The 2014 UFC calendar year delivered 45 entertaining, action-packed fight cards, and with the 12 months of scraps now in our rear-view, I’m going to take a moment to reflect on my top 10 favorite knockouts of last year. These are all my opinion, so feel free to voice your own in the comments below. Here are my top 10 knockouts which occurred inside the UFC’s Octagon in 2014: 10) Donald Cerrone’s head-kick knockout of Adriano Martins (UFC on FOX 10, Jan. 25) “Cowboy” landed a beautiful first round right head-kick to put the Brazilian’s lights out in one of his many incredible performances of 2014. 9) Danny Castillo’s one-punch knockout of Charlie Brenneman (UFC 172, April 26) After losing the first round, Castillo started the second with a bang, knocking “The Spaniard” out cold with the first punch he threw. I agreed with Joe Rogan when he said it was the single best punch the Team Alpha Male fighter has ever thrown inside of the Octagon, and the flush knockout earned him a spot on my list. 8) Godofredo Pepey’s flying knee knockout of Noad Lahat (UFC Fight Night 38, March 23) Pepey saved his spot on the UFC roster with his first round flying knockout of Noad Lahat. It was a sad welcome to the Octagon for the undefeated Israeli making his promotional debut, and a beautiful flush knockout for the Brazilian’s highlight reel. 7) Dominick Cruz’s TKO over Takeya Mizugaki (UFC 178, September 27) The former UFC Bantamweight Champion returned to action after a very extended layoff to earn an impressive first round TKO over veteran Takeya Mizugaki. This makes the list because Cruz has never been known to be a knockout artist by any means, and he scored one after an extended layoff against a fighter who has been near-impossible to finish in his career. Snapping Mizugaki’s impressive winning streak, Cruz earned a fight against current UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw, but has since unfortunately been yet again sidelined with another knee injury. 6) Ronda Rousey’s quick knockout of Alexis Davis (UFC 175, July 5) Rousey earned her second consecutive T/KO victory at only sixteen seconds into the fight, marking the fastest finish in her professional mixed martial arts career. She tossed Davis to the canvas, put her in a headlock, and kept her tight in the position as she delivered schoolyard brawl punches, ultimately knocking the Canadian out cold. 5) Abel Trujillo’s knockout of Jamie Varner (UFC 169, February 1) A highlight reel finish for Trujillo in this come-from-behind victory, as Varner was getting the better of him on the feet and had him nearly finished. In this ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus-winning scrap, Trujillo answered with a counter during an exchange that put the former WEC lightweight champion to sleep, resulting in a one punch knockout win for “Killa”. 4) Dong Hyun Kim’s spinning back-elbow knockout of John Hathaway (TUF China Finale, March 1) This finish topped many lists at number one and you really can’t argue it. In fact, I think any of my top 4 would make sense for the number one spot. Kim’s spinning back elbow was without a doubt one of the best finishes of the year, and one of the most beautiful to watch over and over again. 3) Daron Cruickshank’s head-kick knockout of Erik Koch (UFC Fight Night 40, May 10) Some favor Cruickshank’s knockout of Mike Rio over this one, but I personally feel this was truly a classic knockout. It is the only double head-kick knockout I recall ever seeing, as Cruickshank landed two head-kicks before following up with punches to seal the deal. The knockout was even more impressive considering the fact that “The Detroit Superstar” was a massive underdog heading into the bout. 2) Chris Beal’s flying knee knockout of Patrick Williams (UFC 172, April 26) Joe Rogan said it and I agree; no offense to Godofredo Pepey, but this was the best flying knee knockout I have ever seen. Beal could not have hoped for a better UFC debut, and this was one highlight that will be tough to top. 1) Josh Samman’s head-kick knockout of Eddie Gordon (UFC 181, Dec. 6) Samman returned to action following an extended layoff and scored one of the best flush head-kick knockouts I’ve ever seen against Gordon. The fight was on the birthday of his late girlfriend who he dedicated the win to.
