No matter how many times the old adage “styles make fights” gets thrown around, it doesn’t always fit. On a card like UFC 319, for example, several of the night’s clashes played out as expected, however the co-main event between Lerone Murphy and Aaron Pico proved to be another exception to the rule.
2025 essentially served as the final sendoff for any last, remaining homegrown Bellator talent looking to escape the clutches of PFL after the two promotions merged in late 2023. From Patricio Pitbull to Patchy Mix, results varied, but each UFC debut felt like the classic crossover battles MMA fans long dreamed of.
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Then there was Pico, one of Bellator’s most celebrated prospects in its history.
A former youth wrestling standout, Pico entered MMA at age 21 as one of the brightest young talents of the past two decades. He was crowned a future champion by many before even entering the cage. Despite a couple of bumps in the road along the way, he eventually grew into a well-rounded, dynamic force who was on the cusp of a featherweight title shot when Bellator fell apart — then he left for the UFC and jumped straight into a top-contender fight.
Waiting to welcome Pico into the Octagon was none other than the Manchester “Miracle,” Lerone Murphy, the ultimate tactician and MMA swiss-army knife. A top-ranked 145-pound contender (and short-notice replacement for Movsar Evloev), Murphy was on quite a run, going unbeaten in his 17-fight pro career (16-0-1) and riding an impressive eight-fight win streak in the UFC.
Even with a year-plus-long layoff and no UFC experience, the Pico hype was alive and well heading into UFC 319. BetMGM oddsmakers had him favored in their books ahead of his UFC debut, and Murphy was expected to be a better matchup for him to showcase his explosive finishing abilities than Evloev would’ve. Murphy was also a marathon man, having gone the distance in six of his eight UFC victories.
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The Brit had everything to lose at UFC 319. But you know what they say: Pressure makes diamonds.
By the time the fight arrived, an insane finish had already occurred just minutes prior in the form of Carlos Prates’ spinning back elbow against Geoff Neal. As great as that knockout was — in a year loaded with “spinning s***,” as the famed Diaz brothers would say — Murphy seemingly took it personally.
Early and often, Murphy tasted what Pico had to offer. Big overhand punches found their marks. Pico’s ripping body hooks were disgustingly brutal, as the 29-year-old American appeared to be poised and primed for the moment, UFC jitters be damned. But through the aggressive bursts, Murphy found moments to land a tight elbow and knee on separate occasions, teasing the heater that was cooking.
Then — boom. Pico went to strike, but so did Murphy, contorting his hips in the opposite direction to connect with a pinpoint spinning back elbow.
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Oh. My. God.
Instantly unconscious, Pico dropped to the floor and ate a single follow-up hammerfist to the Chicago crowd’s eruption of disbelief. If anyone was going to get finished in that fight, it certainly wasn’t expected to be Pico — and especially not like that.
Back against the wall — literally and figuratively — Murphy made his statement as a championship contender with Uncrowned’s 2025 Knockout of the Year. It had style points, high stakes, shock value, everything desired in an epic, unexpected result. In a year of violent twirling strikes, that sure says a lot.
Lerone Murphy watched Carlos Prates and said, “Hold my beer.”
(Geoff Stellfox via Getty Images)
Best of the rest
2. Sergio Pettis def. Magomed Magomedov, PFL Dubai
A Pettis brother landed an insane, flashy strike? You don’t say.
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As mentioned, 2025 truly was the year of the spinning strike — and the spinning back elbow, in particular. And the unique technique transcended the UFC. In the PFL, former Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis used it to perfection in Dubai in his battle against Team Khabib’s Magomed Magomedov.
This one was a tactical, competitive affair for as long as it lasted. Pettis did his best to defend Magomedov’s strong grappling game, but was well behind on the scorecards when he landed the concussive, fight-ending blow out of nowhere late in Round 2. To make the knockout all the wilder, Pettis initiated it with a kick and his spinning back elbow followed naturally, almost in defense. It was Magomedov’s first loss via strikes and only Pettis’ second win via strikes in the past decade.
3. Mauricio Ruffy def. King Green, UFC 313
Although spinning elbows stole the show in 2025, any time a spinning wheel kick is delivered, it’s going to land somewhere near the top of the year-end knockout list.
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The Fighting Nerds may have stumbled at various times in 2025, but two of them scored wild enough knockouts to leave lasting impressions still worth talking about. In our No. 3 spot, lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy showed up and showed out in his first real step-up in competition.
Veteran striker King Green had the misfortune of attempting to derail the Ruffy hype train. Unfortunately, Ruffy’s diverse striking arsenal was too much to overcome, as a swift spinning wheel kick connected just two minutes into the opening round. No follow-up shots needed — Green was out. Style points and flash were all there to secure the biggest highlight of the 29-year-old Brazilian’s career.
4. Carlos Prates def. Geoff Neal, UFC 319
Prates’ spinning back elbow knockout of Neal has already been mentioned, making it even crazier how connected some of these moments are.
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The Fighting Nerds’ bad boy was on a mission after his early-year loss to Ian Machado Garry. That mission was simple: Become the first man to knock out Neal (and then later in 2025, Leon Edwards). Prates achieved both, with the latter also coming in spectacular fashion, but it was the spin that makes our list.
Prates vs. Neal was a competitive, fairly forgettable fight up until the finish. Neal was arguably getting the better of the bout until Prates got aggressive and gained momentum. Then came the final second. Almost nonchalantly, Prates elbowed and followed it with another that had spin to it. Down went Neal, and the budding legend of Prates returned to form after his lone UFC loss.
5. Ilia Topuria def. Charles Oliveira, UFC 317
At this rate, Ilia Topuria is going to be a contender for Knockout of the Year in any year he fights.
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In 2024, Topuria earned our No. 2 spot for his epic knockout of Max Holloway, becoming the first man to stop the Hawaiian with strikes. After leaving featherweight behind to focus full-time on lightweight in 2025, Topuria was greeted by an all-time great, Charles Oliveira.
Unfortunately for “Do Bronx,” the former UFC featherweight champion was too clean and too crisp to be stopped. Topuria slept the lightweight legend with one of the nicest low-high jab setups to score a two-punch combination you’ll ever see. The left hand that finished off the combo wasn’t even necessary, as Oliveira was already out from the clean right. Technically speaking, Topuria once again masterfully displayed his boxing skills to solidify his status as a pound-for-pound great.
Uncrowned’s voting breakdown for Knockout of 2025:
(Davis Long, Yahoo Sports)
Honorable mentions:
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Diego Lopes def. Jean Silva, Noche UFC
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Quillan Salkilld def. Nasrat Haqparast, UFC 321
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Gregory Rodrigues def. Jack Hermansson, UFC 317
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Malcolm Wellmaker def. Kris Moutinho, UFC Atlanta
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