Following one of the year`s most thrilling UFC events, and with Americans preparing for Independence Day fireworks, it`s the perfect moment to celebrate the most explosive fighters in MMA today.
Jed Meshew and Alexander K. Lee from MMA Fighting discuss their picks, division by division, for the heavy hitters who have distinguished themselves recently and are always capable of ending a fight with one significant strike.
Francis Ngannou
While Tom Aspinall is a compelling contender in the heavyweight conversation given his recent dominance, before Aspinall`s ascent, there was “The Predator.” Now competing in the PFL, Ngannou`s UFC run featured incredibly violent knockouts, including a near-decapitating finish of Alistair Overeem. He even challenged Tyson Fury in boxing, coming close to being the first to stop him despite having no boxing background. This man isn`t just fireworks; his power is on an entirely different scale.
Alex Pereira
Magomed Ankalaev deserves considerable credit for surviving Pereira`s fight-ending power in their recent bout, but even in defeat, “Poatan`s” reputation loomed large. Before facing Ankalaev, the former kickboxing sensation compiled an impressive list of knockouts in just four years with the promotion. His chilling finish of Jiri Prochazka, the memorable shrug over a defeated Jamahal Hill, and a stunning fifth-round TKO of Israel Adesanya that made him a UFC champion in record time are all prime examples. When it comes to demonstrating Pereira`s unreal punching power, any of these moments serve as a perfect illustration.
Khamzat Chimaev
With respect to middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis, when envisioning sheer explosive power at 185 pounds, his upcoming challenger comes to mind.
Chimaev has been a relentless force since entering the octagon. Although his path to the top has encountered obstacles like illness, injury, weight class changes, and some close decisions, when “Borz” is performing at his best, few fighters are as intimidating – and for good reason. Chimaev completely dominates professional fighters, making them look like training dummies before overwhelming them. And when he`s not grappling opponents into submission, he`s perfectly capable of landing a fight-ending knockout.
Joaquin Buckley
Remember when Buckley turned having his kick caught into one of the most spectacular knockouts ever seen? That moment alone speaks volumes.
While that incredible finish occurred at middleweight, since moving down to 170 pounds, “New Mansa” has continued to deliver brutal finishes, taking out opponents like Andre Fialho, Vicente Luque, and Stephen Thompson.
Ilia Topuria
Following a recent major event, the knockout highlight was immediately uploaded online, distributed freely, showcasing its impact. That illustrates just how devastating Topuria’s knockout power is and how much the promotion wants everyone to recognize him as a formidable force, potentially at 155 pounds in the future.
His work at 145 pounds was equally remarkable. It`s worth noting he is the only fighter to knock out Max Holloway and the only one to defeat Alexander Volkanovski in a featherweight bout. Topuria was already considered among the best pound-for-pound finishers even before his dominant championship-winning performance.
Jean Silva
If Ilia Topuria were still competing at featherweight, he would undoubtedly occupy this spot. However, with his move up, “Lord” is doing an excellent job filling the void. In his five UFC appearances, Jean Silva has secured five stoppage victories—four by knockout and one by a brutal choke—earning three performance bonuses. Among the many talents emerging from the Fighting Nerds camp, Silva might prove to be the most explosive.
Malcolm Wellmaker
Speaking of rising talents, meet Malcolm Wellmaker.
A former pipe-fitter, Wellmaker goes by “The Machine,” but that`s where any comparison to bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili ends. If Dvalishvili is a machine that slowly grinds opponents down, Wellmaker is a machine built for instant destruction, like a T-800 designed to obliterate opposition in the blink of an eye. Just look at his finishes against Cameron Saaiman and Kris Moutinho for proof.
Manel Kape
Simply watching Manel Kape`s dominant performance against Bruno Silva makes it clear why fans are eager to see him finally get his flyweight title shot and a potential second fight against champion Alexandre Pantoja.
His extended beatdown in that fight was a significant moment, offering a compelling look at how effective “Starboy” can be when performing at his peak. Kape possesses a unique striking fluidity at 125 pounds, making him a threat to overwhelmingly defeat anyone on a given night.
Amanda Nunes
Does this selection require explanation? Beyond being widely regarded as the greatest female fighter of all time (GOAT), Nunes holds the record for the most knockouts in UFC women`s history. This is just one of many records accumulated during her legendary career of decisively defeating opponents.
After all, this is the fighter who knocked out Cris Cyborg in under a minute. And with her impending return, she has the opportunity to potentially add Kayla Harrison to her impressive list of victories.
Dakota Ditcheva
This list wouldn`t be complete without including arguably the most exciting fighter in women`s MMA currently.
Once viewed as a promising prospect that the PFL might develop gradually, that changed entirely last year when Ditcheva electrified the scene with a spectacular tournament run. “Dangerous” lived up to her moniker, securing four consecutive finishes, including a dominant victory over Taila Santos in just two rounds, to claim the PFL flyweight championship. Overall, she has nine consecutive finishes under the PFL banner, making her an obvious inclusion here.
Zhang Weili
The 115-pound strawweight division isn`t particularly known for its roster of one-punch knockout artists. However, even in comparison, Zhang Weili makes a strong case for being its most dangerous finisher. Her spinning backfist knockout of fellow legend Joanna Jedrzejczyk is arguably one of the greatest KOs in women`s MMA history. Even when she doesn`t finish fights inside the distance, her explosive bursts of strength and athleticism can instantly alter the course of a contest.
Oliver Croft