Vitor Belfort holds the UFC record with 11 first-round knockouts. Anthony Johnson ranks second with 9, while Michal Oleksiejczuk has 8. Sergey Pavlovich, Francis Ngannou, Andrei Arlovski, Cain Velasquez, Anderson Silva, and Derrick Lewis are tied with 7 first-round knockouts each.
Vitor Belfort stands alone atop UFC history with 11 first-round knockouts, a record that underscores why the Brazilian veteran earned his reputation as one of the most dangerous finishers the sport has ever seen. Anthony Johnson sits second on that all-time list with nine, while Michal Oleksiejczuk follows with eight. Sergey Pavlovich, Francis Ngannou, Andrei Arlovski, Cain Velasquez, Anderson Silva, and Derrick Lewis are all tied a step further back with seven apiece.
Belfort, nicknamed "The Phenom," is 49 years old and carries a professional record of 26-14-0 across a career that stretched from the heavyweight division to light heavyweight and beyond. The Brazilian southpaw stands six feet tall with a 74-inch reach and built his legacy on explosive early-round violence that no UFC fighter has managed to replicate.
Oleksiejczuk, the 31-year-old Polish southpaw known as "Hussar," has quietly assembled eight first-round knockouts on a 22-10-0 record. Fighting out of Akademia Sportow Walki Wilanow, he lands an impressive 5.85 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy, making him one of the more active and efficient finishers currently competing.
Velasquez, the former UFC heavyweight champion, appears on the seven-knockout tier despite being remembered primarily as a pressure wrestler. The 43-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product holds a 14-3-0 record, stands six-foot-one with a 77-inch reach, and averaged 5.13 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a striking output of 6.37 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect the relentless, high-volume style that defined his championship reign.
Why it matters
- Belfort's record of 11 first-round knockouts may be the most untouchable finishing benchmark in UFC history
- Oleksiejczuk, at just 31, remains active and is the only fighter on the list still in a position to challenge the top spots
- The presence of heavyweights and light heavyweights across the list highlights how the larger weight classes dominate early-round stoppages
