Sherdog’s Top 10: Head Kick Knockouts

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1. Edson Barboza vs. Terry Etim
UFC 142
Jan. 14, 2012 | Rio de Janeiro

It was a beautiful and frightening moment. Spinning wheel kicks rarely make appearances in MMA, but when they do, they are sights to behold.

After two rounds and two minutes of a terrific back-and-forth battle, Barboza electrified all who were watching when he ducked down and unloaded the kind of kick that gets Chuck Norris out of his seat. His spinning wheel kick at the HSBC Arena landed so perfectly and in such devastating fashion that Etim never knew what hit him. Once Barboza’s heel connected to the face, the Brit stiffened and plummeted to the canvas, his head slightly turned, his face twisted by tension.

Barboza pocketed the post-fight performance bonus for his efforts, and his knockout became a permanent fixture on UFC highlight reels. For now, it remains the standard by which all head kick knockouts are measured.