Top 5: Greatest Elbows in UFC History

It defied belief.

Yair Rodriguez was responsible for one of the most incredible finishes in Ultimate Fighting Championship history when he wiped out Chan Sung Jung with a no-look upward elbow in the fifth round of their UFC Fight Night 139 main event on Nov. 10, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. “The Korean Zombie” kissed the canvas in the final second of the fight. The official time of the jaw-dropping stoppage was 4:59 of Round 5.

The Rodriguez elbow put an exclamation point on a “Fight of the Year” contender, as the two featherweights emptied themselves across 25 remarkable minutes. They combined to land 245 significant strikes against one another, with Jung holding a slight 126-119 advantage. Rodriguez zeroed in on the South Korean’s legs with a variety of kicks and mixed in some of his patented spinning techniques but could not halt his forward progress—until he caught the charging Jung with the fight-ending elbow. Creativity and degree of difficulty were off the charts.

Nearly seven years later, Rodriguez’s lighting bolt still ranks as one of the greatest elbow strikes in UFC history. Here are four more to consider:

Chris Weidman vs. Mark Munoz
UFC on Fuel TV 4
July 11, 2012 | San Jose, California
A little less than a year before he dethroned Anderson Silva and ended the Brazilian’s historic reign atop the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division, Weidman was on a rung-by-rung climb on the 185-pound ladder. Munoz, a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler who had won a national championship at Oklahoma State University in 2001, wandered into his path in what was thought to be a well-matched main event at the HP Pavilion. It turned into a bloodbath. Weidman tortured “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” for six-plus minutes, sweeping him off his feet with a takedown before assaulting him with ground-and-pound. Munoz did not land a single significant strike during the encounter and did not even attempt a takedown. It was a shutout on all fronts for Weidman. Munoz did not survive the second round. Weidman slipped one of his right hands and countered with a devastating downward elbow to the face that sent him spiraling to the canvas. Bloodied and dazed, Munoz had neither the faculties nor the wherewithal to defend against the follow-up punches that finished the job and made Weidman the No. 1 contender for the middleweight crown.

Mike Perry vs. Jake Ellenberger
UFC Fight Night 108
April 22, 2017 | Nashville, Tennessee
One of the more abrasive characters ever to set foot inside the Octagon, Perry cut down the Kings MMA product with a savage standing elbow in the second round of their welterweight showcase at Bridgestone Arena. An unconscious Ellenberger bounced off the canvas 65 seconds into Round 2, his body stiff and his toes curled. Perry fought through some adversity before he reached the finish line. Ellenberger executed a takedown and got his attention with a right hook and body kick in the first round. Early in the middle stanza, he appeared to break Perry’s nose with a left hook-right uppercut combination, then swarmed with knees and punches along the fence. However, Ellenberger’s efforts went for naught. Perry dropped him with a left hook, allowed him to stand and then uncorked a short but violent right elbow that turned out the lights.

Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez
UFC Fight Night 120
Nov. 11, 2017 | Norfolk, Virginia
Brown flattened “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 winner with a brutal elbow strike in the first round of their welterweight co-headliner at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Sanchez splattered on the mat 3:44 into Round 1. Brown withstood rushes from his hyperactive opponent and made the most of his opportunities at a distance, pairing a stiff jab with powerful leg kicks. Sanchez doubled over the Elevation Fight Team representative with a body kick but could not capitalize on his counterpart’s brief moment of weakness. Brown later caught a kick, backed the ex-King of the Cage champion to the fence and unleashed a hellacious slashing elbow that found its intended target. The concussive blow dropped Sanchez where he stood and ended the confrontation in an instant. It closed the book on a three-fight losing streak for Brown, breathed new life into his career and served as a stark reminder of his violent capabilities.

Jiri Prochazka vs. Dominick Reyes
UFC on ESPN 23
May 1, 2021 | Las Vegas
Prochazka buried the Californian with a spinning back elbow and established himself as the No. 1 contender for the undisputed UFC light heavyweight crown in the second round of their main event at the UFC Apex. Reyes crashed and burned 4:29 into Round 2. Prochazka set the tone with bursts of punches that carried ill intent. Reyes was up to the task initially, performed well on the counter and slammed more than one kick into the Czech’s midsection. Still, Prochazka’s non-step offense took a toll. By the start of the second round, Reyes was struggling to breathe out of his damaged nose. He threatened Prochazka with a guillotine, only to wind up in bottom position. Reyes scrambled back to his feet, at which point he was met by his bloodthirsty adversary. Prochazka missed with a spinning right elbow, then spun in the other direction and connected at full force with his opposite elbow. An unconscious Reyes crumbled at his feet.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Ricardo Ramos vs. Aiemann Zahabi, UFC 217; Dong Hyun Kim vs. John Hathaway, “The Ultimate Fighter China” Finale; Johnny Walker vs. Khalil Rountree, UFC Fight Night 140; Dan Henderson vs. Hector Lombard, UFC 199; Clint Hester vs. Bristol Marunde, “The Ultimate Fighter 17” Finale; Gary Goodridge vs. Paul Herrera, UFC 8; Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico, UFC 319; Yoel Romero vs. Lyoto Machida, UFC Fight Night 70; Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina, UFC Fight Night 204; Tai Tuivasa vs. Derrick Lewis, UFC 271; Nick Denis vs. Joseph Sandoval, UFC on FX 1; Travis Browne vs. Josh Barnett, UFC 168; Carlos Prates vs. Geoff Neal, UFC 319