Top 3 knockouts
All of us here at Northwest Fighting Arts would like to wish you a Happy New Year! While 2021 was another year that offered unique challenges, it also provided some of the most spectacular MMA moments ever witnessed. So, with the year coming to an end, we thought it would be fun to highlight what we think are 3 of the most impressive knockouts of the year.
#3 – Cory Sandhagen vs Frankie Edgar
This Bantamweight matchup was expected to be one of the best fights of the year. Sandhagen entered the match as a moderate favorite on the betting lines but fans were curious if he could handle the boxing prowess of former champ Frankie Edgar. It only took 28 seconds to figure out the answer.
Edgar, being the shorter fighter and relying more heavily on his boxing skills, put constant pressure on Sandhagen. In turn, Sandhagen needed to rely on his footwork and use of cutting angles to keep Edgar at distance. However, the constant forward pressure gave Sandhagen the perfect opportunity to time this beautiful flying knee and gave fans one of the most spectacular knockouts in UFC history.
# 2 Rose Namajunas vs Weili Zhang 1
This was one of the most highly anticipated Women’s Strawweight bouts of all time. Weili entered the match as a strong betting favorite having just defended her title in an epic match up with Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Here is what happened in the opening minutes.
The footwork and range control that Rose displayed was truly that of an elite fighter. It was her rhythm and continuous movement that allowed her to set up the head kick with such precision. Weili, expecting a low calf kick, slid her leg back and dropped her arms to avoid the kick, at which point Rose perfectly timed the head kick, knocking Weili to the ground. The fight was quickly finished and Rose notched one of the greatest knockouts in both Men and Women’s MMA history.
#1 Usman vs Masvidal 2
While this knockout may not be as technically impressive as the other two on our list, it certainly has all the wow factor. And perhaps the fact that Masvidal has never been knocked out in his UFC career is what makes it that much more impressive. Or maybe it’s that Masvidal claimed that Usman wasn’t gifted with knockout power. Either way, we will let this knockout speak for itself.
Watch as Usman sets up the punch, he uses his lead hand to clear the guard of Masvidal before landing this devastating right hand.
So, it was a great year for MMA and we here at Northwest Fighting Arts would just like to say how much we appreciate all of our students and the renewed interest in Martial Arts that we all saw in 2021.
If you would like to start your martial arts journey or pick back up where you left off, contact us today at 503-235-3435 or email us at contact@nwfighting.com to set up a free private lesson and orientation.
