In the world of MMA, there is no greater finale to a fight than a spectacular knockout. While there have been plenty of electrifying finishes over the years in the fabled UFC Octagon, none have captivated MMA audiences quite like head kicks.
When this power staple of kickboxing lands, it generally leads to some of the most recognizable moments in the sport’s history. Across multiple different eras of the UFC, fighters have used this technique to immortalize themselves in the annals of MMA folklore. Now, let’s take a look at five of the top head kick knockouts in UFC history.
Thrilling MMA Head Kick Knockouts: Kevin Lee vs Gregor Gillespie UFC 244
At one point in time, Michigan’s Kevin Lee looked to be on track towards greatness at 155-lb. Compiling a 9-2 record in his first three years in the UFC, the “Motown Phenom” was booked in a main event showcase versus Tony Ferguson at UFC 216 in 2017 for the Interim Lightweight Championship. Utilizing his superior wrestling, the Midwesterner managed to outgrapple Ferguson for the majority of their contest. That was until “El Cucuy” pulled off an excellent come-from-behind victory by tapping out Lee in a tight triangle choke.
In the following two years, Lee fell into a bit of a slump, going 1-2 in his next three bouts, with his one win coming against Edson Barboza in a fifth round corner stoppage, although he did miss weight for that contest. He then battled undefeated 155-lb contender Gregor Gillespie at UFC 244.
Standing at the top of his game, Gillespie was a surging powerhouse in the division, having stopped nearly all six of his UFC opponents and garnered three post-fight bonuses with a record of 13-0.
With his back to the wall, and his status as a top name at 155-lb on the line, Lee was going to need to make a statement both to the UFC and fans that he was still a strong contender. He answered emphatically by not only beating Gillespie in the first round, but also landing a devastating kick that completely flatlined the formerly unbeaten New Yorker.
By the time the fight was called off, Gillespie had lost his pristine record and was slumped up on the cage wall, his consciousness all but severed. While he never did reach another title contest again, this knockout has since become a notable highlight reel in Lee’s career, with many noting it as his best performance ever.
Thrilling MMA Head-Kick Knockouts: Rose Namajunas vs Weili Zhang UFC 261
In her UFC debut, Ultimate Fighter finalists Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza fought for the chance to be crowned the inaugural UFC Strawweight Champion, with Esparza coming out on top by third round submission. For three years, “Thug” clawed her way up the 115-lb ranks, defeating the likes of Angela Hill, Paige VanZant and Michelle Waterson-Gomez.
Becoming a top fighter in the division, Namajunas earned a second shot at the strawweight crown, this time opposite the five-time defending champion, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, at UFC 217, who rose famously knocked out in just one round.
Making a successful title defense in a rematch against the Polish Muay Thai sensation, Namajunas next encountered Brazilian bruiser Jéssica Andrade at UFC 237. Though she looked to be in the midst of a lengthy reign at the top, Namajunas suffered one of the most grisly stoppage losses of the last decade after Andrade picked her up and slammed her clear on her head.
It would be over a year before the Wisconsin native made a return to the cage, where she met up with a recently dethroned Andrade again at UFC 251. Unlike their first bout, their second one went the full three round distance, with Namajunas getting her hand raised by unanimous decision, setting up a meeting with the same woman who wrested the belt away from Andrade, Weili Zhang.
Losing her first professional contest, Zhang had embarked on a extraordinary 20-fight win streak, which saw her capture the UFC strawweight strap in just four matches. She had even defended said title against Jędrzejczyk in what many call today as the greatest fight in women’s MMA history at 248, retaining her championship by unanimous decision.
Going toe-to-toe with the Chinese sensation in the co-main event at UFC 268, Namajunas stood on the cusp of greatness for a second time. Although she was a considerable betting underdog, “Thug” turned back the clock in thrilling fashion by delivering a solid kick to Zhang’s head in the first round, sending the champion to the canvas and ending the bout.
For a second time, Namajunas held UFC gold firmly around her waist, and, in some opinions, cemented her status as one of the best female MMA practitioners of all time.
Thrilling MMA Head-Kick Knockouts: Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim UFC 142
In the early years of the 2010s, there was no man in the featherweight class as feared as Brazilian striking specialist Edson Barboza. Going undefeated in the first eight fights of his career, “Junior” excelled on the regional scene, capturing the Ring of Combat Lightweight Championship, and taking his first three UFC contests.
This included a victory over The Ultimate Fighter Season 9 winner, Ross Pearson. Securing a spot on the main card opener of UFC 142 in 2012, the surging Barboza came to blows with the 18-fight veteran Terry Etim.
