Vitor Belfort Leads All UFC Fighters with 11 First-Round Knockouts

Vitor Belfort stands alone atop one of the UFC's most feared statistical categories, holding the all-time record for first-round knockouts in the promotion with 11 finishes inside the opening frame.

Belfort, 49, is a Brazilian southpaw who compiled a career record of 26-14-0 across multiple divisions. Known as "The Phenom," he built his legacy on explosive early aggression, and the record reflects a finishing instinct that defined his time in the Octagon. He averaged 1.02 takedowns per 15 minutes and logged 0.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside his knockout threat.

Anthony Johnson sits second on the list with nine first-round knockouts, while Poland's Michal Oleksiejczuk — nicknamed "Hussar" — ranks third with eight. The 31-year-old southpaw carries a record of 22-10-0 and has been one of the division's most active strikers, landing 5.85 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy with a 74-inch reach.

Rounding out the group with seven first-round stoppages apiece are Sergei Pavlovich, Francis Ngannou, Andrei Arlovski, Anderson Silva, Derrick Lewis, and former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Velasquez, 43, finished his UFC career at 14-3-0 and remains one of the sport's most decorated heavyweights, averaging a remarkable 5.13 takedowns per 15 minutes and 6.37 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy.

Why it matters

• Belfort's mark of 11 first-round knockouts may be the UFC record least likely to be broken given his lengthy career and volume of fights
• Oleksiejczuk's presence in third place at just 31 years old makes him the active fighter with the best chance of climbing this list
• The group of fighters sharing seven stoppages includes some of the most decorated heavyweights and pound-for-pound talents in UFC history, underlining how rare it is to reach double figures