Vitor Belfort holds the UFC record for most first-round knockouts with 11. Anthony Johnson ranks second with 9, followed by Michal Oleksiejczuk with 8. Sergey Pavlovich and Francis Ngannou are tied with 7 each, alongside Andrei Arlovski, Cain Velasquez, Anderson Silva, and Derrick Lewis.
Vitor Belfort stands alone at the top of UFC history's first-round knockout ledger, holding the record with 11 first-round stoppages by strikes — a benchmark that underscores his reputation as one of the most explosive finishers the promotion has ever seen.
Belfort, nicknamed "The Phenom," is 49 years old and hails from Brazil. He compiled a professional record of 26-14-0 across a career that spanned multiple divisions and eras. The southpaw stood six feet tall with a 74-inch reach and posted a striking accuracy of 46 percent during his UFC tenure.
Anthony Johnson sits second on the all-time list with nine first-round knockouts, while Poland's Michal Oleksiejczuk ranks third with eight. The 31-year-old southpaw, known as "Hussar," carries a record of 22-10-0 and has built that tally on genuine finishing power, landing 5.85 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect relentless forward pressure.
Sergey Pavlovich and Francis Ngannou share fourth place with seven first-round knockouts apiece. They are joined in that tier by Andrei Arlovski, Anderson Silva, and two fighters whose data is also on file: Derrick Lewis and former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, 43, finished his UFC career at 14-3-0. The American Kickboxing Academy product stood six-foot-one with a 77-inch reach and averaged 6.37 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy, pairing elite wrestling — 5.13 takedowns per 15 minutes — with legitimate knockout ability.
Why it matters
- Belfort's record of 11 first-round knockouts may be the most durable finishing benchmark in UFC history, set across two decades of competition.
- Oleksiejczuk's presence at eight, still active at 31, means he is the fighter most likely to challenge the top of this list in the near future.
- The group tied at seven includes both all-time heavyweights and crossover stars, illustrating that early-round finishing power is not exclusive to any single weight class.
