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    Most Knockouts in UFC History

    Fighters with the most KO/TKO victories in UFC competition

    2026 Stats
    All Time Active Retired All Men Women
    1
    Derrick Lewis
    Derrick Lewis HW · 20-12
    16
    2
    Matt Brown
    Matt Brown WW · 17-13
    13
    3
    Max Holloway
    Max Holloway LW · 24-9
    12
    4
    Vitor Belfort
    Vitor Belfort MW · 15-10
    12
    5
    Dustin Poirier
    Dustin Poirier LW · 22-9
    11
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    6
    Anderson Silva
    Anderson Silva MW · 17-7
    11
    7
    Drew Dober
    Drew Dober LW · 15-11
    11
    8
    Thiago Santos
    Thiago Santos MW · 14-10
    11
    9
    Anthony Johnson
    Anthony Johnson WW · 13-6
    11
    10
    Donald Cerrone
    Donald Cerrone LW · 23-14
    10
    11
    Michael Bisping
    Michael Bisping MW · 20-9
    10
    12
    Chuck Liddell
    Chuck Liddell LHW · 16-7
    10
    13
    Junior Dos Santos
    Junior Dos Santos HW · 15-8
    10
    14
    Francis Ngannou
    Francis Ngannou HW · 12-2
    10
    15
    Cain Velasquez
    Cain Velasquez HW · 12-3
    10
    16
    Andrei Arlovski
    Andrei Arlovski HW · 23-18
    9
    17
    Edson Barboza
    Edson Barboza LW · 18-14
    9
    18
    Stipe Miocic
    Stipe Miocic HW · 14-5
    9
    19
    Rich Franklin
    Rich Franklin MW · 14-6
    9
    20
    Alistair Overeem
    Alistair Overeem HW · 12-8
    9
    21
    Matt Hughes
    Matt Hughes WW · 18-7
    8
    22
    Vicente Luque
    Vicente Luque WW · 17-8
    8
    23
    Cub Swanson
    Cub Swanson FW · 16-10
    8
    24
    Jeremy Stephens
    Jeremy Stephens LW · 15-20
    8
    25
    Thiago Alves
    Thiago Alves WW · 15-12
    8
    26
    Robbie Lawler
    Robbie Lawler WW · 15-10
    8
    27
    Tito Ortiz
    Tito Ortiz LHW · 15-11-1
    8
    28
    Curtis Blaydes
    Curtis Blaydes HW · 14-6
    8
    29
    Melvin Guillard
    Melvin Guillard LW · 12-9
    8
    30
    Mauricio Rua
    Mauricio Rua LHW · 11-12-1
    8
    31
    Li Jingliang
    Li Jingliang WW · 11-7
    8
    32
    Joaquin Buckley
    Joaquin Buckley WW · 11-6
    8
    33
    Alex Pereira
    Alex Pereira HW · 10-3
    8
    34
    Uriah Hall
    Uriah Hall MW · 10-9
    8
    35
    Michal Oleksiejczuk
    Michal Oleksiejczuk MW · 10-8
    8
    36
    Conor McGregor
    Conor McGregor WW · 10-5
    8
    37
    Roy Nelson
    Roy Nelson HW · 9-10
    8
    38
    Matt Mitrione
    Matt Mitrione HW · 9-5
    8
    39
    Jairzinho Rozenstruik
    Jairzinho Rozenstruik HW · 9-6
    8
    40
    Neil Magny
    Neil Magny WW · 24-13
    7
    41
    Robert Whittaker
    Robert Whittaker LHW · 18-7
    7
    42
    Randy Couture
    Randy Couture HW · 16-8
    7
    43
    Lyoto Machida
    Lyoto Machida LHW · 16-8
    7
    44
    Amanda Nunes
    Amanda Nunes WBW · 16-2
    7
    45
    Marlon Vera
    Marlon Vera BW · 15-11
    7
    46
    Dan Hooker
    Dan Hooker LW · 14-10
    7
    47
    Derek Brunson
    Derek Brunson MW · 14-7
    7
    48
    Magomed Ankalaev
    Magomed Ankalaev LHW · 13-2-1
    7
    49
    TJ Dillashaw
    TJ Dillashaw BW · 13-5
    7
    50
    Sean O'Malley
    Sean O'Malley BW · 12-3
    7

    About Most Knockouts in UFC History

    This leaderboard ranks UFC fighters by their total number of KO/TKO wins, the most decisive way to end a fight. A knockout is credited whenever a bout is stopped because a fighter can no longer intelligently defend against strikes, whether that means going unconscious from a single shot or absorbing enough damage that the referee steps in. We pull every fighter's career KO/TKO total directly from their fight history, then sort from highest to lowest, breaking ties by overall wins so that the more proven finishers rise to the top.

    What a high knockout count really tells you

    Raw finishing power is one of the rarest and most valuable traits in mixed martial arts, and a long knockout tally usually signals one of two profiles: the one-shot puncher who can end a night with a single counter, or the relentless pressure fighter who breaks opponents down and swarms them late. Either way, fighters near the top of this list tend to share a willingness to take risks in the pocket, trust their power, and hunt for the finish rather than coast to a decision. It is worth reading these numbers alongside how many total fights a fighter has had, since a striker who knocks out half his opponents is far more dangerous than one who racked up the same total over twice as many bouts.

    Knockout artists also carry an outsized influence on a division's hierarchy because a single clean shot can erase a betting favorite and reshuffle a title picture overnight. That high-variance, momentum-swinging style is exactly why power punchers draw the biggest crowds and the loudest highlight reels, even when more technical wrestlers or grapplers quietly pile up wins. To see how that finishing threat translates into a fighter's standing against the rest of the roster, compare this page with our ELO rankings.

    For fans, this is one of the most fun lists to follow because it rewards the moments everyone remembers: the highlight finishes, the upsets, and the careers built on never letting a fight go to the judges. Use it to settle debates about the hardest hitters in the sport, then dig deeper with fighter profiles and the rest of our UFC stats to understand the styles behind the numbers.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What counts as a knockout on this leaderboard?
    We count both clean knockouts (a fighter rendered unconscious) and technical knockouts, where the referee, a cornerman, or a doctor halts the bout because a fighter can no longer intelligently defend against strikes. Both are scored as the same type of finish, so a flush head-kick KO and a ground-and-pound TKO each add one to a fighter's total.
    Does a high knockout count mean a fighter is the best striker?
    Not necessarily. Knockout totals reward finishing power and aggression, but volume strikers and point-fighters can be elite technicians while finishing fewer opponents. The most accurate read comes from pairing this list with accuracy, output, and overall ranking data.
    Do knockout losses or knockdowns affect a fighter's spot here?
    No. This leaderboard tracks KO/TKO wins only, so getting knocked out yourself or scoring non-finishing knockdowns does not change your position. We rank purely on the number of fights a fighter has ended by strikes.
    How often is the knockout leaderboard updated?
    It refreshes automatically after every UFC event once results are entered into our database, so a fighter scoring a fresh KO can climb the rankings within hours of the final bell.

    Explore More Stats

    Dive into finish rates, division breakdowns, and fighter comparisons

    Stats Hub