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Few things are more spectacular and entertaining in the world of the UFC than a brutal knockout. If it comes via a low-percentage strike, it’s even better.
Over the years, one of the rarer moves that has led to a knockout in the UFC octagon has been the spinning backfist. When it does work, it’s definitely memorable.
Given that the strike is hardly easy to pull off, it’s not surprising that few fighters throw it in fights, let alone land it and score a knockout. You never know, in the future, it may become more common.
For now, though, here are five of the best spinning backfist knockouts in UFC history.
#5. Chris Gutierrez vs. Batgerel Danaa – UFC Fight Night 205
The most recent entry on this list took place this past weekend at UFC Fight Night 205. Unsurprisingly, it earned Chris Gutierrez a $50k bonus cheque for his efforts.
Gutierrez’ fight with Mongolia’s Batgerel Danaa was one of those clashes that was always going to fly under the radar with the fans. Buried deep in the prelim card of an event that was already not garnering much hype, nobody was talking about the bantamweight bout going in.
However, given Danaa had won his last three bouts via KO and Gutierrez was on a six-fight unbeaten streak, it was clearly a fight worth keeping an eye on.
Indeed, the first round turned out to be an exciting one, but it was Danaa who largely got the better of the striking exchanges, landing first and hardest for the most part.
Gutierrez clearly recognized he needed to switch things up in the second and he did just that, slipping into more of a counter game and forcing Danaa’s wilder punches to miss more than they’d done in the first round.
Midway through the round, then, as ‘The Storm’ chased towards him, Gutierrez timed a perfect spinning backfist, landing directly to the side of the head and dropping Danaa like a ton of bricks. Gutierrez followed in with some elbows, but they were largely academic and the fight was done.
This was a slick move from a fighter who, given he now hasn’t lost in seven bouts in the octagon, is clearly underrated. Maybe he’ll get more hype behind him now he’s pulled off a knockout like this.
#4. Johnny Walker vs. Justin Ledet – UFC Fight Night 144
Johnny Walker is one of the few fighters in the UFC more than comfortable in throwing low-percentage strikes. While they don’t always land for him, when they do, the Brazilian is capable of the spectacular.
Walker’s rise to fame came in 2019, when he reeled off three wild knockouts in a row, turning himself into an overnight sensation with the fans. The best of the three, though, undoubtedly came against Justin Ledet in February of that year.
Within just seconds of the fight beginning, Walker stunned Ledet with a hook kick to the side of the head. He then followed that up with an insane spinning backfist that dropped him to the ground.
The fight was basically over there, but incredibly, Walker was saved from a disqualification only because a follow-up strike – a soccer kick to the head of all things – narrowly missed.
It was the spinning backfist that did all the damage for the Brazilian, though, showing once again the danger that the strike could bring to the table if a fighter could land it cleanly. Walker hasn’t pulled one off since, but only a fool would bet against him doing it again in the future.
#3. Paul Felder vs. Danny Castillo – UFC 182
Now largely better known as one of the UFC’s higher-level color commentators and analysts, Paul Felder began his life in the promotion as a highly rated lightweight contender.
While his debut in the octagon was a thoroughly forgettable bout, a split decision win over Jason Saggo in October 2014,
it’s safe to say that the bang he made in his second bout with the promotion certainly put him on the map in the eyes of the fans, and shifted him way up the card in the process.
‘The Irish Dragon’ was faced with a tough opponent in tricky veteran Danny Castillo, a fighter who’d won seven of his eleven bouts in the octagon and who had only ever been finished once before. If Felder was to win this one, it was clear he’d have to do it the hard way.
However, Felder made the whole thing look surprisingly easy and ended the night of ‘Last Call’ in truly devastating fashion.
The first round saw ‘The Irish Dragon’ pick Castillo off with leg kicks, reducing him to largely ineffective swings from the outside. In the second round, when ‘Last Call’ attempted to land a haymaker, Felder caught him with a beautiful spinning backfist to the side of the ear.
Castillo was crumpled and Felder didn’t need to follow up, as the fight was clearly over. While ‘The Irish Dragon’ would go onto plenty of success in the octagon after this, this knockout remains his signature one, and for good reason, too!
#2. Steven Peterson vs. Martin Bravo – UFC Fight Night 159
When wild featherweight brawler Steven Peterson debuted in the UFC in one of 2018’s most entertaining bouts, a crazy scrap with Brandon Davis, it didn’t matter that ‘Ocho’ ended up losing a decision. It was clear from his willingness to eat big punches and swing back that he was destined to become a fan favorite.
However, after beating Matt Bessette in his second octagon visit, two straight losses put Peterson on the verge of being cut from his contract in late 2019. In an attempt to turn things around, he decided to risk it all by taking a relatively late-notice bout with Martin Bravo at Fight Night 159.
To make matters worse, ‘Ocho’ was stepping into hostile territory, as the event was being held in Bravo’s home country of Mexico.
In fitting with his character, though, Peterson clearly didn’t care about what the crowd thought. He came in to fight, brawling with Bravo throughout the first round. Both men ate some big shots and, at one point, it looked like one of Peterson’s teeth may have been knocked out.
That left Peterson desperately needing to win the second round, but few could’ve predicted how spectacularly he’d pull it off. The wild exchange continued, but when Bravo attempted a spinning backfist that narrowly missed, Peterson somehow managed to spin in the other direction and land one of his own.
Bravo was clearly out cold as he hit the mat and the Mexican crowd were stunned into silence. Not only did the win save Peterson’s octagon career, but it deservedly earned him a $50k bonus, too, for one of the best spinning backfists in MMA history.
#1. Shonie Carter vs. Matt Serra – UFC 31
While it arguably didn’t land with the devastating effect of Peterson or Felder’s shots, the most famous use of the spinning backfist in the octagon still belongs to Shonie Carter, who used the strike to turn the lights off on future welterweight champ Matt Serra at UFC 31, way back in 2001.
At the time, MMA was still a relatively young sport. It’d only been going in the US for eight years, after all. So the idea that a fighter could throw a spinning backfist and make it work inside the octagon felt more like a pipe dream from a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.
However, not only did ‘Mr International’ knock Serra down with a spinning backfist in the first round after faking a kick, he used the same strike in the third round, catching ‘The Terror’ as he appeared to be stepping in to shoot for a takedown. This time, it put him away for good, carving his name into UFC history in the process.
Incredibly, it would be another 10 years, give or take, before another fighter landed a spinning backfist knockout in the UFC. Bizarrely enough, though, Carter himself came close in his rematch with Serra during their stint on TUF 4.
Overall, then, Carter’s spinning backfist may not be the most visceral example of the strike being used in the octagon, but as it was the original, it remains untouchable in the history of the promotion.
