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SteemSports Editor:
"The best feeling is to win by knockout." -Nonito Donaire
In the brutality of combat sports, punishment and knockouts are expected...but these are the few finishes that will stay with me forever. This list should not be approached by the faint of heart, this is controlled savagery at it's finest...
#5: Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson vs. Ryan Bader:
This one closes at #5 for it's utter shock value. Most fans knew this fight was a mismatch out of the gate as Bader had been knocked out cleanly by lesser man than Rumble. Only a few moments after the initial bell, Bader ran at Rumble clinging to his leg with utter desperation. Once Bader couldn't force the takedown nor control Rumble, his position turned him crumpled downward and eventually sprawled out. Johnson landed punches over the hands of Bader and never landed cleanly to the head....but he still cleanly ko'd him. The shock of Bader defending to going lifeless was shocking, and there is your number 5!
#4: Michael 'Venom' Page vs. Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos:
This ko can arguably be higher on the list as it is one of the most gruesome events to ever occur in a combat arena. Anderson Silva's leg as well as a few other instances come close, but 'MVP' shattering the forehead of Cyborg will forever remain a Bellator highlight. Cyborg was seen to be outmatched and the odds place 'MVP' as a starting 400 favorite, but the demolition job that resulted from this affair was unexpected to say the least. Cyborg's forehead was truly smashed inward, and he required immediate surgery post fight. This was the result of a devastating flying knee with perfect placement, incredible that Cyborg stayed awake...
#3: Wanderlei 'The Axe Murderer' Silva vs. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson:
This fight and eventual trilogy stayed in my mind a long while after it completed. The PRIDE era was a much more vicious and explosive place where finishes were aplenty...and they were absolutely welcomed. Two of the most famous wrecking balls of the day were Rampage and Wandy, their trilogy remains one of the best of all time. The second encounter between the two ended with a vicious barrage of knees from Wanderlei, and the way Rampage falls through the ropes is almost heartbreaking. To this day we have never seen Rampage that hurt or dismantled, it was a brutal one!
#2: Gary 'Big Daddy' Goodridge vs. Paul Herrera:
An absolute classic and still one of the most devastating knockouts of all time. Herrera and Goodridge were making not only their UFC debuts, but also their fighting debuts. It was a horrendous beat down for the unaware Herrera whom at the time was a middleweight fighting a near heavyweight in Big Daddy. Goodridge got Paul in a modified crucifix and hammered him into unconsciousness with vicious elbows. The unrelenting force of Goodridge led to an immediate stoppage...this is one of the hardest to watch finishes still to this day!
#1: Nikita 'Al Capone' Krylov vs. Ed 'Short Fuse' Herman:
I wouldn't be able to leave you with a list of popular finishes, which this list mostly is. I don't mind sharing these types of fights because the brutality of combat is what makes it so emotional. Nikita Krylov is one of the most talented light heavyweights in the world today, and him facing the durable veteran Ed Herman made sense in rankings at the time. Herman put up a good battle but was getting mostly dismantled through the course of two rounds. Krylov look paced, and he demolished Herman with jabs and high kicks all night. Herman succumbed to a lethal high kick to the neck, and I have never seen anyone fall forward like he did in my life. I was worried for his safety, and I had never felt that shock and awe in my life watching sport... This one exposes true viciousness, but it is a necessary evil in a sport we love so much
