In the world of combat sports, building up a reputation for being a hard hitter is not a cake walk. Due to the nature of the sport, everyone throws a good punch and getting sorted out from this list requires that special power which outclasses everyone else. And the term ‘good punch’ not only depends on power, but also depends on the timing of the fighter that throws it.
The current UFC roster has some fighters that belong to this elite list and in this slideshow; we are going to take a look at five fighters who are known for their punching prowess.
#5 Robbie Lawler
Some of the biggest names in the business have tasted the knockout power of ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler. Ever since he made his debut back in 2001, Lawler has been making a mark in the MMA circuit. The first four fights of his career ended via TKO/KO and this was the first exposure of Lawler’s vicious punches.
During this time period, Lawler’s punches reminded Dana White of Mike Tyson and this was one of the reasons why Dana signed him up.
Frank Tigg, Murilo Rua, Melvin Manhoef and Scott Smith are some of the names that have felt the power of Lawler’s punch. While Lawler has matured over the years a fighter, his punch still packs enough power to rattle his opponents.
#4 Dan Henderson
Dan Henderson is a legend and there won’t be many arguments about this statement. He is one of the most loved fighters in the current UFC roster and he earned this through a string of impressive fights. With a ton of power in his right hand, Henderson is often compared to boxing legend Rocky Marciano due to the similarities that they share.
One of the most memorable showcase of Henderson’s power happened against his first fight with Michael Bisping where he Henderson strategically forced Bisping to circle to his right and delivered a massive right hand that knocked the Brit out cold.
His win against Mauricio Rua was an equally impressive display of power by Hendo.
#3 Roy Nelson
With the huge structure of Roy Nelson, there isn’t a big question about where his power comes from. After making his debut in UFC by knocking out Brendan Schaub in the Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, it has been a roller coaster ride for Nelson. He might not be considered as a title contender in the current division, but he does have some impressive things to showcase on his resume.
With KO/TKO wins over fighters like Stefan Struve, Mirko Filipovic, Matt Mitrione, Cheick Kongo, and many others, Nelson deserves a place in the list even if his career is going through a bad phase at this time period.
#2 Mark Hunt
Known for his famous walk-off knockouts, Mark Hunt packs enough power in his punch to knockout anyone in the current Heavyweight division. The difference between Hunt and most of the other MMA fighters in the list is his heavy dependency on the same.
With a kickboxing background, Hunt established himself as a powerful heavyweight in the division by toppling some huge guys like Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve, Cheick Kongo and many others.
Hunt’s professional record might not reflect perfectly on his punching prowess but someone who has watched his fights would know how Hunt works his way through opponents to set up his huge bombs.
#1 Anthony Johnson
Daniel Cormier once described getting punched by Anthony Johnson as feeling like someone hitting with a baseball bat. What works for Rumble is the timing and his bodyweight. He puts his entire body weight behind his punches and when he lands, the impact is devastating.
The latest victim of Johnson’s power was Glover Teixeira, who got knocked out in just 13 seconds. Before this, there was a memorable KO win over Ryan Bader as well.
With experience of fighting in the Welterweight division, Johnson has made good use of his speed as well while fighting in the lightweight division. He looks set to take over the Championship scene and with the power he has, he might do it as well.
If we missed out anyone, let us know in the comments section.
