Alexander Shlemenko | 63 wins | 33 knockouts |
| 9. Mirko Cro Cop | 38 wins | 30 knockouts |
| 10. Gegard Mousasi | 49 wins | 28 knockouts |
That does it for this list. If you have any questions or comments, let us know below!