Issue 186

December 2019

Back in 2012, UFC's first-ever event in China reached a dramatic conclusion with this devastating knockout

Almost seven years ago, Rich Franklin found himself on the wrong end of a one-punch knockout by Cung Le in a finish which earned the Vietnamese-American a Knockout of the Night bonus. In truth, many considered it the Knockout of the Year, not least because the 40-year-old Le was an underdog going into the fight against Franklin who had recently bossed Wanderlei Silva. But Franklin had no answer to the power of Le's right hand and this proved his last fight in MMA. Le himself only managed one more fight before he called time on his career. In retrospect, the fight is perhaps most significant for spreading UFC's popularity in China. Devastating and unexpected knockouts will always be the best calling card in combat sports.