10 Best Cage Fight Knockouts

The 10 best cage fight knockouts is an insane list of punches, kicks, strikes and slams that brought the losing fighter to unconsciousness. Winning through several rounds that end in a decision or pulling off a last-minute submission move are certainly fantastic ways to win. But for sheer impact and brutality, nothing beats a well-timed punch, a blitzkrieg of strikes or a power maneuver that leads to cage fight knockouts.

1. James Irving Vs Houston Alexander. Alexander was then the up-and-coming fighter who was itching for a rebound after a loss against Thiago Silva. Barely seven seconds into the fight, Irving launched a “superman punch” that put Alexander down. Alexander appeared to have woken back up only to be put back to sleep by once more by another knockout punch from the “Sandman”. 
2. Frank Shamrock Vs. Igor Zinoviev. Frank Shamrock was the reigning middleweight champion and Zinoviev had some notable wins prior to this fight. The bout resulted in one of the first cage fight knockouts via a body slam. Shamrock picked up the taller Zinoviev, twisted him in the air and slammed him on the ground so hard that it broke his collarbone and put an end to his fighting career. 
3. Phil Baroni vs. Dave Menne. “I’m the f****n' greatest eva, I'm the f****n man!” yelled Baroni who triumphantly perched himself on top of the ring fence. Moments earlier, he landed a barrage of punches in a two-second span that knocked out a former champion, Dave Menne. Baroni flung his fists so fast that referee Yves Lavigne could not react fast enough to end the cage fight. 
4. Fedor Emelianenko Vs. Andrei Arlovski. Many believe Emelianenko to be the greatest fighter alive. Against Arlovski, Emelianenko looked lost for several minutes. Emelianenko however saw a brief opening and capitalized with his trademark overhand right. The punch landed squarely on Arlovski's jaw and put the Belarusian to sleep.
5. Dan Henderson vs Wanderlei Silva. With Henderson fighting on home turf, Silva was desperate to silence the partisan crowd. During the third stanza, Silva could not react fast enough to a sneaky Henderson spinning back-fist that finished off the cage fight champion.
6. Mirko Filipovic vs. Aleksander Emelianenko. Although technically not a cage fight since bouts are fought in a ring, the now defunct Pride FC gave cage fight fans some great moments. Bruised and battered from Emelianenko's early onslaught, Filipovic stunned his opponent with a punch and then cranked up a powerful leg kick that brought down Emeliananko. For good measure, Filipovic brought down several hammer fists on his helpless opponent until the referee stepped in.
7. Wanderlei Silva vs Quinton Jackson. In another Pride FC fight, Silva, aptly nicknamed the “Axe Murderer” was slowly beating the life out of his opponent when Jackson cracked a smile. Silva smiled back, pulled down Jackson's head and jammed his knee hard against Jackson's face. The blow knocked Jackson unconscious and bleeding through every facial orifice. 
8. Gabriel Gonzaga vs Mirko Filipovic. Filipovic made a name for himself with his trademark finishing kicks to the head. Gonzaga was well aware of the dangers of trading blows with Filipovic, so he elected to take down the Croatian early. After some effective ground and pound, the cage fight referee elected to stand the fighters up. Seconds later, Gonzaga whipped up a leg kick to Filipovic's head, knocking him out with a dose of his own medicine.
9.  Mirko Filipovic vs Igor Vovchanchin. After giving Vovchanchin a clinical striking display through much of the round, Filipovic launched a right-leg kick to the head that landed so hard even cage fight spectators from the bleacher sections cringed after clearly hearing the sound of the blow that almost decapitated Vovchanchin.
10. Quinton Jackson vs Ricardo Arona. Among the best cage fight knockouts, Arona had Jackson firmly in a seemingly inescapable “triangle choke”. Arona had his muscular thighs around Jackson's neck and shoulders, cutting off his air and blood flow. As a last ditch attempt to break the hold, Jackson picked Arona up and as Arona hit the apex of the lift (well above Jackson's head), Jackson threw him down so hard it violently shook the fight ring and shocked the audience.