2011 MMA Wrap-Up: Top 10 Knockouts of the Year

Just a couple of years ago, compiling a list like this one was a much more simple process. When a devastating knockout took place, it stuck in the minds of fans and stayed there.

These days, it seems like something spectacularly brutal happens every weekend, only to get buried under more violence seven days later.

Of course, more televised fights is never a reason to complain, but it's hard not to get jaded by seeing a steady stream of hard trauma and forget how devastating these blows really are. Many times one hit is all it takes to drastically change a fighter's whole career.

There was a long list of eye-catching knockouts this year—and there's still one UFC event to take place before 2012—but these 10 stick out in my mind as the best of 2011.

10. Jeremy Stephens vs. Marcus Davis

After losing three of his last four bouts in the welterweight division, longtime UFC journeyman Marcus Davis attempted to resuscitate his career by dropping down to 155 pounds. In his lightweight debut, Davis faced heavy-handed fringe contender Jeremy Stephens at UFC 125.

For the first two rounds, it looked like Davis had made the right decision, as he controlled Stephens with takedowns and more refined boxing. Stephens was down two rounds and needed something big to win.

With just two and a half minutes left in the fight, Stephens ended Davis' UFC lightweight run with a powerful counter right hand, leaving him completely unconscious on the mat.

It was a shocking sight and enough to prompt the UFC to release Davis from the roster.

9. Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards

Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout's nickname has always been a bit misleading. Yes, he is a talented striker who relies on his hands for the majority of his MMA game.

But, since his UFC debut a whole five years ago, Stout has never finished a fight inside the Octagon. In total, Stout has gone to the cards nine times in the UFC.

That all changed at UFC 131, when Stout met accomplished veteran Yves Edwards in an undercard bout televised on Spike TV.

Following a competitive three and a half minutes, Stout landed an accurate left hook on Edwards' chin, dropping him flat to his back.

No additional punches were needed, as Stout showed class in not further attacking his defenseless opponent and walking off to celebrate his first UFC knockout win.

8. Pat Curran vs. Marlon Sandro

After losing a five-round unanimous decision against Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, lightweight tournament winner Pat Curran dropped down to his preferred fighting weight of 145 pounds to enter Bellator's 2011 Summer Series featherweight tournament.

By defeating Luis Palomino and Ronnie Mann in the opening rounds, Curran earned a bout with former Sengoku and Pancrase champion Marlon Sandro for the tournament title.

Following a close first round, Curran stopped Sandro with a shocking head kick near the end of Round 2, becoming the first fighter to win two Bellator tournaments and earning a shot at featherweight champ Joe Warren sometime in 2012.

7. Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim

At UFC 132, rising contenders Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim met in a critical bout that would shoot the winner way up in the welterweight rankings.

The undefeated Kim was coming off two career-best wins over The Ultimate Fighter winners Amir Sadollah and Nate Diaz, while Condit had recently knocked out former title challenger Dan Hardy in the first round.

Less than three minutes into the bout, Condit exploded with a flying knee that landed flush on Kim's chin and dropped him against the cage.

Condit quickly followed up with a barrage of punches on the ground, prompting the referee to rescue Kim by calling off the bout.

6. Alexis Vila vs Joe Warren

The 40-year-old undefeated Alexis Vila made his Bellator debut at Bellator 51, meeting featherweight champion and fellow amateur wrestling champion Joe Warren in the quarterfinals of the 2011 bantamweight tournament.

Warren had dropped down in weight in an effort to eventually hold two titles simultaneously. However, those aspirations lasted just one minute into the tournament, as Vila caught Warren with a left hand, instantly knocking him out cold in a surprising upset.

Vila went on to lose by unanimous decision in the tournament finals.

5. Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve

In a matchup of young, massive heavyweights, undefeated 6'7 Travis Browne met 6'11 Stefan Struve on the main card of UFC 130.

Browne was coming off a draw against Cheick Kongo, while Struve had knocked out Christian Morecraft and Sean McCorkle in his previous two outings.

In the final minute of the first round, Browne launched forward with a superman punch that dropped the tall Struve to the mat, earning himself a "Knockout of the Night" bonus.

Since then, Browne has continued his undefeated streak with a unanimous decision against Rob Broughton at UFC 135.

4. Patricky Freire vs. Toby Imada

Following a vicious third-round knockout of former WEC champ Rob McCullough in the quarterfinals of Bellator's 2011 lightweight tournament, Patricky Freire met former tournament finalist Toby Imada in the semifinals.

Many were favoring Imada's experience, but Freire showed why he was one of 2011's breakout fighters when he landed a jarring flying knee on Imada's chin that left him out on his feet.

Freire quickly followed up the initial blow with a combination of punches that dropped Imada and ended the fight in the first round.

Freire went on to lose in the finals to Michael Chandler, but he rebounded nicely with a first-round TKO over UFC veteran Kurt Pellegrino in November.

3. Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry

After Nate Marquardt was not medically cleared for his main event bout at UFC on Versus 4, heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry were given top billing for a violent and quick clash that did not disappoint.

Early in the first round, Barry dropped Kongo with a wide right hand. Clearly unstable, Kongo got back to his feet only to be dropped again by another punch.

As Barry went in for the finish, Kongo unleashed an overhand right that hit Barry on the ear, followed by an uppercut to the chin, knocking out his oncoming foe in one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history.

Berry laid on the mat unconscious, while all spectators stared in shock.

Kongo continued his run with a unanimous-decision win over Matt Mitrione at UFC 137.

2. Lyoto Machida vs. Randy Couture

Coming off of a walk-through-the-park type victory over boxing great James Toney, Randy Couture voiced his interest in a bout with former champion Lyoto Machida.

It was a surprising choice of opponent for Couture, who in the twilight of his storied career had been taking what appeared to be novelty matches instead of real challenges. Especially considering Machida was coming off of two straight losses.

Nonetheless, the bout was put together. Going into the fight, Dana White had expressed through the media that Machida was under pressure to look good in this fight to keep his career from sinking. Apparently, Machida got the memo.

Early in the second round, Machida landed a flying front kick square on Couture's face, knocking out the aging champion. It was only the second time we had seen a knockout of this style in the UFC and it earned Machida the "Knockout of the Night."

Couture retired following the bout.

1. Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort

In the highly anticipated main event of UFC 126, longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva defended his title against former champion Vitor Belfort.

With both fighters known for their accurate and powerful striking, many saw the outcome as a matter of who landed cleanly first. After three minutes of feeling each other out and gauging distance, Silva shot an unexpected front kick to the jaw of Belfort, dropping him to the ground.

Silva followed up with a few extra punches before the ref called off the fight, adding another highlight-reel knockout to Silva's growing collection.

Belfort rebounded later in the year with a first-round knockout of Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 133.

Silva added another dazzling TKO win to his record by stopping Yushin Okami at UFC 134 in Brazil.