All it takes is one punch, kick, spinning back elbow, or flying knee in the UFC. This year produced tremendous finishes that regularly had viewers endorsing them as Knockout of the Year.
There is nothing quite as invigorating as a knockout in combat sports. Fighters want to deliver them as much as fight fans want to see them. Fortunately for all parties, except the recipients of such blows, 2021 was chock-full of throttling KOs. Many fighters cashed bonus checks for their brain-rattling power, but only one can be crowned the year's best.
A panel of CBS Sports experts sat down to vote on our picks for fighter, knockout and fight of the year, with some very interesting results. Take a look below at which combatants put on the 2021 Knockout of the Year.
Awards as voted on by Brian Campbell, Brent Brookhouse, Brandon Wise and Shakiel Mahjouri.
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Knockout of the Year
Winner: Jiri Prochazka def. Dominick Reyes -- UFC Fight Night
Prochazka practically pierced Reyes' skull with a spinning back elbow on May 1. Prochazka only fought once in 2021, but what a fight it was. The modern-day barbarian punched, kicked, kneed and elbowed his way to a future UFC light heavyweight title shot in an artistic display of violence. Reyes gave as good he got, but could not keep up with Prochazka's live-action recreation of The Tasmanian Devil.
The finish looked like something out of an R-rated Hollywood action flick. Prochazka backed up Reyes to the cage and threw a slashing right elbow. Prochazka carried through the momentum and connected with Reyes' head with a spinning back elbow that face-planted the two-time title challenger. Reyes was left bloodied and bludgeoned at 4:29 of Round 2. Prochazka (28–3–1) improved his active winning streak to a dozen fights and, after just two UFC outings, is poised to challenge newly-minted champion Glover Teixeira in 2022.
Prochazka not only rounded out the first half of 2021 with its Knockout of the Year, but he entered a KO that surely ranks high on the all-time list.
— danawhite (@danawhite) May 2, 2021
Second place: Kamaru Usman def. Jorge Masvidal -- UFC 261
Usman entered his second UFC welterweight title fight against Masvidal as a deserving favorite. He thoroughly outwrestled Masvidal en route to a unanimous decision victory in their first clash in July 2020. "The Nigerian Nightmare" was frustrated by what he deemed excuses coming from Masvidal and his camp. Specifically, how Masvidal entered the first fight on significantly short notice and that Usman had to rely on a risk-averse approach. Boy did the champ change that narrative the second time around.
Usman stood toe-to-toe with Masvidal, often lauded as one of MMA's better boxers. Early in Round 2, Usman hurled an asteroid of a straight right hand that spun Masvidal's head in orbit. Yes, the knockout was impressive on paper. What really cemented its place high on this year's list was its visual appeal. Usman's rattling right hand had sweat bouncing off Masvidal's head like children at a trampoline park.
Third place: Cory Sandhagen def. Frankie Edgar -- UFC Fight Night
Edgar is one of UFC's most beloved veterans and it is tough for fans to see him take a loss, and what a loss he took. Sandhagen must have hit the firing range before his UFC Fight Night co-headliner against Edgar in February. It looked like target practice the way Sandhagen jumped into a flying knee, immediately switching off the former UFC lightweight champion at 0:28 of Round 1. It was an effortless display from Sandhagen, a flash of brilliance that still has fans and experts visualizing UFC gold around his waist despite recent setbacks. Keep on flowing, Sandhagen.
THE SANDMAN HAS PUT EDGAR TO SLEEP. #UFCVegas18 pic.twitter.com/z4flxeDG05
— UFC (@ufc) February 7, 2021
Others receiving votes:
- Fans enthralled by Chris Barnett's dancing skills and infectious personality were given a sweet bonus in the form of an impossible wheel kick that floored Gian Villante at UFC 268. The follow-up ground strikes required for the win probably hurt its upper standing in this year's list, but you have to applaud a former super heavyweight for pulling off such an athletic finish.
- Francis Ngannou made good on his revenge tour against arguably UFC's greatest heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic. Ngannou's improved patience served him well, giving the fight a sense of inevitable dread on his way to a second-round KO at UFC 260.
- Rose Namajunas appeared mentally rejuvenated on the road back to the UFC strawweight title, but some had doubts. Those doubtful embers were quickly extinguished by Namajunas' early head-kick knockout of Weili Zhang at UFC 261.
- Edson Barboza has no shortage of highlight-reel knockouts on his resume, but this one was truly the most bizarre. It was a right hook that buried Burgos at UFC 261. Not particularly exciting on the surface; however, Burgos' delayed reaction to the punch was disturbing. Burgos took Barboza's shot on the chin, kept bouncing, then abruptly stumbled back and slipped into stasis over the course of five or six seconds. Barboza basically hit the shut down button on Burgos and fans were shocked.
- Tied with Barboza was Ignacio Bahamondes wheel kick KO of Roosevelt Roberts at the UFC Fight Night card on Aug. 21. It was a fascinating strike that starched Roberts. Incredibly, the finish came with five seconds left in the fight.
