September’s Top Five UFC Knockouts

September saw some sick stoppages inside the Octagon, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld as he selects the top five UFC knockouts of the month.

Knockouts weren’t easy to come by initially, but ultimately, September had its fair share of fine finishes.

These were the best of the bunch:

Honourable Mention:

Sitting Duck

Kyle Nelson was the epitome of a sitting duck at UFC Vegas 97. Steve Garcia had him pinned up against the fence and connected with a brutal short left elbow with the American continuing to batter his Canadian foe until the referee stepped in.

5: Potent Precision

A potently precise Ignacio Bahamondes picked up the only knockout at UFC 306. A sharpshooter inside the Sphere, he pieced up Manuel Torres and sealed the deal with a slick counter right hook while moving backwards.

4: Open And Shut Case

Chris Padilla came up with the goods at UFC Vegas 97, catching Rongzhu with a standing elbow from hell that immediately shut the Road to UFC season 2 winner’s left eye. The Chinese fighter tried to continue with the grotesque hematoma, but the ref intervened, and the cage-side doctor had no choice but to stop the fight, handing “Taco” his first TKO win in the UFC.

3: Breaking Bad

Ultimate Fighter season 29 winner Bryan Battle was happy to play the bad guy at UFC Paris, flipping off and taunting the crowd after he outgunned Frenchman Kevin Jousset to score a second-round TKO.

2: French Fried

Local favourite Morgan Charriere sent the French fans into a frenzy at UFC Paris when he murked Gabriel Miranda with a thunderous left hook in the second round.

1: Pure Devastation

Fares Ziam finished Matt Frevola with one of the most devastating knees you’ll ever see in the third round of their clash at UFC Paris and landed two follow-up shots on the already unconscious veteran.

Quintin van Jaarsveld

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 15 years’ experience and is currently a freelance sports writer.