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Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) reacts after defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. (not pictured) in a light heavyweight title bout during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
As fans and athletes debate the ‘Knockout of the Year’ winner, let us dive deeper into what made each knockout so unforgettable!
Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Alex Pereira (red gloves) reacts after defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. (not pictured) in a light heavyweight title bout during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
In a sport where highlight-reel finishes happen almost every weekend, 2024 has set a new standard for spectacular knockouts. As we near the year’s end, three jaw-dropping finishes stand above the rest. These have sparked heated debates among fight fans and athletes worldwide.
Ilia Topuria’s shocking KO of Max Holloway, Alex Pereira’s devastating finish of Jamahal Hill, and Max Holloway’s last-second starching of Justin Gaethje have all staked their claim as the year’s most memorable moment.
As fight fans and athletes debate which deserves top honors, it’s worth taking a closer look at what made each of these UFC knockouts special.
Alex Pereira’s Knockout Of Jamahal Hill
At UFC 300, the signature weapon of Alex Pereira: His left hook, once again proved why it’s one of the most feared strikes in combat sports. The way Pereira dispatched Jamahal Hill wasn’t just a knockout. It was a statement that echoed through the light heavyweight division.
The beauty of this knockout lay in its technical simplicity. A low kick to the groin landed for Jamahal Hill that prompted the referee, Herb Dean to attempt to stop the fight. But Pereira wasn’t fazed. He stopped the referee from stopping the fight and continuing his momentum. And boom!
The UFC just posted Alex Pereira’s knockout of Jamahal Hill at #UFC300 with no commentary 🔥
Pereira stepped forward, and one shot later, it was all over! He didn’t need to throw a complex combination or set up an elaborate trap. One partially landed left hook was all it took to send Hill crashing to the canvas at 03:14 minutes of the first round. That’s the thing about Pereira’s power – it doesn’t even need to land clean to change the course of a fight.
The Khaby Lame emote after the KO was the cherry on top. Alex Pereira stood over the partially conscious Jamahal Hill and was emoting like a Fortnite character! This made this win much more memorable.
Max Holloway’s Knockout Of Justin Gaethje
In a sport full of wild moments, Max Holloway’s knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 stands as something straight out of a movie script. After nearly 25 minutes of high-level violence for the BMF title, the Hawaiian warrior did something that perfectly captured why fans love this sport. He chose chaos, and chaos rewarded him with an unforgettable victory!
That final sequence wasn’t just about the knockout itself. It was about Holloway pointing to the center of the octagon with ten seconds left. It was about Gaethje living up to his BMF status, accepting the challenge without hesitation. And it was about that perfect right hand that landed with just one-second remaining, writing both men into UFC history!
What makes this knockout extra special is the context. Holloway had already put on a masterclass for most of the fight, even breaking Gaethje’s nose with a spinning back kick in the first round. He had no reason to take such a risk but chose to end things in the most spectacular way possible.
Former two-division champion Daniel Cormier didn’t hold back, declaring this knockout an absolute lock for Knockout of the Year. Even Referee Marc Goddard said this was the first time he had screamed out in the Octagon saying, “It’s over!”
El mismo Marc Goddard no se contuvo gritando al final de la pelea entre Holloway y Gaethje!!! 🤯 #UFC300
"Primera vez que grito en una pelea en 20 años, fue una reacción automática supongo, aun sigo sin palabras" dijo el experimentado referí. pic.twitter.com/lBETNDEEfH
This KO transcended UFC and went on to various organizations. The “point down” gesture has been used in other combat sports organizations by fighters. One promotion called LFL MMA had a bonus if a fighter initiated the exchange by pointing down like Holloway.
So, needless to say, this KO was heard throughout the world. And as Dana White said, he sells “Holy Sh*t” moments. And this was exactly that!
Ilia Topuria’s Knockout Of Max Holloway
Just when the MMA world thought they had seen everything Max Holloway could survive, Ilia Topuria reminded everyone why he is one of the most feared strikers in the sport. His knockout victory over Holloway at UFC 308 wasn’t just a successful title defense; it was a moment of changing the guard.
What makes this win particularly significant is that Topuria did what few thought possible: he stopped the famously durable Max Holloway. This is the same Holloway who had gone toe-to-toe with the division’s heaviest hitters for years, like Dustin Poirier, Jeremy Stephens, and Conor McGregor, and rarely even showing signs of being hurt.
Yet Ilia Topuria’s devastating combination of speed and power proved too much, sending the Hawaiian legend crashing to the canvas with a right-hand punch in the third round. Referee Marc Goddard immediately stopped the fight as soon as Holloway hit the ground. This was the first time that the Hawaiian fighter was knocked out.
Even Dustin Poirier, who had previously fought Holloway, believed that this should be the KO of the year (even though he changed his pick after DC convinced him for Gaethje vs. Holloway).
The win solidified Ilia Topuria’s status as more than just a champion. He is now a fighter who has taken out both Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back fights. The featherweight division has a new king, and he’s making it look easy!
Now, it’s all in the hands of the fans to choose their ‘KO of the Year.’ It’s a matter of personal impact, how each knockout made them feel, and the mark it left on the sport.
I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!
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