September’s Top 10 UFC Knockouts

September was a month of shock and awe inside the Octagon, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld as he selects the month’s top 10 UFC knockouts.

ALSO READ: August’s Top 10 UFC Knockouts.

This past weekend’s UFC Vegas 121 capped off an insane month of mixed martial arts action.

September brought us the single biggest upset in UFC history, a title shot-clinching hellbow, a rare slam knockout, dynamic debuts, the crowning of a new Ultimate Fighter queen, and more.

Check out the 10 best KOs of the month:

10: Vintage Vera

Former bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera turned back the clock at UFC 331, systematically destroying Charles Jourdain until “Air” waved off the fight.

9: Punishing Polka Dance

Yousri Belgaroui danced Djorden Santos across the Octagon at UFC Noche, lighting him up every step of the way before a pair of right hands mercifully finished the fight inside the first round.

8: The Lion of Atlas Arrives

Clean, clinical, fast and violent. That was Salahdine Parnasse in his much-anticipated Octagon debut. Headlining UFC Paris, the French phenom dispatched perennial lightweight contender Dan Hooker quickly and made it look easy.

7: Blackout

Tina Black starched Melissa Amaya in the strawweight final of season 34 of The Ultimate Fighter at UFC Vegas 121 to win the competition and a $100,000 UFC contract.

6: All Shook Up

Elves Brener face-planted Josiah Harrell with a nasty right hook off the knee feint and finished him off with three thudding left hands at UFC Vegas 121.

5: Open Season

In a brutal bit of irony, Fares Ziam didn’t see the punch from Axel Sola that knocked him out in UFC Paris’ co-headliner, but his eyes were wide open as he lay unconscious on the canvas.

4: One and Done

Losene Keita murked Muhammad Naimov in the main card opener of UFC Paris and celebrated his one-punch knockout in comical fashion.

3: Grand Slam

Making his UFC debut on nine days’ notice, Sean King III seized the moment with a 36-second highlight-reel slam knockout of Jessie Rosas, the older brother of Raul Rosas, at Noche UFC.

2: Batman Strikes

Arman Tsarukyan made himself undeniable for the next lightweight title shot by turning Mauricio Ruffy’s lights out with wicked short elbows in the co-main event of UFC 331.

1: Absolute Stunner

Sean Sharaf shocked the world at UFC 331, sleeping undefeated Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler Gable Steveson with a stunning left hook in just 12 seconds – the joint-third fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history.

“The Smoke” was 0-2 in the UFC and up to a 30-to-1 underdog going into the bout, whereas Steveson was seen as the next big thing in the heavyweight division.

Now many wonder whether Jon Jones’ protégé will be able to come back from the humbling defeat.