5 best finishers in the UFC right now

C. Naik
Heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis [image courtesy of @espnmma on Twitter]
Heavyweight contender Derrick Lewis [image courtesy of @espnmma on Twitter]

#4. Valentina Shevchenko – (11-2 in the UFC, 6 finishes)

Valentina Shevchenko has established herself as one of the best fighters in the UFC in recent years, irrespective of gender. The lifelong martial artist has enjoyed an incredible career so far. The Kyrgyzstani phenom is one of the most dominant champions in the world, having defended her flyweight title six times.

Shevchenko spent almost half her career competing at bantamweight before dropping down to the 125-pound division. Despite clearly being undersized, ‘Bullet’ emerged as one of the best fighters in the bantamweight division, picking up wins over Holly Holm and Julianna Pena.

Her impressive bantamweight run pre-dated the UFC’s flyweight division altogether. When the division was eventually created, she secured a title shot with a win over Priscila Cachoeira and defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant gold. She has been defending her belt ever since.

Shevchenko holds an overall MMA record of 22-3. 15 of her wins have come by way of KO/TKO or submission.

Notably, she seemingly takes pleasure in using her opponent's strengths against them. In her fights against Julianna Pena and Jessica Andrade, two wrestling specialists, 'Bullet' took both fighters down and dominated the exchanges on the mat before securing finishes.

Her headkick KO against Jessica Eye remains one of the greatest knockouts in women's MMA history.

Watch some of Valentina Shevchenko's highlights in the video below:

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#3. Derrick Lewis (17-6 in the UFC, 13 finishes)

Derrick Lewis owns the record for the most knockout wins in the history of the UFC (13). He is also tied with Frank Mir for the most finishes in the heavyweight division.

Lewis is one of the most beloved and entertaining fighters on the roster. His incredible sense of humor, coupled with his intensity and propenity for jaw-dropping knockouts, has made him a fan favorite.

During his time in the promotion, 'The Black Beast' has knocked out the likes of Shamil Abdurakhimov, Travis Browne, Marcin Tybura, Alexander Volkov, Alexey Oleynik, Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus.

His KO victory over Blaydes last year was one of the most vicious knockouts in the history of the heavyweight division. His most recent victory over Daukaus saw the Houston native take the top spot for most KO victories.

Lewis is set to take on fellow knockout artist Tai 'Bam Bam' Tuivasa in his next bout. He will look to build on his record with another knockout win.

Watch a compilation of Derrick Lewis' best knockouts in the video below:

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