Boom Goes The Dynamite! Top Six Head Kick Knockouts In UFC History

While mixed martial arts (MMA) should be appreciated for its beautiful intricacies and rare nuances, nobody can deny the power of an almighty head kick knockout.

Vastly different than the always abundant regular knockout, head kick finishes incorporate slightly more skill and technique. From level-changing to sheer timing, landing shin to skull is one tough cookie to bake inside of the cage.

But with a promotion like the UFC carefully pinning elite-caliber athletes against one another for over 22 years, fans have had the privilege of witnessing such perfection manifest on more than one occasion. Some are remembered for their inescapable bone-crunching sound, others for their rapid detachment of unsuspecting chins.

Based on the level of difficulty, historical importance, and downright barbarism displayed by these true marksmen, here are the six best head kick knockouts in UFC history.

6. Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon at UFC 144:

For many fight fans who follow Anthony Pettis, they caught on to his standup magic when he landed the “Showtime” kick on Benson Henderson back at WEC 53.

While that off-the-cage comic book kick is deserved of all recognition and praise, it isn’t necessarily the most important strike of Pettis’ career. Instead, his one-kick knockout of Joe Lauzon at UFC 144 stands out a little more when it comes to the lightweight’s overall potential to lay opponents to waste.

As one of the toughest dudes at 155-pounds, Lauzon had never really been stopped by one single kick. But in dramatic fashion, Pettis landed an evil left high kick that spit out a spine-tingling chorus of bone and shin.

This isn’t even the best head kick finish in UFC lightweight history, but one that will headline Pettis’ highlight reel for years to come.

5. Rashad Evans vs. Sean Salmon at UFC Fight Night 8:

Rashad Evans is not known for his kicks. So when he leveled Sean Salmon at UFC Fight Night 8 with one of the more punishing head kicks of all time, people took notice.

Like a plane spiraling through a bird in mid-flight, Evans’ kick had Salmon unconscious before his back even touched the canvas. While Salmon wasn’t anything special at the time, he was still a 9-1 prospect who had never been knocked out.

The memorable finish would help catapult Evans to the forefront of the light heavyweight division, while the floundering Salmon never truly recovered, losing 19 out of his next 28 professional fights (all by way of knockout, TKO, or submission).

4. Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 126:

Nobody was better than Anderson Silva in his prime. Like a predator among prey, “The Spider” often trapped his opponents in the most precarious positions.

But throughout the Brazilian’s historic career, he’s never quite surpassed his front kick finish of Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. As arguably the best fighter Silva has ever disposed of, “The Phenom” was supposed to test the waters on the feet with the elusive middleweight champ.

However, in classic Silva fashion, he made Belfort look like a spoon among knives after catching him with the nastiest front kick you’ll ever see. The knockout has made for great poster material and is the ultimate snapshot of Silva’s legendary career.

3. Lyoto Machida vs. Randy Couture at UFC 129:

There’s no denying that Lyoto Machida is the greatest Karate crossover to ever enter the Octagon. He might even be the best counter-striker in MMA history.

But despite his vast background and elevated standup game, nobody expected “The Dragon” to land a jumping front kick to the face of Randy Couture at UFC 129. Not only was it spectacular due to the fact that one of the greatest fighters of all time was on the wrong end of the finish, but more so because Machida pulled off a strike synonymous with the movie Karate Kid.

The technique has yet to be officially named the crane kick, but Machida will go down in history as the first UFC fighter to ever have the skill and wherewithal to actually pull it off.

2. Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Crop Cop at UFC 70:

As the greatest one-strike finish in UFC heavyweight history, Brazilian powerhouse Gabriel Gonzaga surprised the entire MMA world by head kicking one of the best head kickers of all time when he defeated Mirko Cro Cop back in 2007.

Gonzaga’s finish at UFC 70 not only left the legendary Croatian folded like a cold steel chair, but it essentially etched him in stone for the rest of time. Cro Cop never truly recovered against high-level competition and “Napao” would go on to have one of the longest heavyweight stints in UFC history.

It’s easily one of the most brutal head kick finishes we’ll ever see and the most direct instance of an artist getting schooled in his own craft.

1. Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim at UFC 142:

As it stands today, there is no other head kick in the history of MMA better than Edson Barboza’s spinning wheel kick that sent Terry Etim into another dimension at UFC 142.

In many well-known scrapbooks around the sport, this head kick finish is the best knockout ever.

Synonymous with timing, precision, technique, destruction, and sheer awe-inspiring beauty, Barboza’s kick game has grown legendary around these parts. While the Brazilian has yet to duplicate such perfection, this finish remains in a league of its own.

And considering how quickly it has grown into the benchmark for all things knockout, it may never be surpassed.

Props:Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey