Best Of Mixed Martial Arts Knockouts Of 2022

Truly, there is not enough room to cover all the great fights the mixed martial arts world has brought forth in 2022. From surprises, upsets and expected brutal outcomes there is never a dull moment in the sport.

Here is a list of MMA's best knockouts of 2022

Michael Chandler (23-7, 2-3 UFC) vs. Tony Ferguson (25-7, 15-6 UFC) - UFC 274

It was former Bellator lightweight champion "Iron" Mike Chandler's front kick that knocked Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson out cold with 17 seconds left in round 2, May 7, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Chandler had an impressive UFC debut when he stopped Dan Hooker via strikes at 2:30 of the first round Jan. 23, 2021. However, a two-fight losing skid at the hands of Charles Oliveira via strikes May 2021, followed by a three-round unanimous decision loss to Justin Gaethje November 2021, Chandler perhaps reconsidered his move to the UFC.

Looking to stay in the UFC, MMA's "Iron" Mike went back to the basics and scored a front kick knockout against "El Cucuy" Ferguson. The stunning and potentially UFC KO of the year, propelled Chandler back into UFC lightweight title contention where he is currently ranked #5.

Molly McCann (13-5, 6-4 UFC) vs. Luana Carolina (7-4, 3-2 UFC) - UFC Fight Night 96

Molly "Meatball" McCann, 32, put her name into contention for MMA's “Knockout of the Year” following her stunning victory over Luana "Dread" Carolina, in the flyweight division during UFC Fight Night 96 at the O2 Arena in London, England.

From start to finish, McCann was relentless. "Meatball" McCann unloaded a spectacular spinning back elbow off the clinch in the third round that crushed Carolina. The Brazilian dropped to the canvas as the Liverpool, England native rushed to celebrate her win in front of her home audience in the United Kingdom.

Shavkat Rakhmonov (16-0, 4-0 UFC) vs. Carlston Harris (17-5, 2-1 UFC) - UFC Fight Night 92

A battle between welterweight prospects on UFC Fight Night 92, Feb. 5 at UFC Apex Center, in Enterprise, Nevada produced an amazing bout and finish.

It took one takedown and 16 total strikes for Shavkat "Nomad" Rakhmonov, 27, to defeat Carlston "Mocamblque" Harris in impressive fashion four minutes and 10 seconds into the fight. A spin kick usually seen in action movies, Rakhmonov brought Hollywood to life, dropping Harris and unleashing a variety of ground-and-pound punches to finish the fight before the end of the first round.

The Kazakhstan native does not wait for the judges' decision, as he has finished all 16 of his wins. "Nomad" has scored eight wins by knockout and eight by submission, with nine of those being first round victories.

Sergei Pavlovich (17-1, 5-1 UFC) Vs. Tai Tuivasa (14-5, 8-5 UFC) - UFC Fight Night 118

Defeating Australian cult hero Tai "Bam Bam" Tuivasa is no easy task, however, Sergei Pavlovich did just that earning Performance of the Night award in the process at UFC Fight Night 118, Dec. 3, at the Amway Center, in Orlando, Florida.

The Orlovsky, Rostov Oblast, Russia fighter now has five-straight wins by knockout in the UFC’s heavyweight division, and has a total of 14 first round finishes.

Pavlovich wasted no time, swinging for the fences with precision accuracy and unfortunately for Tuivasa there was no letting up from the UFC #3 ranked heavyweight. Pavlovich dropped the Aussie native for a second time in round one with a jab and then followed it up later with a big right hand.

The ruthless victory sent a message to the mixed martial arts world, as the Russian announced himself as a serious threat in the UFC heavyweight division.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik (13-4, 7-4 UFC) Vs. Chris Daukaus (12-6, 4-3 UFC) - UFC 282

Jairzinho "Bigi Boy" Rozenstruik, 34, was on a two-fight losing streak. The Surinamese fighter lost to Curtis Blaydes in the fall of 2021 at UFC 266 by unanimous decision and succumbed to a first-round knockout against Alexander Volkov in in June at UFC Fight Night 207. It was an important fight for both Rozenstruik and Chris Daukaus who also came in with back-to-back losses as both fighters needed to get their hand raised.

With the fighters ranked ninth and eleventh, respectively, at heavyweight this fight had big implications for both fighters future in the UFC. In the end, the hard-hitting kickboxer Rozenstruik took the fight to Daukaus and it was over in a flash. The whole scuffle took all of 23 seconds, and will be a memorable highlight for "Bigi Boy."