Having been in the UFC a full three years before his Brazilian adversary, Etim had gone 5-1 in his last six Octagon appearances before UFC 142; his only setback in that time span came against future lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos. His overall record stood at a splendid 15-3 at the time of his tilt with Barboza, making Etim the most experienced fighter he had come across in his early UFC tenure.
Demonstrating his better striking ability, Barboza out landed his opponent nearly 2 to 1 over the course of their three round tilt. Though Etim did secure two takedowns, the Brazilian quickly made his way up to his feet before long on each of them.
Seemingly on his way toward a unanimous decision victory, Barboza was only three minutes away from netting the best win of his MMA career. Not willing to wait out the clock, however, he proceeded to knockout Etim with a colossal spinning wheel kick that left audiences stunned around the world, leaving the Englishman completely stiff on the ground.
The stoppage became the first of its kind in the UFC while catapulting Barboza into stardom overnight. This kick also earned him a handful of awards, including UFC.com, World MMA Awards and Sherdog’s Knockout of the Year and even an ESPY Award nomination.
Thrilling MMA Head-Kick Knockouts: Leon Edwards vs Kamaru Usman UFC 278
Back in 2015, promising welterweight competitor Leon Edwards suffered the second loss of his UFC career when he was dominantly out grappled by Kamaru Usman at UFC on Fox 17 by unanimous decision. Despite the result, The defeat turned out to be the catalyst for one of the longest win streaks in the 170-lb division’s history, as Edwards logged an impressive ten-fight unbeaten run over the next seven years.
During this time, the impeccable English kickboxer rattled off notable victories over Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, Rafael dos Anjos, and Nate Diaz. Emerging as the clear number one contender in the weight class, Edwards contended for the welterweight title at UFC 278 in a high-profile runback with his nemesis, Usman.
Since earning his first win on Edwards all those years ago, Usman had gone on to steal the UFC Welterweight strap after shutting down then champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 235. From here, the “Nigerian Nightmare” only blossomed, winning five consecutive title defenses over Colby Covington, twice, Jorge Masvidal, twice, and Gilbert Burns.
He was also widely-viewed as the pound-for-pound best fighter in all of MMA, ranked above other skilled champions at the time like Alexander Volkanovski, Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya.
Living up to said praise, Usman controlled Edwards for the majority of their second clash, using his far-better wrestling to wear on the European, sapping his energy and seemingly his will to fight. Although “Rocky” did unanimously take the first round on all the judge’s scorecards by tripping the incumbent and scoring some control time of his own, it was essentially one way traffic for Usman.
Then, when all hope seemed lost, Edwards, after throwing a jab to block the champion’s view, brought his shin directly onto the temple of Usman, knocking out the top fighter in the promotion in just a single shot.
To the collected shock of the entire sport, jaws loudly dropped everywhere as Edwards pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, making him the new UFC Welterweight Champion.
Thrilling MMA Head-Kick Knockouts: Holly Holm vs Ronda Rousey UFC 193
Following a wholly successful boxing career (where she won over 15 world titles), Holly Holm stormed her way into the UFC after going undefeated on the Southern United States regional circuit at 7-0. Entering the company in early 2015, “The Preacher’s Daughter” fought two times in the span of five months, defeating future bantamweight queen Raquel Pennington and Marion Reneau. With these wins, and her extensive background as a world-renowned boxer, Holm was pitted in a main event opportunity versus then reigning 135-lb champion and MMA megastar Ronda Rousey at UFC 193.
Similar to her boxing counterpart, Rousey also came into mixed martial arts in the wake of a stellar run in Judo, including six USA Senior National Championship titles and a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The time served on the mats translated wonders into her MMA career, as “Rowdy” won her first seven bouts in a row by first round armbar. During this string of domination, Rousey got her hands on the Strikeforce Bantamweight Championship and retained it one time before the company was bought by the UFC.
She was ceremoniously promoted to UFC champion and defended it once. In the coming two years, she fought off another five challengers in the row, beating the likes of Miesha Tate, Sara McMann, Cat Zingano and Bethe Correia.
Standing as a titan in the realm of combat sports, Holm was viewed as just another sacrificial offering to the reign of Rousey. However, instead of going after Holm with her masterful grappling, the champion, instead, opted to stand with the former boxing juggernaut, leading to her face being battered in the first round.
Sensing the bantamweight standard beginning to crumble, Holm went on the attack in round two, eventually catching Rousey with an now iconic head kick that floored the bantamweight title holder.
With just a single swing of her leg, Holm had elevated herself to a household name, seized the 135-lb belt in a monumental victory and brought an end to one of the biggest hype trains in MMA history.