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There is nothing quite like a knockout in combat sports. Appreciation for good grappling has grown over the years with a more educated fanbase, but few things in mixed martial arts are as cathartic and visceral as a big knockout. Bellator MMA delivered plenty of them in 2022.

Fighters in the promotion cranked up the number of KOs this year with a whopping 76 over 17 events after seeing 62 KOs in 18 the year before. The volume of stoppages produced several gems, from rib-snapping kicks to picture-perfect punches.

CBS Sports' expert panel dug through the carnage and compiled the very best of Bellator's knockouts in 2022. Take a look below at the 2022 Bellator Knockout of the Year and other brutal finishes that earned votes.

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Winner: Andrey Koreshkov def. Chance Recountre, Bellator 274

Headshots and body shots produce very different reactions. The brutality of a one-strike KO can feel sobering and make for great highlight fodder, but a crushing body blow evokes an almost relatable grimace from the viewer. Koreshkov elicited just that with a spinning body kick 30 seconds into his fight with Recountre in February. Koreshkov's heel colliding with Recountre's body caused an audible snap. Recountre clutched his mid-section and crumbled to the mat as Koreshkov reigned ground-and-pound blows. It was later revealed that Recountre suffered a punctured lung and five broken ribs from the impact of the kick.

Honorable Mentions

Paul Daley def. Wendell Giacomo, Bellator 281

Very few MMA retirements have a fairytale ending. Most warriors go out on their backs, looking up at the lights. It happened to Melvin Manhoef in September against Yoel Romero. But the veteran power-puncher avoided a similar fate months earlier. Daley entered his 63rd MMA fight in May in pursuit of another trademark KO. Invigorated by his fellow Englishman in his hometown of London, Daley clobbered Giacamo with a right hand that dropped him face-first and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Daley had tied the bow on his career with 35 KOs in 43 professional wins and zero submissions. A proper send-off for a true KO artist.

Goiti Yamauchi def. Neiman Gracie, Bellator 284

A messy brawl often ensues when two submission specialists collide in MMA. That was the case when Yamauchi and Gracie met in the main event of Bellator 284. Yamauchi and Gracie had three combined KO wins in 46 combined fights, a paltry rate of 6.5%. Adding to the intrigue was that neither fighter had ever been knocked out. That all changed in August. Yamauchi tucked his chin, dropped his hands and invited Gracie to land multiple jabs to his forehead. Gracie was lulled into a false sense of security, stepped forward with a sloppy combination and ate a hellacious uppercut that dropped him. Three follow-up shots sealed the deal and the referee waved off the fight.