Max Holloway rivals Ilia Topuria for best UFC KO of the year with ‘Dr Sleep’ and one-eyed Russian challenging Alex Pereira
Every year, Dana White promises the UFC will continue to evolve—and in 2024, he more than delivered. From hosting the first-ever live sporting event at the Las Vegas Sphere to reaching new heights with the milestone UFC 300, White’s efforts drew more attention to the sport than ever before. UFC 306 in September was the first sports event in the Las Vegas SphereUFC In addition, we witnessed Jon Jones continue his legendary career by retiring Stipe Miocic and retain his UFC heavyweight title, while six new champions emerged in an action-packed year. These iconic moments will certainly feature in a series of articles celebrating the best of 2024. But talkSPORT.com is focusing on one of UFC’s most thrilling selling points: the knockouts. Here, we will highlight the best KO’s from the past 12 months in a year that has featured jaw-dropping finishes and unforgettable moments that have cemented themselves into the UFC history books forever. Honourable mentions Fares Ziam vs Matt Frevola – September 2024 Michael Bisping was left dumbfounded after Fares Ziam knocked Matt Frevola unconscious with a devastating right knee. Ziam guided Frevola’s head into an upright position on the exit of the clinch with his right hand and followed up with a destructive knee that knocked him out instantly. The UFC Paris KO was so good that White awarded the 27-year-old Frenchman his first-ever $50,000 bonus in what marked his inaugural UFC finish too. Vinicius Oliveira vs Bernado Sopaj – March 2024 The Knockout of the Year award seemed decided in March when Vinicius Oliveira scored one of the greatest debut finishes in UFC history. Commentators Bisping and Daniel Cormier were left stunned as the 29-year-old Brazilian recorded his 16th KO with a rare, superb flying knee that folded his opponent like a deck chair. Oliveria was awarded a Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonus at UFC Vegas 89, before securing his third UFC win at UFC 303 three months later. Pereira recorded two stunning KO’s in 2024GETTY Which have cemented his status as one of UFC’s pound-for-pound greatest fightersGETTY 5. Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill / Jiri Prochazka – April & June 2024 You couldn’t mention Alex Pereira’s KO victory over Jamahal Hill without mention his brutal head kick win against Jiri Prochazka. Pereira retained his light heavyweight title at UFC 300 in April by stopping Hill with a vicious left hook. He landed a perfectly timed lead hook that dropped Hill before closing the show with some brutal ground and pound. Two months later, Pereira found himself defending his belt again against Czech giant Prochazka at UFC 303. The 37-year-old connected with a massive head kick in the second round that left UFC Hall of Famer genuinely concerned for Prochazka’s safety. “Stop the fight!” It’s over,” he said with genuine panic in his voice. Magomedov is one of the UFC’s hottest middleweight prospectsGetty Hill and Prochazka are both former UFC light heavyweight champions and meet at UFC 311 on January 19 in White’s first pay-per-view event of 2025. 4. Shara Magomedov Armen Petrosyan – October 2024 Shara Magomedov put the middleweight division on notice with one of the most unique KO’s of the entire year. Magomedov moved to 15-0 by flattening Armen Petrosyan with an incredible double spinning back first at UFC 308 to mark his fifth straight win in MMA’s biggest league. ‘Shara Bullet’, who has had eight surgeries and is now completely blind in his right eye, is scheduled to face England’s Michael ‘Venom’ Page on February 1 to boost his 14th middleweight ranking. 3. Shi Ming vs Xiaocan Feng – November 2024 Shi Ming may be the least known fighter on talkSPORT.com’s best KO’s of 2024, but she arguably delivered the most devastating knockout of them all. The 30-year-old made history as the first female winner on Road to UFC when she knocked out Xiaocan Feng at UFC Macau in China. Road to UFC is an event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts in White‘s promotion. The brutal KO, which came in the first minute of round three, left Feng unconscious and requiring a stretcher. Ming has since earned the nickname ‘Dr Sleep’ from MMA fans based on her full-time career as a doctor outside of the cage. Holloway was knocked out by Topuria at UFC 308Getty But the MMA icon takes No.1 spot for his KO over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300Getty 2. Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway – October 2024 Before Max Holloway met Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, he had never been knocked out in his 12-year, 29-fight UFC career. But Topuria didn’t just make history on October 26. Eight months prior, he claimed the UFC featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski – an achievement that could stand alone. Yet it was his dramatic finish against Holloway that truly solidified
Every year, Dana White promises the UFC will continue to evolve—and in 2024, he more than delivered.
From hosting the first-ever live sporting event at the Las Vegas Sphere to reaching new heights with the milestone UFC 300, White’s efforts drew more attention to the sport than ever before.
In addition, we witnessed Jon Jones continue his legendary career by retiring Stipe Miocic and retain his UFC heavyweight title, while six new champions emerged in an action-packed year.
