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Nothing captures the attention of UFC fans around the globe quite like a knockout. Whether it's boxing, kickboxing, or MMA, the sight of a skilled fighter being blasted into the shadow realm of unconsciousness seems to spark the restless need for thrill in spectators like nothing else.
However, as brutal as knockouts are, many fighters cite how crippling body shots are compared to a seismic punch on the shin. A well-timed liver shot or body kick that digs the shin into the midsection as the opponent breathes in can shut down a fighter's resolve to continue in the wake of the agonizing pain that ensues.
In the co-main event of UFC 277, Brandon Moreno overcame Kai Kara-France with a brutal kick to the body to capture the interim flyweight championship. This list looks not only at Moreno's victory but four others that have ended with hard body shots.
#5. José Aldo vs. Jeremy Stephens, UFC on Fox 30
In the first of his last three bouts in the UFC featherweight division, José Aldo squared off against Jeremy Stephens. Hoping to bounce back from the first losing streak of his career, the former featherweight champion sought to leave the back-to-back losses he'd suffered to Max Holloway behind him by making a statement against the power-punching Jeremy Stephens.
When both men clashed at the co-main event of UFC on Fox 30, Aldo needed no more than four minutes to earn a stoppage victory. As he faked a right hook to draw Stephens' guard high, the Brazilian legend dug a vicious uppercut into his foe's exposed midsection.
The blow landed squarely on Stephens' liver, flooring the former UFC fighter before Aldo chased him to the ground, landing follow-up shots for the TKO win.
#4. Jéssica Andrade vs. Katlyn Chookagian, UFC Fight Night 180
Like her fellow countryman in the previous entry, Jéssica Andrade needed roughly four minutes to secure a win via a body shot. Only, instead of doing so against Jeremy Stephens, Andrade's win came against Katlyn Chookagian at UFC Fight Night 180 on the Brazilian's flyweight debut.
Despite facing a foe who stood eight inches taller than her, Andrade ceded no ground, applying immediate pressure.
To stifle her opponent's aggression, Chookagian turned the bout into a clinch affair, hoping to use her height and leverage to her advantage.
However, with Andrade pressed up against the fence, a flurry ensued as Chookagian broke away. But as her foe exited the clinch, Andrade landed a hard right hook to the body that left Chookagian spinning and reeling in agony.
As the American retreated, 'Bate Estaca' pursued her, landing another right hook to the body. Chookagian crumpled and Andrade was declared the victor.
#3. Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis, UFC 206
Back in 2016, Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis were at different points in their careers. The Hawaiian was looking to extend his impressive win streak by capturing the interim featherweight title.
Pettis, meanwhile, was in search of greener pastures in a new weight class after the first losing streak of his career booted him from the lightweight division. Off the back of a win over Charles Oliveira, 'Showtime' hoped to become a champion in his new weight class.
Alas, Pettis missed weight, rendering him ineligible to capture 145 lbs gold. To add to his misery, the former lightweight champion encountered a challenge that he could not overcome in the form of Max Holloway.
The Hawaiian crowded his opponent, depriving Pettis of the space and time he needed to throw kicks comfortably. By the third round, 'Showtime' was overwhelmed and wounded as Holloway slammed a hard-round kick into his midsection.
Pettis retreated to the fence and Holloway pounced, swarming him before dropping his foe with a left hook to the body en route to a TKO win.
#2. Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone, UFC on Fox 6
Anthony Pettis is a curious case, featuring on this list as both a victim and dealer of vicious body shots. Back in 2013, both he and Donald Cerrone were at the peak of their powers as elite contenders in the UFC lightweight division.
Cerrone was riding a two-fight win streak that saw him paired with a surging 'Showtime' in a matchup booked for UFC on Fox 6.
At the onset of the bout, Cerrone committed the critical mistake of ceding space, granting Pettis the freedom to kick without fear of being forced onto the backfoot. 'Showtime' made good on his foe's ill-advised generosity by using his combination of speed and superior kicking technique to punish 'Cowboy'.
At the two-minute, 35-second mark, Pettis landed a thunderous left rear-kick to the body, digging his shin into Cerrone's liver to fold his foe for an impressive first-round TKO win.
#1. Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France, UFC 277
At UFC 277, Brandon Moreno met a foe he had faced years prior in a hotly contested bout. Kai Kara-France was on the hunt for a world championship to bring to City Kickboxing, eager to mark the bantamweight division as the third weight class that his gym had conquered.
Brandon Moreno, on the other hand, was intent on securing a fourth bout against the reigning flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo.
Both men crossed paths in a matchup contested for the interim flyweight championship. The fight was an action-packed affair.
In the third round, just as it seemed like Kara-France was running away with the bout, Moreno chased him across the octagon and caught him at the end of a stinging left-round kick to the body, digging his toes into his foe's liver.
The pain proved too much for Kara-France to bear and the New Zealander collapsed to award Moreno the win.
