Rich Franklin
Former middleweight champion was coming off his second victory over Wanderlei Silva when he was given the opportunity to headline the UFC’s first ever event in China against Cung Le in November of 2012.
Franklin was 38 at the time, but still younger than Le and had been marked down as the favorite to win the fight.
However, fate had other plans and just 2.13mins into the fight Le uncorked a wide right hook that scorched Franklin’s jaw and relieved him of his senses, sending him slamming face down onto the canvas.
It was a devastating yet spectacular finish that would go down not only as the knockout of the night, but indeed the knockout of the year for 2012, made all the more significant by the fact that it would prove to be the final fight of Franklin’s career – though he didn’t officially retire until 2015.
