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Throughout UFC history, fight fans have witnessed some of the most devastating knockouts in professional MMA. From Brock Lesnar falling at the hands of Cain Velasquez, to Holly Holm’s demolition of Ronda Rousey, to Francis Ngannou literally lifting Alistair Overeem off the ground with sheer power alone. Although mixed martial arts showcase a plethora of skills, including karate, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu, boxing remains a dominant force when it comes to knockouts.
Finishing an opponent inside the octagon is no easy task, but possessing superior boxing skills gives a fighter a distinctive advantage, particularly when they carry firepower in their hands. No matter how many techniques you learn, incredible knockout power seems to be unique to the individual; it simply cannot be taught. Seeing as a majority of fighters have an orthodox stance and lead with their right hand, fighting southpaw could have slight advantages, particularly with a left hand that carries power. With that in mind, let’s have a look at three of the deadliest left hands in UFC history.
#3 Israel Adesanya - UFC career 2018-present
Before he joined the UFC just over three years ago, ‘The Last Stylebender’ Israel Adesanya had amassed an incredible professional kickboxing record of 75-5, with 29 of those fights coming by way of knockout. Adesanya has even flirted with professional boxing and has a record of 5-1, with one knockout. This wealth of striking experience has made the Nigerian-New Zealander a force to be reckoned with inside the octagon.
Although not strictly a southpaw, Adesanya frequently switches stances while using feints to draw his opponents into range, and his left hand has proved devastating. The current middleweight champion used his matrix-esque defense to lure both Robert Whittaker (UFC 243) and Paulo Costa (UFC 253) into a false sense of security, landing his crushing left hand on both in near-identical fashion. He finished both fights in the second round.
#2 Anderson Silva - UFC career 2006-2020
At the ripe age of 46, Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva is still going strong in combat sports. Last Saturday, Silva won a split-decision professional boxing match over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Not many fighters would be able to compete in their twilight years feasibly, but, then again, not many fighters are as talented as ‘The Spider.’
Considered to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Silva still holds the record for the longest win streak in UFC history: 16. Of those 16 fights, ten came by way of knockout. Silva’s unique combination of muay thai, jiu-jitsu, taekwondo and capoeira made the Brazilian hard to figure out inside the octagon, which left time and space for him to land his killer left hand. When this landed, his opponents usually didn’t last long.
#1 Conor McGregor - UFC career 2013-present
Before ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor signed a contract with the UFC in 2013, the Irishman already had ten knockout victories to his name. His left hand contained power rarely seen in MMA. McGregor carried his knockout pedigree into the octagon, with five knockouts in his first six fights.
A UFC featherweight title shot had been on the Irishman’s wishlist from day one, and though it had been delayed many times, he finally got the chance at UFC 194 in 2015. Jose Aldo had not been defeated in over a decade, yet it only took McGregor 13 seconds to dethrone the Brazilian. A devastating left hand - the second punch he had thrown in the fight - landed flush on Aldo’s chin, and it was lights out. ‘The Notorious’ used the same left hand to destroy Eddie Alvarez the following year, becoming the first UFC champion in two weight divisions simultaneously.