These iconic moments will certainly feature in a series of articles celebrating the best of 2024.
But talkSPORT.com is focusing on one of UFC’s most thrilling selling points: the knockouts.
Here, we will highlight the best KO’s from the past 12 months in a year that has featured jaw-dropping finishes and unforgettable moments that have cemented themselves into the UFC history books forever.
Honourable mentions
Fares Ziam vs Matt Frevola – September 2024
Michael Bisping was left dumbfounded after Fares Ziam knocked Matt Frevola unconscious with a devastating right knee.
Ziam guided Frevola’s head into an upright position on the exit of the clinch with his right hand and followed up with a destructive knee that knocked him out instantly.
The UFC Paris KO was so good that White awarded the 27-year-old Frenchman his first-ever $50,000 bonus in what marked his inaugural UFC finish too.
Vinicius Oliveira vs Bernado Sopaj – March 2024
The Knockout of the Year award seemed decided in March when Vinicius Oliveira scored one of the greatest debut finishes in UFC history.
Commentators Bisping and Daniel Cormier were left stunned as the 29-year-old Brazilian recorded his 16th KO with a rare, superb flying knee that folded his opponent like a deck chair.
Oliveria was awarded a Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonus at UFC Vegas 89, before securing his third UFC win at UFC 303 three months later.
5. Alex Pereira vs Jamahal Hill / Jiri Prochazka – April & June 2024
You couldn’t mention Alex Pereira’s KO victory over Jamahal Hill without mention his brutal head kick win against Jiri Prochazka.
Pereira retained his light heavyweight title at UFC 300 in April by stopping Hill with a vicious left hook.
He landed a perfectly timed lead hook that dropped Hill before closing the show with some brutal ground and pound.
Two months later, Pereira found himself defending his belt again against Czech giant Prochazka at UFC 303.
The 37-year-old connected with a massive head kick in the second round that left UFC Hall of Famer genuinely concerned for Prochazka’s safety.
“Stop the fight!” It’s over,” he said with genuine panic in his voice.
Hill and Prochazka are both former UFC light heavyweight champions and meet at UFC 311 on January 19 in White’s first pay-per-view event of 2025.
4. Shara Magomedov Armen Petrosyan – October 2024
Shara Magomedov put the middleweight division on notice with one of the most unique KO’s of the entire year.
Magomedov moved to 15-0 by flattening Armen Petrosyan with an incredible double spinning back first at UFC 308 to mark his fifth straight win in MMA’s biggest league.
‘Shara Bullet’, who has had eight surgeries and is now completely blind in his right eye, is scheduled to face England’s Michael ‘Venom’ Page on February 1 to boost his 14th middleweight ranking.
3. Shi Ming vs Xiaocan Feng – November 2024
Shi Ming may be the least known fighter on talkSPORT.com’s best KO’s of 2024, but she arguably delivered the most devastating knockout of them all.
The 30-year-old made history as the first female winner on Road to UFC when she knocked out Xiaocan Feng at UFC Macau in China.
Road to UFC is an event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts in White‘s promotion.
The brutal KO, which came in the first minute of round three, left Feng unconscious and requiring a stretcher.
Ming has since earned the nickname ‘Dr Sleep’ from MMA fans based on her full-time career as a doctor outside of the cage.
2. Ilia Topuria vs Max Holloway – October 2024
Before Max Holloway met Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, he had never been knocked out in his 12-year, 29-fight UFC career.
But Topuria didn’t just make history on October 26.
Eight months prior, he claimed the UFC featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski – an achievement that could stand alone.
Yet it was his dramatic finish against Holloway that truly solidified Topuria’s place among the sport’s elite and avoided any conversations about him being a ‘one-hit wonder’.
With a perfectly timed left hook in the third round, Topuria sent a message to the division that he is now champion of.
His strike left ‘Blessed’ sprawled on the canvas, marking a changing of the guard and the dawn of a new era at 145 pounds.
“I represent the new generation and I hope I will be a small part of the example he [Holloway] has set for me,” Topuria said after the bout.
1. Max Holloway vs Justin Gaethje – April 2024
Holloway’s knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 was the biggest UFC moment of 2024.
Fighting for the BMF belt, Holloway was ahead on the scorecards in the final round but gave Gaethje a chance in the final seconds of their five-round bout after he pointed to the floor and invited him to stand and bang in the centre of the octagon.
Both men proceeded to exchange wild shots in the last 10 seconds before Holloway landed a massive overhand right that dropped Gaethje face-first with just one second left
The crowd inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena went into an absolute frenzy as Holloway stormed around the octagon in triumph after the iconic moment.
The KO was so spectacular that UFC commentator Joe Rogan called it the ‘greatest KO of all time.’
