UFC 136: Melvin Guillard, Jose Aldo and the Hardest Hitter in Every UFC Division

In MMA, there is nothing more exciting than the flash knockout.

Fans may love fighters for their impressive grappling skills or technical prowess on the feet, but no one can deny they look most forward to watching guys who can end a fight in an instant.

With Melvin Guillard running through the lightweight division and taking out fighter after fighter by knockout, it only seems fair to highlight him and the other heavy hitters in the UFC before his fight at UFC 136 this weekend.

Bantamweight: Kid Yamamoto

With 13 of his 18 career wins coming by knockout, Yamamoto might be the best finisher at 135 lbs.

In addition to his fight-ending power, Yamamoto also starts out extremely fast and owns one of the fastest knockouts in MMA history, taking out Kazuyuki Miyata in just four seconds back at Hero’s 5 in 2006.

While he has fallen on hard times as of late, Yamamoto can climb the bantamweight ladder quickly if he can get back to his fight-ending ways.

Featherweight: Jose Aldo

The only champion to make the list, Jose Aldo has impressed fans with his ability to end the fight at any moment.

Aldo has finished seven of his last 9 opponents by knockout or TKO, helping make him one of the most feared fighters in the world.

As long as he can get keep his cardio in check, Aldo has the potential to be one of the most dominant champions in UFC history. And with his ability to end fights he will inevitably continue to climb the pound-for-pound rankings.

Lightweight: Melvin Guillard

Probably the most powerful fighter under 170 lbs., Melvin Guillard is one of the best knockout artists in UFC history at only 28 years of age.

Guillard finishes fights more frequently than almost any fighter, and his striking is getting better with every performance, making him a scary fight for anyone at 155 lbs.

With three knockouts in his last five bouts, all coming in the first round, Guillard is becoming a serious contender in the lightweight division. And if he can put away Joe Lauzon this weekend in Houston, he’ll be on the short list for a title shot.

Light Heavyweight: Dan Henderson

They call his right hand the H-Bomb. Seriously.

Henderson has knocked out some of the biggest names in the sport, including Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping and, most recently, Fedor Emelianenko.

Henderson’s right hand is legendary, and he’s looking to use it to finally become UFC champion before his career is over.

Next up for Hendo is Shogun Rua in the main event of UFC 139.

Welterweight: Jake Ellenberger

With top level wrestling, a willingness to throw leather, and some vicious power, Jake Ellenberger has been called the next Dan Henderson.

While he still has a ways to go before he can compare with Hendo, Ellenberger has been extremely impressive since joining the UFC, knocking out Jake Shields, Sean Pierson, John Howard and Mike Pyle.

Currently on a five-fight win streak and with his only loss coming by way of a close decision to current No. 1 contender Carlos Condit, Ellenberger is one of the top young fighters in the organization and is inching towards a UFC title shot.

Middleweight: Vitor Belfort

Belfort is one of those enigmas you can never predict which version will show up.

Sometimes he looks like a middle-of-the-road middleweight, but when he’s on, he’s one of the most dangerous fighters alive.

Belfort possesses serious power in both hands and has some of the best boxing in the division, which makes him a formidable opponent for anyone in the division. 

Heavyweight: Junior Dos Santos

The current No. 1 contender for the heavyweight title has done one thing since entering the Octagon: mess people up.

Junior dos Santos has demolished all of his UFC opponents, finishing five of his seven opponents via knockout or TKO and the other two, Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson, looked like they had been hit by a truck after their fights.

Cain Velasquez is currently the favorite in their heavyweight title matchup next month, but if he gets hit by one of dos Santos’ hooks, we could easily have a new UFC heavyweight champion.