5 times when renowned UFC knockout artists were stopped in brutal fashion

#2. Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga – UFC 70

Mirko Cro Cop was renowned for his deadly head kicks - but Gabriel Gonzaga's own version of the strike put him out in 2007

When he arrived in the UFC in early 2007, it was arguable that Mirko Cro Cop was the most feared fighter on the planet, period.

Not only was he coming into the octagon as the reigning PRIDE Openweight Grand Prix champion, but his left head kick was known as one of the most deadly weapons in MMA. He’d used it to put fighters such as Wanderlei Silva, Igor Vovchanchyn and Aleksander Emelianenko away.

Cro Cop’s octagon debut wasn’t one of his most impressive performances, but he did comfortably defeat Eddie Sanchez. It felt like the first step on his path to an inevitable UFC heavyweight title win.

Three months after the Sanchez win, Cro Cop was back, facing grappler Gabriel Gonzaga in the main event of UFC 70, with the winner set to challenge Randy Couture for his title later in the year. To put it simply, it seemed unthinkable that the PRIDE legend could lose.

However, Gonzaga turned the fight on its head by eating up one of Cro Cop’s patented body kicks and using it to tackle him to the ground, where he then landed a series of thudding elbows to the head.

By the time the referee stood the fighters back up, the Croatian was hurt enough to open him up somewhat. Incredibly, Gonzaga then threw a head kick that was as devastating as any of Cro Cop’s own, knocking him senseless in a truly scary moment.

Not only was this a huge upset, but it was also one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history and essentially left Cro Cop as a shell of the fighter he once was. In fact, it may be the ultimate example of a nasty stoppage loss changing the career of a renowned knockout artist.

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#1. Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans – UFC 88

Rashad Evans' knockout of Chuck Liddell was probably more devastating than anything dished out by 'The Iceman' himself

It’s arguable that in his prime, Chuck Liddell was perhaps the most feared knockout artist in UFC history. ‘The Iceman’, who held the light heavyweight title from 2005 to 2007, put together a remarkable list of stoppage wins, including victories over the likes of Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz and Renato Sobral.

However, Liddell always relied on his granite chin a little too much during striking exchanges with his opponents. When that chin began to fail him, his downfall was quick and painful.

‘The Iceman’ lost his title to Quinton Jackson in 2007, suffering a flash knockout. However, when he then survived a brawl with Keith Jardine and defeated Wanderlei Silva in a crazy war, it looked like he was back to his best.

That all changed in September 2008. Faced with up-and-comer Rashad Evans, Liddell was hopeful of picking up a second win in a row. For the most part, the stylistic match seemed good for him given he’d always dealt well with wrestlers.

However, when the fight began, it was clear that Evans had been working on his kickboxing game substantially. More to the point, he held a clear speed advantage over ‘The Iceman’.

Liddell still seemed confident, but every time the two men exchanged, it felt like ‘Suga’ was landing first. In the second round, that approach paid off. ‘The Iceman’ threw a wide haymaker, only for Evans to counter with a brutal right hand that got there a little quicker.

The shot sounded like a gun being fired and Liddell was knocked out cold instantly, slumping to the ground like a corpse.

The knockout was comfortably the worst one that Liddell had suffered in his MMA career. Within two years of suffering it, he’d hung up his gloves. Evans, on the other hand, followed the victory by winning the UFC light heavyweight title and went on to build a legendary career in his own right.