5 Knockout punches in UFC that felt like a chair shot

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Good old Hendo

We can't imagine being knocked out is fun - that much is obvious. However, being knocked out by professional fighters is an entirely different story as there are even more serious long term risks involved.

Shockingly enough the number of fatalities has been surprisingly low over the years, but that doesn't mean we haven't seen some truly cringeworthy finishes.

It draws comparisons, for some people anyway, to the world of professional wrestling where using steel chairs used to be a popular tool in which to get heat on a Superstar. Nowadays chair shots to the head have been banned due to the effects it had on the mental and physical health of some wrestlers, which is why we're choosing to pick out five shots that really made us worry for the competitor involved.

Now obviously this is just another part of the mixed martial arts game, but it's something that not a lot of us like to see on a regular basis. Whilst it is fun to see two guys go to war inside of a cage, that doesn't mean we want to see them get constantly knocked unconscious - because that's just not right.

So brace yourselves, because some of these clips are brutal. With that in mind, here are five knockout punches in UFC that felt like a chair shot.


#1 Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping

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We'll start with one that many people around the world have seen, either live or over social media. Going into Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping a lot of people wanted to see the Brit get what was coming to him, with Bisping constantly running his mouth as he had been doing for many years.

Thankfully, their prayers were answered - and quite emphatically.

The veteran Hendo laid a phenomenal overhand right on Michael, and before he even hit the canvas it was evident to everyone in the arena that he was out for the count - pun not intended. Unfortunately for the loud mouth, Hendo really wanted to make a statement, deciding to follow up the first shot with a devastating second blow whilst he was on the ground. Ouch.

We move onto the fall of a legend.

#2 Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell

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Nobody enjoys seeing a legend go down. Nobody. No matter how invested you may get or how much you hate the fighter, it's never nice to see one of the all-time greats fall to a superior shot or opponent. Because of that, Rashad Evans' brutal knockout of Chuck Liddell was one of the most painful in UFC history - both physically and mentally, as it hit a lot of fans hard.

The two men were exchanging shots back and forth, however, it was becoming clear that Rashad was slowly taking advantage of the UFC 88 fight. Then out of nowhere, Evans laid a monstrous shot right on the chin of Liddell and the Iceman was left staring up at the lights.

It was the first of three consecutive knockout losses for the former champion before he chose to retire. This one is just hard to watch.

#3 Rich Franklin vs. Nate Quarry

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Many people were baffled when Nate Quarry was awarded the chance to fight Rich Franklin at UFC 56, a man who many considered to be one of the toughest guys in all of mixed martial arts.

However, as with any UFC card, fans ended up getting into the bout, and they were rewarded when Franklin knocked Quarry out cold with one of the most brutal punches you're ever likely to see.

Quarry suddenly turned into a wooden board and slumped onto the canvas in one of the most terrifying finishes you're ever likely to see in the sport. Everyone watching knew that it could've been extremely serious, but thankfully Quarry was able to recover from the incident.

However, Franklin would end up suffering a dose of karma from a third party many years later - but we'll get to that.

We move on to the movie star.

#4 Rampage Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva

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Unfortunately for Wanderlei Silva, the guy has been on the end of some pretty disappointing losses over the years and this is a big one. At UFC 92, Rampage was coming off the back of a loss to Forrest Griffin that also saw him lose his Light Heavyweight Championship, which was obviously a big blow.

Thankfully, he was able to respond in a way that shocked quite a few people.

Jackson lit Wanderlei up during the three minutes that their fight lasted, before finishing him off in devastating fashion. Some saw it as Jackson proving he still had what it took to compete at the highest level, however, he never quite managed to reclaim that belt despite having one more opportunity a few years later against the ever-consistent Jon Jones.

We conclude with a man who's already appeared on this list.

#5 Cung Le vs. Rich Franklin

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Never mess with Cung Le. Ever. The former Strikeforce Champion's stint in the UFC was highly anticipated for a long time, and once he made the transition over he didn't disappoint - at least not during this fight.

After a series of desperate shots thrown Le managed to connect with an almighty blow that saw Franklin crumble to the canvas quicker than anyone had ever seen.

It was a big, big moment for Le as not only did he win the Knockout of the Year award but he also did it at the first ever UFC event in China. It proved to the company that there was money in that market, which is why they eventually returned to the same arena with Le once again headlining against Michael Bisping.

The result didn't turn out the same way, but we'll always have this Franklin knockout to treasure.


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