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1. Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona
Pride “Critical Countdown 2004”
June 20, 2004 | Saitama, Japan

Prizefighting history is littered with knockouts that caused spectators to grimace in fear and simultaneously shriek with excitement. When it comes to MMA, no other knockout was as frightening as the one Jackson levied on Arona.

Once the American scooped up Arona to defend a triangle, the Brazilian had little means through which to defend himself. Jackson lifted the Brazilian Top Team mainstay above his head, fully extended his body and slammed him to the canvas with as much force as he could muster. Arona splattered on the mat like a Gallagher watermelon. Some quietly wondered if they had witnessed a death inside the ring. To make matters worse for Arona, Jackson’s face crashed into his forehead upon impact, and “Rampage” followed up with two savage hammerfists. Arona was left lifeless on the mat, his eyes staring out into the void. “Rampage” stood victorious, blood pouring from a gash above his right eye that had resulted from the inadvertent clash of heads.

The slam heard ’round the world left jaws agape then and continues to do so to this day.