Duane Ludwig

Speed is one of the most decisive factors in mixed martial arts, and Georges St-Pierre's numbers prove exactly why it matters. When ESPN's Sport Science tested the former UFC welterweight champion ahead of UFC 129 in 2011, his superman punch traveled 15 feet per second and generated 2,859 pounds of force, showing how hand speed directly translates into knockout power. Jorge Masvidal's five-second flying knee finish of Ben Askren at UFC 239 remains the fastest knockout in UFC history, edging out Duane Ludwig's 2006 six-second record, proving speed can end a fight before an opponent even reacts. Fighters like Conor McGregor built entire careers on lightning-fast counters that beat opponents to the punch. Known for relentless reaction time and ferocious explosiveness, speed remains combat sports' most underrated equalizer.

Askren, Masvidal, St-Pierre

Jorge Masvidal is one of the UFC's most feared strikers, and his five-second knockout remains the fastest ever recorded. Nicknamed Gamebred, the veteran welterweight built a career in mixed martial arts on relentless aggression, most famously sprinting across the cage at UFC 239 in July 2019 to land a devastating flying knee on Ben Askren, knocking him unconscious before a single takedown attempt landed. The finish shattered the previous UFC record of six seconds, held by Duane Ludwig since 2006, and remains a Guinness World Record. Masvidal later defended following up with ground strikes, calling them super necessary. Known for ferocious knockout power and street-fighting instincts, Masvidal remains one of combat sports' most explosive needle-movers in UFC history.

Askren, Masvidal