5 times that Dana White was shocked by a brutal knockout

#4. Matt Riddle vs. Dan Simmler – The Ultimate Fighter 7

Matt Riddle left Dana White shocked when he shattered Dan Simmler's jaw

Back in 2008, the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter put a new twist on the reality show by forcing contestants to fight each other for a spot in the TUF house, adding a new level of intrigue to proceedings.

This idea may have proven tiresome had the fights not delivered the goods, but one in particular certainly made the process entirely worth it. The fight in question saw Matt Riddle face off with Dan Simmler, and to say that the 22-year old Riddle made an impact on Dana White would be an understatement.

The future WWE superstar dropped Simmler in the opening seconds of the second round, and then followed up with three coffin-nail punches that left him completely unconscious. When he came around, he could only groan in agony – shocking the onlooking Dana White to his core.

It transpired that Simmler had broken his jaw in two places, and ended up taking a trip to the hospital. White appeared to be outright traumatised by the knockout, while even coach Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson described it as gruesome.

As for Riddle, he didn’t go onto make the major mark in the UFC that he might’ve hoped, but his knockout remains one of the most memorable in TUF history.

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#3. Josh Quinlan vs. Logan Urban – Dana White’s Contender Series 2021

Josh Quinlan wasted no time in knocking out Logan Urban, stunning Dana White in the process

Dana White’s Contender Series has produced a number of genuine UFC stars since its inaugural season in 2017, from Greg Hardy to Alex Perez. However, of all of the finishes witnessed by White on the show, the one that appeared to shock him the most came in 2021.

The finish in question saw Hawaiian welterweight Josh Quinlan take out opponent Logan Urban in just 47 seconds, blitzing him with a series of absolutely brutal punches that dropped him and quickly left him unconscious.

Naturally, the knockout was enough to hand Quinlan a contract with the UFC, and when White announced this after the show had ended, he revealed that he’d been so shocked by the knockout that the only notes he’d made on the performance read “holy sh*t”.

Unfortunately, ‘The Renegade’ has still not made his official octagon debut due to the fact that a positive drug test saw the result of his bout with Urban overturned – meaning his future may well be up in the air, regardless of how much he impressed Dana White.