Finishing the Fight: UFC Vegas 11

Khamzat Chimaev, UFC Fight Island 3
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JULY 26: Khamzat Chimaev of Czechia celebrates after his TKO victory over Rhys McKee of Northern Ireland in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 26, 2020 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Mixed martial arts fans love a good fight-ending sequence, as often it summarizes the story of the fight in just a few seconds. Getting the finish is a definitive end to a fight that makes a statement: “I was this much better than my opponent at that particular moment in time.”

Every fighter has their go-to moves, especially specialists within certain martial arts disciplines. Their own signature styles that can lead to spectacular finishes. Whether it’s a scary-good rear-naked choke that fighters just can’t seem to avoid once going to the ground or crazy power in a straight left hand that has dropped even granite-chinned fighters with ease, each fighter has a particular finishing move or sequence. Moves that have stuck in fan’s minds and come to define and describe their careers within the cage.

This week we will take a look at some fighters with only a few (5 or less) fights in the UFC, rather than those fighters that are long time UFC veterans with a bunch of finishes with the promotion. They’re all a part of the UFC Vegas 11 card.

 

Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)

Total Number of Pro MMA Finishes: 8

Via KO/TKO: 4

Via Submission: 4

Total Number of UFC Finishes: 2

Via KO/TKO: 1

(Rhys McKee)

Via Submission: 1

(John Phillips)

Khamzat Chimaev has a 100% win finishing rate in his professional MMA career.

Khamzat has been creating a lot of hype around himself, just over two months into the start of his UFC career. The middleweight/welterweight hybrid has not just been able to have a 10 day turn around between his two fights in the UFC, both of which were at different weight classes. But Khamzat has also been able to completely dominate both John Philips and Rhys McKee, impose his will, and shut down any offense that his opponents have attempted to mount against him.

Khamzat has some of the most dominating wrestling and grappling control in the game today, with an absolutely savage ground n’ pound striking ability to stop fights.