Two of the best knockout artists in the UFC’s light heavyweight division will go head-to-head on Saturday as former champion Jamahal Hill takes on former title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event at UFC Fight Night in Baku, Azerbaijan (3 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+; prelims at noon ET on ESPN/ESPN+).
Hill, who earned a UFC contract with an impressive KO victory on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in June 2019, has a knack for turning fights into slugfests. He has four wins by knockout inside the Octagon and seven of his 10 UFC fights have ended by KO/TKO. Rountree has knocked out seven of his UFC opponents.
Here is a ranking of Hill and Rountree’s best knockouts to date, starting with the win that earned Rountree his shot at the light heavyweight title at UFC 307. And stick around for a couple of bonus finishes from co-main event fighters Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes.
1. Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Anthony Smith at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 9, 2023
In this fight, Rountree was matched against a former title challenger and one of the bigger names in the division. Rountree entered the bout against Smith riding a four-fight winning streak and within range of a title shot should he win.
Rountree established dominance with early striking, leading to a highlight-reel third-round finish over Smith. The memorable moment when Rountree floored Smith, then walked toward him in slow motion, holding up his fist, cemented Rountree as the next challenger for the title.
2. Jamahal Hill vs. Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night on Aug. 6, 2022
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Jamahal Hill, Thiago Santos trade blows on way to Hill’s TKO win
Jamahal Hill and Thiago Santos put on a show in front of a small Vegas crowd at the UFC APEX.
The biggest questions for Hill entering this No. 1 contender fight were whether his cardio could hold up and would his knockout power last into the later rounds. We got the answer to both questions: Yes.
Hill fought a tough and well-rounded striker in Santos and continued to pressure him throughout the fight. Hill got his fourth TKO victory over the former title challenger and went on to become a champion.
3. Jamahal Hill vs. Johnny Walker at UFC Fight Night on Feb. 19, 2022
This fight was Hill’s opportunity to break into the top five in the division and possibly get a No. 1 contender fight. Walker had lost three of his past four bouts entering this fight, but he’s always a dangerous opponent because of his size and athleticism. However, Hill was the more dangerous fighter that night, landing a knockout punch that sent Walker off his feet in Round 1. This is one of the best knockouts you’ll see inside the Octagon.
4. Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Karl Roberson at UFC Fight Night on March 12, 2022
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Rountree finishes Roberson with vicious body-shot KO
Khalil Rountree finishes Karl Roberson with what looks like a brutal body-shot knockout.
Rountree fought like a determined man against Roberson. Each of Rountree’s kicks to the body could be heard throughout the arena. Every strike had bad intentions, but nothing compared to the finish. Rountree dropped Roberson to his knees then landed a soccer kick to the body that would have crumbled anyone. With that win, Rountree put the division on notice that he isn’t someone to be taken lightly.
5. Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Fight Night on Sept. 4, 2021
Khalil Rountree ended his fight against Modestas Bukauskas with an oblique kick. pic.twitter.com/1iGRcHmeb3
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 4, 2021
After suffering consecutive losses to Ion Cutelaba and Marcin Prachnio, Rountree may have been in a win-or-go-home match against Bukauskas. Rountree was landing strikes, then threw a downward kick in the second round that shattered Bukauskas’s knee and ended the fight immediately.
6. Jamahal Hill vs. Jimmy Crute at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 4, 2021
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Jamahal Hill captures unbelievable knockout of Jimmy Crute
Jamahal Hill is going to need to update his highlight reel after this incredible knockout of Jimmy Crute.
After getting his arm dislocated by Paul Craig in June 2021, Hill returned seven months later to take on Crute. Hill found his groove early in the fight and landed a beautiful KO late in Round 1. What a way to bounce back from the first loss of his career and kick off his journey to the title.
This weekend’s co-main event will also feature two fighters with impressive finishes in their UFC careers, as Rafael Fiziev squares off with Ignacio Bahamondes. Here is the one must-see knockout from each fighter.
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UFC KO of 2021?! Bahamondes flattens Roberts with incredible spinning kick
Ignacio Bahamondes sends Roosevelt Roberts to the mat with an epic spinning kick you have to see to believe.
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Roosevelt Roberts at UFC Fight Night on Aug. 21, 2021
After impressing on “Dana White Contender’s Series,” Bahamondes lost his UFC debut by decision to John Makdessi. But in his next fight, four months later, Bahamondes landed one of the coolest finishes of the year, knocking out Roberts with a spinning wheel kick. The win got Bahamondes back in the eyes of MMA fans, and he has been climbing the ranks since.
Rafael Fiziev vs. Brad Riddell at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 4, 2021
This was the best finish of Fiziev’s career. Coincidentally, he also landed a beautiful spinning wheel kick to end Riddell’s night. It was Fiziev’s second knockout win in the promotion, and it earned him a big-name opponent in Rafael dos Anjos directly after.
