In our newest segment “Top 5 Knockouts” we take a look back at some of the most brutal finishes that have occurred during numbered UFC events.

In this the fourth edition of “Top 5 Knockouts”, we reflect back on UFC events 31 – 40, which occurred between the years of 2001 to 2002.

During that stretch the Ultimate Fighting Championship produced numerous knockout victories, but the following five KO’s stood out amongst the rest.

UFC 31: Shonie Carter KO’s Matt Serra at 4:51 of Round 3

Shonie Carter and Matt Serra collided in a welterweight contest at UFC 31 in May of 2001. The result was arguably the greatest spinning back fist knockout in mixed martial arts history. Carter delivered the fight-ending strike with just seconds remaining in the third and final round.

UFC 32: BJ Penn KO’s Din Thomas at 2:48 of Round 1

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ms_ut-jqtZ0

BJ Penn made his second Octagon appearance at UFC 32 in June of 2001 where he squared off with lightweight standout Din Thomas. Midway through the opening round, ‘The Prodigy’ would connect with a knee up the middle which landed flush on the chin of Thomas. Din proceeded to drop to the canvas and BJ followed up with punches that put his opponent out for good.

UFC 34: Matt Hughes KO’s Carlos Newton at 1:23 of Round 2

Matt Hughes challenged Carlos Newton for the UFC’s welterweight title at UFC 34 in November of 2001. In the second round, Hughes got caught in a triangle from top position. Matt decided to lift Newton up high against the cage and Then proceeded to slam him down to the canvas. The aggressive maneuver appeared to render both men unconscious, but Hughes ultimately came to his senses first and was thus awarded the KO victory.

UFC 36: Pedro Rizzo KO’s Andrei Arlovski at 1:45 of Round 3

Heavyweight legends Pedro Rizzo and Andrei Arlovski met in the early stages of their respective careers at UFC 36 in March of 2002. The fight lived up to the billing as both men proceeded to throw down much to the delight of the fans in attendance. The Brazilian would end up finishing the contest in round three after landing a devastating combination which sent Arlovski crashing down to the Octagon canvas.

UFC 39: Phil Baroni KO’s Dave Menne in 18 seconds 

Phil Baroni squared off with former UFC middleweight champion Dave Menne at UFC 39 in September of 2002. The result was one of the greatest knockouts in mixed martial arts history. ‘The New York Badass’ rushed across the cage immediately following the opening bell and proceeded to unleash a spectacular barrage of punches that turned the lights out on the former champ. Following the sensational victory, Phil Baroni made the now infamous statement that he is “The Best Eva!”.

Honorable mentions for ‘Top 5 Knockouts” between UFC 31 – UFC 40 go out to the following:

UFC 31: Chuck Liddell KO’s Kevin Randleman at 1:18

UFC 32: Caol Uno KO’s Fabiano Iha at 1:48 of Round 1

UFC 32: Pat Miletich KO’s Shonie Carter at 2:42 of Round 2

UFC 33: Jutaro Nakao KO’s Tony DeSouza at :15 of Round 2

UFC 34: BJ Penn KO’s Caol Uno in 11 seconds

UFC 38: Mark Weir KO’s Eugene Jackson in 10 seconds

UFC 40: Robbie Lawler KO’s Tiki Ghosn at 1:29 of Round 1

UFC 40: Chuck Liddell KO’s Renato Sobral at 2:55 of Round 1

You can see all of our previous ‘Top 5 Knockout’ articles here: UFC 1 – UFC 10, UFC 11 – UFC 20 and UFC 21 – UFC 30.

This article first appeared on bjpenn.com April 18, 2020