The Most Brutal Elbow Strikes in UFC History

Within mixed martial arts, an elbow strike is possibly the most destructive and versatile weapon that a martial artist can possess. The elbow is capable of producing lacerations easily, causing a knockout on impact, and even shattering bone. Over the years, countless brutal elbow strikes have occurred in the UFC alone, many of which have become etched into memory as some of the greatest moments within this young sport. This article brings you some of the most brutal and memorable elbow strikes ever to be delivered inside the UFC, showing what it really takes to exert such force and precision in those devastating blows.

1. Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera (UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones, 2010)

Jon Jones is regarded as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, and the use of elbows is one of the elements that makes his dominance prominent among the light heavyweight division. One of the most memorable examples of Jones’ lethal elbow strikes took place in his fight with Brandon Vera at UFC Live in 2010.

In the first round, Jones put Vera to the ground and assumed a very dominant position. He then launched a really vicious elbow into Vera’s face that busted right through his orbital bone and left him writhing in pain. The fight was stopped soon after, with Jones being awarded the TKO victory. The effect of that elbow was so bad that it did, in fact, end Vera’s night brutally and secure Jones’ place as an emerging star in the UFC.

This is pretty much hailed as one of the best examples of using his long limbs and creativity to inflict maximum damage on opponents. That elbow strike landed on Vera is among the most lethal to be thrown in UFC history and helped to turbocharge Jones towards his eventual title reign.

2. Anderson Silva vs. Tony Fryklund (Cage Rage 16, 200

We all remember what Anderson Silva became—an all-time great in the UFC. Now remember this—back in 2006 at Cage Rage 16, he dispatched Tony Fryklund with one of the most peculiar and vicious elbow strikes ever seen in MMA. This isn’t per se a UFC fight, but it must be included because of how creative the strike really is.

Silva, notoriously known for his uncanny, striking accuracy and precision, was in control of the fight when he came up with what is aptly described as a “reverse elbow” or “upward elbow,” which sent the strike flush onto the jaw of Fryklund. It was a pretty quick and accurate strike because it was so strong that he knocked Fryklund completely out right there on his feet. Silva’s use of the unorthodox elbow signaled the striking genius and laid down the base for his legendary UFC career.

Although Silva would go on to tremendous success in the UFC, including breaking records in title reigns, the reverse elbow on Fryklund is still very much one of the most iconic moments of his career and a highlight that has stood long since he first made a statement in the organization.

3. Travis Browne vs. Josh Barnett (UFC 168, 2013)

Travis Browne let loose arguably the nastiest barrage of elbow strikes to date on Josh Barnett at the year-end UFC 168 in 2013. The strong, explosive Browne would take on the wily veteran wily heavyweight with a legitimate submission grappling background in Barnett.

Within the first round, Barnett pushed for a takedown as he pinned Browne against the cage. Takedown attempts were defended with Browne repeatedly catching Barnett to the side of his head with sharp, downward elbow strikes. These elbows were strong and on-point enough to knock Barnett out, cold, leaving him crumpled below against the fence.

It was one of the very best appearances in Browne’s young career and showed the use of elbows in close quarters. Those were brutal and efficient blows, where Browne had just proven he could somehow generate knockout power from such a short range. The stoppage was one of the most memorable in the heavyweight division of the UFC.

4. Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez (UFC Fight Night 120, 2017)

Matt Brown, or “The Immortal,” is one of the grittiest and more aggressive fighters in the history of UFC. In his fight against Diego Sanchez in 2017 at UFC Fight Night 120, he delivered one of the most devastating elbow knockouts in the Octagon.

A furious brawl opened up the first round with Brown and Sanchez, as both fighters teed off with heavy bombs. But it was Brown who struck the striking shot—a perfectly timed elbow—that caught Sanchez flush on the temple. This not only catapults Sanchez on his way to the canvas but sends him out cold.

A brutal, emphatic knockout, and that had again confirmed Brown’s capacity to finish with elbows. Being sharp and bang-on with the aim, the hit was not short of mighty, putting both fans and commentators in awe-kind. Now, Brown’s win over Sanchez gets held up as one of the best knockouts of his career, a perfect example of the deadly potential of elbow strikes in MMA.

5. Yair Rodriguez vs. Chan Sung Jung (UFC Fight Night 139, 2018)

Yair Rodriguez delivered a Knockout of the Year performance against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung with a stunning upward elbow at UFC Fight Night 139 back in 2018—the combat fight, incidentally the basis for last week’s latest anniversary card, a demolition derby where both of them exchanged the flow of blows channeled over that course of five excruciating 25-minute rounds.

But as the fifth and final round was just seconds from expiration, Rodriguez—apparently on the losing end of a decision—changed levels to slip underneath a Jung punch, throwing an upward elbow directly up through an almost anatomically impossible angle. That elbow connected flush on Jung’s chin, putting him out cold to deliver Rodriguez a last-second knockout.

It was such a spectacular and unexpected knockout that it stormed the universe right away, hailed as one of the best finishes in UFC history. Rodriguez put his spectacular and creative striking on display when he managed to execute his strike in the waning moments of the fight, making the skills he possesses very unique.

6. Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (UFC Live: Jones vs. Maty

Jon Jones appears on this list yet again, but this time for completely mixing Matyushenko up with his use of his sharpened implements of destruction in the form of nasty elbows at UFC Live, back in 2010. Jones, a prospect at the time, had Matyushenko as his litmus test into experienced light heavyweight battles.

With a high-paced move, Jones checked the takedown and imposed the crucifix position on Matyushenko, trapping both his arms. With Jones on top, Matyushenko found himself in a world of trouble. The young fighter rained down elbow strikes on his downed opponent in a fashion that his opponent offered no response and the referee had to step in at 1:52 of round one to call a halt to the competition.

This was a spectacle of Jones’ new approach to a ground-and-pound game; with elbows, to have shattering effects. The result only confirmed Jones as a future champion — that and one of the most dangerous men in the sport.

7. Renan Barao vs. Brad Pickett (UFC 138)

Others even say that if Renan Barao wields anything strong, it is his well-rounded skills, indeed, but more notably his powerful striking, supposedly with respect to some—meaning that his one elbow strike against Brad Pickett in their 2011 UFC 138 fight was the one most vicious attack a bantamweight in history has done.
Barao finished Pickett off with strikes to the ground he could manage, cinching the rear-naked choke at the end for the submission by doing so. Nonetheless, it was the former elbow that determined the brightness ending, demonstrating Barao’s capacity to damage with his elbows.

The victory over Pickett was one of Barao’s most impressive performances and highlighted the effectiveness of elbows within the bantamweight division, where poise and precision usually matter more than outright devastating power.

8. Tony Ferguson vs. Josh Thomson (UFC Fight Night 71, 2015)
   Tony Ferguson is one of the most unconventional, unpredictable UFC fighters. Fighting based on a relentless style of pressure and awkward strike presentation, he showed this against Josh Thomson at UFC Fight Night 71 with a vicious combination of elbow strikes.

There was nowhere the young martial artist held back with the elbows, as he opened up cuts and rode high on the momentum that had been created in this bloodfest. Ferguson dropped in a spinning elbow and opened the cut above Thomson’s forehead deep-wide. It became a significant factor in the fight as Thomson could not cope with the blood and the damage from Ferguson’s elbows.

Ferguson battled on, coming away with a unanimous decision victory battling a knuckle with his elbow strikes over his opponent. It took the fight even further in establishing Ferguson as a dangerous and creative striker, someone who can use their elbows in ways that potential fighters just cannot emulate.

9. Jeremy Stephens vs Rony Jason UFC Fight Night 32 (2013)

Jeremy Stephens is always known for his knockout power, with the brutal elbow against Rony Jason at UFC Fight Night 32 in 2013 making it one of the worst in featherweight history.

In the first round, earlier, Stephens found perfect timing to drop Jason to the mat with a sideways head kick. Stunned, Jason regained his composure in the nick of time, but Stephens jumped on him madly, ending it in a good mixture of runs of extremely brutal elbow strikes to the head to leave him knocked out. Immediately thereafter, the fight was put to a short halt in the first period through TKO.

For sure the finishing elbow of Stephens just topped his great performance, showing his ability to finish fights with different techniques; this particular knockout was one of the most violent in the featherweight division. It remains among the highlights for Jeremy Stephens’ career.

10. Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (UFC 146)

A former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cain Velasquez is known for his ruthless ground-and-pound. In the year 2012, he was matched against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva on May 26 in one of the most ruthless displays of elbowing in the history of the heavyweight division at UFC 146. In the very first round, Velasquez took Silva down and rained a flurry of vicious elbows and punches. More specifically, the blow from elbows opened one of the largest cuts on Silva’s forehead, with blood gushing down his face. Preceding was a series of further attacks until the referee escaped Silva’s fight because of the cut, granting Velasquez the TKO win. The fight was to showcase Velasquez’s viciousness and his use of elbows to deal damage. The picture of Silva’s bloodied face entered into UFC folklore in the aftermath, emphasizing the viciousness and, wholly, dreadfully efficient use of elbows for dealing out damage while riding a fight out.

Conclusion

Among the most devastating and versatile tools in a fighter’s arsenal, elbow strikes can cause massive damage in both stand-up exchanges and on the ground during ground-and-pound scenarios. The fighters presented in this article have all managed to land some of the most brutal, memorable elbow strikes in UFC history, showcasing the power, precision, and timing necessary when you throw them and land these kinds of devastating blows. From the brutality inflicted by Jon Jones in the light heavyweight division to Yair Rodriguez’s last-second knockout victory, these were moments that will forever live on in MMA.

They served to remind onlookers of potential dangers from elbows within the Octagon and the skill level required to express them with such lethal force. As the sport continues to evolve, there will definitely be other fighters in the future who will be able to use elbows with the same ferocity and effectiveness as the once-in-a-lifetime fighters on this list. Until then, these moments are some of the most brutal and unforgettable in the history of the UFC.