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A vast number of UFC fans tune in to watch the fights for the entertainment value of MMA. The looming sword of a knockout is perhaps the most powerful aspect of MMA that takes its entertainment value to a whole new level. While a back-and-forth war might be the perfect product to satiate a fight fan's appetite for violence, a quick and clean knockout is probably the best thing from a fighter's perspective.
The UFC kicked off 2021 with a Conor McGregor pay-per-view and has since put together several phenomenal events. These events saw the crowning of four new UFC champions and the emergence of new dominant forces in different weight classes. From back-and-forth wars to clinical finishes, the cards have delivered it all.
Here is a list of three of the fastest UFC knockouts in the first half of 2021.
#3 Ode Osbourne vs Jerome Rivera - UFC Vegas 18
Ode Osbourne opened the UFC Vegas 18 fight card with an impressive knockout of Jerome Rivera. The Jamaican Sensation blocked Rivera's head kick with a shoulder and flatlined him with a left cross. The referee intervened to stop the fight at 26 seconds of the very first round after Ode Osbourne followed up with a few strikes.
#2 Dan Ige vs Gavin Tucker - UFC Vegas 21
No other visual in combat sports is as impactful as a walk-off knockout - especially when it is delivered by the least expected fighter. Before the Gavin Tucker fight, six of Dan Ige's eight UFC fights went to the judges' scorecards. But everything changed at UFC Vegas 21 when a perfectly timed right hand from Dan Ige sent Gavin Tucker crashing on the mat just 22 seconds into the fight. Ige walked away without landing a single follow-up shot and collected '50K' for his efforts.
#1 Matthew Semelsberger vs Jason Witt - UFC Vegas 21
The cards that appear weak on paper usually deliver the most. UFC Vegas 21 did not have big names to boast but it produced some of the best finishes of 2021 so far. Matthew Semelsberger set the perfect tone for UFC Vegas 21 with a bonus-winning performance. A quick right hand from Semelsberger found Jason Witt's chin and dropped him when the latter attempted a calf kick in close range. The referee stepped in to save Witt after a few follow-up shots and stopped the bout at 16 seconds of the very first round.
