Chris Beal and the 5 Best Flying-Knee Knockouts in MMA History

Name one thing in pro MMA more exciting than a flying-knee knockout. Don't give me gogoplata or calf slicer. Don't lean back in your leather chair, chickory in hand, and proclaim that "five frenetic rounds of only the most elite cardiovascular athletes working feverishly but methodically to break the will of the other man using only the four barest limbs what the lord'st given'st him," either.

No, "flying knee" is what we're looking for. And here are the five such maneuvers, over the course of all of major league MMA history (sorry, no Nebraska State Fair entries) that resulted in the best knockouts or TKOs. They made it for violence, for quickness and for just being in the right place at the right moment.

And if you have one that you like but isn't mentioned, it's because it didn't make our final cut. Remember! As always, all ratings are final and objective.

Video provided as often as is permitted by promotional restrictions and so forth.

5. Chris Beal vs. Patrick Wiliams

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Chris Beal

Date: April 29, 2014
Event: UFC 172
Result: Chris Beal def. Patrick Williams by KO (flying knee), 1:51, Rd.2 

It had been a long road for Beal, what with his lengthy recovery time from cancer and abbreviated stay on The Ultimate Fighter and all.

I'd say this makes up for it.

In his UFC debut proper, Beal fired long-range at Williams, with whom he had engaged in a fairly even affair to that point. But not after the point of Beal's knee found the point of Williams' chin. 

The win gave Beal a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus from the UFC. When your other job is, well, a day job, that's certainly nothing to sneeze at, and Beal has one of the promotion's best-ever flying knees to thank for the privilege.

4. Spencer Fisher vs. Matt Wiman

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Spencer Fisher

Date: May 27, 2006
Event: UFC 60
Result: Spencer Fisher def. Matt Wiman by KO, 1:43, Rd. 2

If you don't remember Spencer Fisher, think Joe Lauzon or a saner Diego Sanchez. Maybe he wasn't ever designated for the title shot, but he was a good and gutsy fighter who was going to War every time, back before that term was even a verb.

This battle with Matt Wiman was pretty typical: just an entertaining back-and-forth brawl. Approaching the second round's halfway point, they exchanged again, and Wiman visibly shook his head. Not in an "I don't like this" sort of way, but in a "you're not going to get me like that" sort of way.

So Fisher did what any sensible man would do in response: He launched himself into the air, knee first, toward Wiman's head. Wiman ducked; for a second, it looked like Fisher would glance off of Wiman's shoulder and flip harmlessly (or perhaps not so harmlessly) over his back. 

But not so. The blow hit Wiman's temple, Wiman crumpled, and that was the end. Fisher danced off victorious with a moment for his personal highlight reel.

3. James Irvin vs. Terry Martin

Date: August 20, 2005
Event: UFC 54
Result: James Irvin def. Terry Martin by KO, 0:09, 2005

Terry Martin was still a pretty solid fighter back then. Eight months before this fight, he knocked out Chael Sonnen.

So it was a pretty highly anticipated scrap when Martin, riding a 10-fight win streak that included six knockouts, stepped in to face Irvin, who was 8-1 at the time, including seven knockouts.

Safe to say it didn't disappoint. As the two sluggers circled each other in the opening seconds of the second frame, Irvin leaped in. Martin hit the ground and Irvin stalked off. That's right—a walk-off flying knee. No punches before, during or after the decisive blow.

Irvin's career started going downhill pretty quickly after this, but this will always be a great highlight. Case in point? The UFC used it in the official video preview for his fight with Anderson Silva, which was Silva's first as a light heavyweight.

2. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto vs. Kazuyuki Miyata

Date: May 3, 2006
Event: Pride Hero's 5
Result: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto def. Kazuyuki Miyata by KO, 0:04, Rd. 1

Well then.

Not only was this a dramatic knockout, not only was it his sixth consecutive knockout victory, not only did it solidify Kid as one of the best strikers (heck, fighters) on the planet at that time, but he only needed four seconds to do it. I have to say, that is pretty good. Very good. 

And it entered the record books as one of the quickest knockouts in MMA history.

As for the nature of the knockout itself, there's not a whole lot to it. The bell rang, Kid rushed forward, threw his knee and knocked him out. Why does everyone make this sport out to be so complicated?

1. Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Date: June 7, 2009
Event: WEC 41
Result: Jose Aldo def. Cub Swanson by TKO (double flying knee and punches), 0:08, Rd. 1

Speaking of fast knockouts. Just to make sure he got the job done, Aldo launched not one but two knees, and in the process opened a gash worthy of the butcher shop on Swanson's forehead. 

Neither man has ever been fully able to live it down. If it wasn't for Anthony Pettis' "Showtime Kick," it probably would be the signature move of the entire WEC.

As it stands, it's still pretty iconic and might serve as the moment Aldo served notice that he was one of the most electrifying fighters on Earth. 

In his next bout, Aldo took on Mike Brown for the WEC featherweight strap. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. For more stuff like this, follow Scott on Twitter.