Vitor Belfort holds the UFC record for first-round knockouts with 11, ahead of Anthony Johnson's nine and Michal Oleksiejczuk's eight. Sergei Pavlovich, Francis Ngannou, Andrei Arlovski, Cain Velasquez, Anderson Silva, and Derrick Lewis each have seven first-round KOs in the promotion.
Vitor Belfort stands alone atop one of the UFC's most celebrated statistical categories, holding the all-time record for first-round knockouts in the promotion with 11 finishes inside the opening frame.
Belfort, nicknamed "The Phenom," compiled that record across a UFC career spanning a final ledger of 26 wins and 14 losses. The 49-year-old Brazilian, who trained out of Kill Cliff FC, was a southpaw standing six feet tall with a 74-inch reach. His finishing ability defined his legacy far more than his output numbers, which settled at 1.59 significant strikes landed per minute across his full body of work.
Sitting second on the list is Anthony Johnson, whose nine first-round knockouts place him one clear of Michal Oleksiejczuk. The Polish southpaw, known as "Hussar," is 31 years old and still active, carrying a 22-10-0 record. Oleksiejczuk lands 5.85 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy, making him one of the more prolific volume strikers in that tier of the list.
Sharing seventh place on the all-time chart with seven first-round knockouts each are Sergei Pavlovich, Francis Ngannou, Andrei Arlovski, Anderson Silva, Derrick Lewis, and Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, the former heavyweight champion, finished his career at 14-3-0. The 43-year-old American Kickboxing Academy product stood six-foot-one with a 77-inch reach and posted an elite 57 percent striking accuracy alongside 5.13 takedowns per 15 minutes, underscoring that his seven first-round stoppages came as part of a far more complete fighting style.
Why it matters
- Belfort's 11 first-round knockouts represent a margin of two over second place, a gap that underlines how dominant his early-round finishing was across divisions.
- Oleksiejczuk's placement at 31 years old means he remains the most likely active fighter to threaten the top of this list in the coming years.
- The group tied at seven includes several of the heaviest hitters in UFC history, reflecting how knockout power concentrates at heavyweight and light heavyweight.
