5 UFC fighters riding a streak of 1st round finishes

There are few more shocking moments in the UFC than a first-round stoppage. The level of competition is so high in the promotion that it is very rare for one fighter to be that much better than their opponent. However, when it does happen, the winner is often destined for big things.

We recently saw Islam Makhachev record his second straight first-round stoppage over Bobby Green. The victory had Dana White ready to award him a title shot, which shows just how highly regarded consecutive first-round finishes are in the promotion.

While Makhachev no longer appears to be getting that title shot, there are several other UFC stars who have become huge stars off the back of streaks like this. Perhaps the best example is Ronda Rousey, who had two streaks of seven and four first-round finishes and became an absolute megastar in the process.

Here are five UFC fighters riding a streak of 1st round finishes:

Honorable mentions: Danaa Batgerel - UFC bantamweight - 3 in a row

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#5. Paddy Pimblett - UFC lightweight - 3 in a row

Paddy Pimblett holds a record of 17-3

Paddy Pimblett made his UFC debut with a bang last September when he knocked out Luigi Vendramini in the first round. While that performance is the one that got him on many fans' radar, it was actually his third consecutive first-round stoppage. The two prior took place during his time in Cage Warriors.

While Pimblett only really showed his striking skills in his octagon debut, he also possesses dangerous submissions. His final fight with Cage Warriors was a first-round submission win and he has seven submission wins in his 20 professional fights.

Pimblett will not have to wait long before attempting to add to this current streak. He is scheduled to fight Rodrigo Vargas on March 19 in what will be somewhat of a homecoming for the Englishman. Given the hype already surrounding him, a fourth consecutive first-round win would likely send fans into hysteria.

#4. Andre Muniz - UFC middleweight - 3 in a row

Andre Muniz holds a record of 22-4

While he may only be no. 13 in the UFC middleweight rankings, Andre Muniz is very much a fighter you should keep an eye on. After two wins on Dana White's contender series, he has gone 4-0 with the promotion and finished his last three opponents inside the first round.

All three of these wins have come via submission and this is clearly an area where Muniz is exceptionally skilled. Of his 22 professional wins, 15 have come via submission. During his current streak, his weapon of choice has been the armbar as he submitted his last three opponents with this hold.

His biggest win to date came over veteran Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza and he will have the chance to add another big name to his resume next time out. Muniz is scheduled to fight Uriah Hall on April 16. A win would be huge for his career and a fourth straight armbar would really get fans talking.

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#3. Anthony Smith - UFC light heavyweight - 3 in a row

Anthony Smith holds a record of 36-16

Anthony Smith deserves a lot of credit for his current streak of three consecutive first-round finishes. Many were ruling out the former title challenger after he suffered consecutive defeats to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic. However, since those losses, Smith has been close to perfect.

Admittedly, Smith took a drop down in the level of competition to start this run but it certainly seemed to work. He defeated Devin Clark via first-round submission in a main event on ESPN and then defeated Jimmy Crute via TKO due to some vicious leg kicks. He then took on Ryan Spann in a main event bout in September.

Despite Spann appearing to be his strongest opponent of the stretch, Smith dominated the bout and quickly secured a first-round submission. This run has done wonders for 'Lionheart' and he now appears to be knocking on the door of a title shot once again.

#2. Khamzat Chimaev - UFC welterweight - 3 in a row

Khamzat Chimaev holds a record of 10-0

Khamzat Chimaev has been mauling his opponents since his UFC debut back in July, 2020. While that fight made it into the second round, Chimaev has not allowed any of his opponents to do so since. The streak has seen Chimaev go from virtual unknown to possibly one fight away from a title shot.

Impressively, Chimaev's streak has seen him record stoppages at both welterweight and middleweight. It began with a TKO win over Rhys McKee at welterweight just 10 days after his octagon debut. He then stunningly knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in just 17 seconds at middleweight.

He then took on his first ranked opponent in Li Jingliang but once again made quick work of it. That first-round submission saw Chimaev enter the rankings himself for the first time at no. 11. He could once again shoot up the rankings if he is able to defeat no. 2 Gilbert Burns, who he is scheduled to face on April 9.

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#1. Terrance McKinney - UFC lightweight - 5 in a row

Terrance McKinney has a record of 12-3

Terrance McKinney may prove to be the break-out star of 2022, having only debuted with the promotion last year. The debut was a stunning seven-second KO over Matt Frevola and while that was his first bout with the promotion, it was the fourth stoppage of his streak.

McKinney's current run began on the regional circuit when he scored a 16-second stoppage at SHP 59. He took one second longer in his next fight at LFA 106 and when the fight after that took a little over a minute, the UFC finally came calling for this rising star.

After his stunning debut, McKinney followed it up with a very impressive first-round submission of Fares Ziam where he showed a new dimension to his game. While that fight was just two weeks ago, he has now volunteered to step in against Drew Dober on short notice this Saturday.

If McKinney is able to make it six first-round finishes in a row, the UFC could have a massive star on their hands.