UFC Knockout of the Year Prediction 2026

Which Knockouts Are Already in the Running?

Tapology's fan-voted best knockouts of 2026 are already populated through mid-March with genuine contenders worth knowing.

• Fiziev vs. Ruffy at UFC 325: Already on Tapology's 2026 KO list. Rafael Fiziev's explosive striking combined with Ruffy's aggression made this one of the most violent exchanges on any card this year. Both fighters are high-probability finishers every time they compete.
• Neal vs. Medic: Geoff Neal's power and fight-finishing ability produced a highlight-reel moment that appeared on Tapology's early 2026 KO rankings. Neal's single-punch power at welterweight is consistently underrated by the market.
• Ige vs. Costa: On the same KO list from an exchange that tested Dan Ige's well-known durability and produced a spectacular finish that holds up on rewatch.
• Perez vs. Johnson: Flagged on Tapology's KO rankings early in 2026 as another violent stoppage in what has been a finish-heavy start to the year across multiple weight classes.

Read more: The Best Knockout Artists in the UFC Ranked for 2026

Which Upcoming Fights Are Most Likely to Produce the Winner?

The biggest predicted KO of the Year candidates are all scheduled for the second half of 2026 and carry the narrative weight that pushes a finish from highlight reel to award winner.

Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira at the White House event on June 14 is the most globally watched fight in years if it gets made. If either fighter lands clean, it becomes the most-viewed KO in MMA history given the combined narrative around both men. Pereira's precision and Jones' one-punch power make a clean finish genuinely likely rather than purely speculative.

Jiri Prochazka vs. Alex Pereira III is Bleacher Report's boldest prediction for 2026. A KO win over the most feared puncher in the sport would be the consensus KO of the Year the moment it happens. Prochazka's finishing instinct in every exchange keeps him live until the final bell regardless of how the scorecards look.

Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan for the lightweight title has Topuria's track record of spectacular title-fight knockouts working directly in the KO of the Year conversation. He has ended every title defense with a memorable finish. Another first-round stoppage would immediately go to the top of the list over anything that came before it in the year.

Islam Dulatov in a ranked welterweight matchup is the long-shot candidate worth watching. If he breaks into the top 15 with a statement first-round KO, his power and finishing style put him in the conversation given how young and explosive he looks in every exchange.

What Makes a Knockout an Award Winner Rather Than Just a Highlight?

Not every clean KO wins the award. The ones that do share specific elements worth understanding because they help you identify the highest-value prop and live betting spots before the fight happens.

Award-winning knockouts almost always involve a significant level of narrative context. A clean KO over a former champion matters more than the same clean KO over an unranked opponent. Pereira's 2025 KO of Rountree Jr. won the award on some lists specifically because the context and the crowd amplified the moment beyond the technical quality of the finish.

They also tend to involve fighters who have finishing reputations that make the result satisfying rather than surprising in a cheap way. Topuria, Jones, Pereira, and Prochazka all have finishing reputations that give their KOs instant credibility with voters. Dulatov and Fiziev are building that reputation right now.

How to Bet KO of the Year Candidates

The practical application of KO of the Year prediction shows up in specific bet types every card.

KO/TKO method of victory props are the primary tool. When a fight features two legitimate KO artists who have both produced highlight-reel finishes previously, the KO/TKO prop at plus money is worth targeting over the decision prop regardless of the moneyline. Jones vs. Pereira, Prochazka vs. Pereira, and Topuria vs. Tsarukyan all fit that profile specifically.

Round one KO props carry additional value in fights featuring Topuria and Aspinall. Their average finish time is so early in fights that the market consistently underprices round one and early stoppage props by giving too much weight to the possibility of a longer competitive fight.

Live betting is where KO of the Year fights create the most value. When two elite finishers are fighting and one is hurt early, their live moneyline at extended plus money before the finish arrives is one of the highest expected value spots in all of UFC betting. The finish is coming. The question is just which direction.

The Single Best KO of the Year Bet Right Now

If you are making one position directly tied to the KO of the Year conversation, it is Topuria KO/TKO method of victory at plus money against Tsarukyan whenever that fight is formally announced.

His track record of spectacular title-fight finishes is the most consistent in the division. The market will likely price the fight as a competitive five-rounder given Tsarukyan's grappling ability and recent performances. That competitive pricing creates plus-money KO/TKO props on Topuria that his actual finishing rate does not justify leaving on the table.

Get the position in before the fight announcement tightens everything up.

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Read more: The Best Round 1 Finishers in the UFC Ranked for 2026

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