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It’s arguable that the elbow is the most underrated weapon in the world of MMA. Despite its effectiveness, even the UFC’s best fighters don’t always make the most use of it. However, that isn’t always the case.
Over the years we have seen elbows used to devastating effect in the UFC. While they’re usually seen as ground weapons, standing elbows are often even more violent.
Standing elbow knockouts are unfortunately few and far between in the octagon. When they do happen, they tend to both shock and impress the fans – and usually net the fighter using them with a $50k bonus.
Here are the five best standing elbow knockouts in UFC history.
#5. Johnny Walker vs. Khalil Rountree – UFC Fight Night 140
Light heavyweight wildman Johnny Walker is all set to headline this weekend’s UFC Fight Night event against fellow prospect Jamahal Hill. His reputation as an exciting fighter stems from his willingness to throw low-percentage strikes on a regular basis.
One such low-percentage strike was the vicious standing elbow that he used to knock out feared striker Khalil Rountree in his octagon debut back in November 2018.
Rountree was coming off a big knockout of his own over former K-1 star Gokhan Saki. Evidently, Walker realized the threat that ‘The War Horse’ posed from long range.
As the fight began, then, the Brazilian wasted no time in closing the distance and grabbing Rountree in a Thai plum clinch. From there, he nailed him with a short-range right elbow to the temple, switching his lights off in a flash.
‘The War Horse’ fell to the ground. While Walker followed with some punches, they weren’t really needed as it was clear that the TUF finalist was done.
This elbow knockout remains one of the nastiest we’ve ever seen in the octagon, not least because when the shot landed, it sounded like Rountree’s skull had been cracked like an egg being dropped. It also instantly turned Walker into a man to keep an eye on at 205 pounds.
#4. Tai Tuivasa vs. Derrick Lewis – UFC 271
When heavyweight sluggers Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis were matched together in the co-headline bout at UFC 271 this past weekend, most fans figured that fireworks would ensue. After all, Lewis already had 13 knockouts to his name in the octagon, while Tuivasa had stopped his last four opponents in nasty fashion.
Indeed, the fight ended in just as violent a fashion as everyone expected, with ‘Bam Bam’ surprising some by coming out on top and turning out the lights on ‘The Black Beast’.
The fact that he used a truly devastating standing elbow to do so only made things even more memorable.
Early on, it looked like it would be Lewis’ fight to lose. In between numerous bouts of clinching, ‘The Black Beast’ used his heavy hands to seemingly hurt Tuivasa, only for the big Australian to somehow eat up the shots and fire right back.
The fight followed the same pattern in the second round, but this time, when ‘Bam Bam’ landed some shots of his own to Lewis, the big Texan was clearly hurt. Seemingly making a grave error, Tuivasa followed by clinching with him, but then used a brutal elbow to the side of the head to knock him out cold, sending him crashing down face-first.
Sure, it wasn’t as esthetically pleasing as some of the other elbow knockouts in UFC history, but for sheer brute force, it was definitely up there with the greatest and should make a star of Tuivasa, too.
#3. Chris Weidman vs. Mark Munoz – UFC on Fuel 4
When Chris Weidman joined the UFC in the early part of 2011, he came into the promotion with a reputation as a highly-skilled wrestler with some dangerous grappling chops, too. However, despite holding a knockout win over Uriah Hall prior to his octagon debut, his striking skills were a little less well-regarded.
That all changed when ‘The All-American’ faced fellow standout wrestler Mark Munoz in the main event of the promotion’s fourth show on Fuel TV in the summer of 2012.
After Weidman surprised ‘The Filipino Wrecking Machine’ by taking him down and thoroughly outgrappling him in the first round, it evidently became clear to Munoz that if he wanted to win, he’d need to up the aggression in the second stanza.
So after scrambling out of another takedown early in the round, he decided to push forward in an attempt to strike. Unfortunately for him, Weidman was ready and threw a beautiful standing elbow on the counter that landed flush to the head of Munoz.
‘The Filipino Wrecking Machine’ was sent crashing to the ground face-first. Weidman followed up with a flurry of punches that left him a bloody mess, forcing referee Josh Rosenthal to step in.
This was the very definition of a highlight-reel finish. The fact that Weidman landed such a devastating elbow on the counter only demonstrated how much his striking skills were improving. A year later, he would become a UFC champion by knocking out the great Anderson Silva.
#2. Jiri Prochazka vs. Dominick Reyes – UFC on ESPN 23
When Czech light heavyweight Jiri Prochazka debuted in the UFC in mid-2020, he made an immediate impact by knocking out Volkan Oezdemir. It was clear that he had the potential to be a star.
In his second visit to the octagon, he demonstrated that again with a truly devastating spinning elbow knockout.
This knockout didn’t come against a scrub, either. ‘Denisa’ was faced with Dominick Reyes, who had pushed Jon Jones all the way in an unsuccessful challenge for the light heavyweight title in 2020 and who had fought Jan Blachowicz for the vacant title later that year.
Against Prochazka, though, ‘The Devastator’ simply looked out of his depth. Some heavy strikes from the Czech fighter in the first round left him with a damaged nose and the abuse continued into the second round as Reyes continued to absorb punishment.
Finally, with the former title challenger clearly hurt badly, Prochazka backed him into the fence with a head kick and a right elbow. He then wheeled around with a spinning left elbow that connected to the jaw, sending Reyes crashing to the ground, unconscious.
The finish left everyone watching stunned and immediately vaulted Prochazka to the top of the light heavyweight division. ‘Denisa’ is currently waiting for his first shot at UFC gold, but even if he fails in that quest, he’ll always have this; one of the best standing elbow knockouts in the promotion’s history.
#1. Yair Rodriguez vs. Chan Sung Jung – UFC Fight Night 139
When Yair Rodriguez finished off Chan Sung Jung in the headline bout of the UFC’s 25th anniversary show in late 2018, not only did he pull off the latest knockout in the promotion’s history – ending the fight with one second to go in the fifth round – but he also unleashed the best standing elbow knockout ever seen in the octagon, too.
‘El Pantera’ was arguably behind on the scorecards when he delivered the shot, meaning that it was literally the last roll of the dice for him. That probably explained his decision to throw such a low-percentage strike.
Rodriguez’s elbow wasn’t thrown in the same way as the ones above, which, outside of Jiri Prochazka’s spinning strike, all arced forward towards the side of the head. Instead, the Mexican threw it upwards from a ducking position, basically like an uppercut in reverse.
Evidently, it was the last thing that ‘The Korean Zombie’ expected, as he walked directly into the shot, which connected perfectly with his jaw and sent him face-first to the ground, completely unconscious.
Quite what possessed Rodriguez to throw such a wild strike remains a mystery, but what can definitely be said is that it stunned everyone who saw it, from the live crowd in Denver, Colorado to the millions watching elsewhere.
It was enough to turn ‘El Pantera’ into a genuine superstar and it will likely remain part of the UFC’s overall highlight reel for years to come. Given that it’s unlikely to ever be replicated, it’s hard not to call it the best standing elbow knockout in the history of the promotion.
