The 2018 Heavies Awards - Knockout of the Year - WINNER: Yair Rodriguez

[Augustus Caesar]

The 2018 Heavies Awards - Knockout of the Year
​

It's Time for the 2018 Heavies Awards!

There were no lack of knockouts in 2018! We saw everything. So let's do our due-diligence by selecting the very best knockout to ensure that it lives in perpetuity.

This is my third year in a row doing this category because I believe it is the most important one. A knockout is the most fulfilling manner by which one can finish an opponent because it is the most conclusive. Nothing in sports today is a more quintessential example of physical domination.

The choices listed below were considered to be the best knockouts of the year by most websites and even posters here.

There will be one vote each and the poll will be open for 5 days! Please tell us for whom you voted and why!

Choose wisely, my friends.​

Nominees

Abdul Razak Al-Hassan def. Sabah Homasi via KO (punch) R1 3:47 UFC 220

*************************************************************

Yoel Romero def. Luke Rockhold KO (punches) R3 1:48 UFC 221

*************************************************************

Lyoto Machida def. Vitor Belfort KO (front kick) R2 1:00 UFC 224

*************************************************************

Justin Gaethje def. James Vick KO (Punch) R1 1:27 UFC Fight Night 135

*************************************************************

Yair Rodriguez def. Chan Sung Jung KO (Elbow) R5 4:59 UFC Fight Night 139

*************************************************************

Amanda Nunes def. Cristiane Justino KO (Punch) R1 0:51 UFC 232

*************************************************************

Brian Ortega def. Frankie Edgar KO (punches) R1 4:44 UFC 222

*************************************************************

Jessica Andrade def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz KO (punch) R1 1:51 UFC 228

*************************************************************


Mandel Nallo def. Carrington Banks KO (knee) R2 0:57 Bellator 207

*************************************************************


Niko Price def. Randy Brown KO (Hammerfists) R2 2:09 UFC Fight Night 133

*************************************************************

Mzwandile Hlongwa def. Torbjorn Madsen KO (Spinning Back Fist) R1 1:11 EFC 75

*************************************************************​

 

[gono btw]

 

[20falarVerdades]

Gonna go with Ortega, I wasn't expecting to see Frankie get KOed. I believe Yair's KO was a bit flukey

 

[Valhoven]

When you want to cast your vote for no less than half of the nominees…

​

 

[elreece]

Have to go Yair, flukey as fuck but its was just so unexpected on the buzzer for the win when he was going to lose!

 

[Augustus Caesar]

Added!

 

[usernamee]

OMFG, that last spinning is insane. It literally looks like someone cracking him in the head with a baseball bat at full power

 

[Shrewms]

WHY, WHY CAN'T WE VOTE FOR 3!!!!

I can't decide between:

Yair vs Zombie
Yoel vs Rockhold
Andrade vs Karolina

 

[Mike K.O]

Ortega
Frankie was never finished before
And Brian did it in devastating fashion

 

[loisestrad]

Voted Nunes. If we're gonna treat wmma as equal to mmma (and we are), that's undoubtedly the ko of the year, and it's not even close.

 

[HHJ]

Voted Nunes. If we're gonna treat wmma as equal to mmma (and we are), that's undoubtedly the ko of the year, and it's not even close.

Yair squeaked it out for me... but barely

 

[loisestrad]

Yair squeaked it out for me... but barely

It was the more spectacular ko if we're gonna isolate it to a single punch and not consider the circumstances, but it wasn't as if he knocked out the champ, let alone this unbeatable monster that was Cyborg, while going up in weightclass and so on.

 

[DoctorNick]

I voted for Price, those knockouts from the bottom always look sick to me.

 

[Cooliox]

Final second of a 5-Round fight, and since the the knockdown came at the final bell, according to the rules if Korean Zombie could get up and return to his corner, it wouldn't be ruled a KO and Jung would automatically win the Decision since he was up on the cards.

But no, Chang Sung Jung was OUT COLD from this uppercut back-elbow... and Yair walked away with the W, stealing the fight in spectacular fashion in the FINAL SECOND of a fight.

 

[Spath]

I liked Machida’s front kick the most, but voted for Yair’s scorpion elbow because COME ON! That was unbelievable.

Also Kowalkiewicz getting KTFO by Andrade wasn’t fair. Look at how Karolina is flailing, throwing weak arm punches like she’s poorly going through some motions. She could hit someone in the face with a hundred of those and probably wouldn’t even leave a mark. Poor girl



Andrade threw everything with real power and that last one was a a bomb.

 

[HHJ]

It was the more spectacular ko if we're gonna isolate it to a single punch and not consider the circumstances, but it wasn't as if he knocked out the champ, let alone this unbeatable monster that was Cyborg, while going up in weightclass and so on.

Her power just seemed to increase by going up. Beautiful.

 

[Lawrence]

Yair squeaked it out for me... but barely

Lyoto.

Perfect in purity and intention.

Not the biggest fight... but without a doubt the best single strike knockout.

 

[BitFlip]

Yair has my vote, that was unreal. Low percentage for sure, but that's what makes it so great.

 

[HHJ]

Lyoto.

Perfect in purity and intention.

Not the biggest fight... but without a doubt the best single strike knockout.

It was beautiful,as all of machidas finishes are.

 

[Augustus Caesar]

It was the more spectacular ko if we're gonna isolate it to a single punch and not consider the circumstances, but it wasn't as if he knocked out the champ, let alone this unbeatable monster that was Cyborg, while going up in weightclass and so on.

Not to mention it marked the first time we have ever seen a female champ champ in the UFC. The circumstances surrounding that amazing knockout are just incredible.

On the other hand, seeing TKZ crumble with literally one second left in a 25 minute fight was absolutely unforgettable. That elbow was inconceivable. It is a piece of art. Seeing the UFC tonight crew baffled thereafter on TV really put into perspective how special it was. Had this poll asked for the craziest knockout, Yair would have won by a long shot. His knockout will probably still win this poll regardless.