With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMAjunkie looks at the best knockouts from May 2018: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMAjunkie’s “Knockout of the Month” award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

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The Nominees

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Sean Strickland at UFC 224

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (19-5 MMA, 5-1 UFC) lived up to his “Capoeira” nickname, using a beautiful technique to floor Sean Strickland (19-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in their welterweight bout.

The pace picked up a few minutes into the matchup. Dos Santos was up to the challenge. Launching an incredible spinning heel kick, the right leg landed clean to the temple, sending his opponent crashing to the canvas. With Strickland trying desperately to gather his wits, dos Santos jumped on top and began punching away until a few hammerfists landed clean for the stoppage.

Lyoto Machida def. Vitor Belfort at UFC 224

In what very likely Vitor Belfort’s (26-14 MMA, 15-10 UFC) final UFC fight, Lyoto Machida (24-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC) sent his follow Brazilian legend out with a reminder of one of his most crushing career moments.

The finish in the second round of the middleweight bout was eerily similar to Anderson Silva’s knockout of Belfort in 2011. Just when it seemed nothing was going to happen, Machida sent a perfectly placed front-kick up the middle to Belfort’s job. “The Phenom” was out on impact, and Machida showed class by refusing to follow up.

Ryan Bader def. Muhammed Lawal at Bellator 199

The first punch was all Ryan Bader (25-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) needed to assert himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Bellator heavyweight grand prix.

All Bader needed was a hard left hook moments after the opening bell, and Muhammed Lawal (21-7 MMA, 10-6 BMMA) didn’t know what hit him. He fell to the mat, where Bader pounced with a barrage of ground-and-pound shots, forcing a stoppage just 15 seconds into the first round.

Gabriel Benitez def. Humberto Bandenay at UFC Fight Night 129

Gabriel Benitez (21-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Humberto Bandenay (14-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) packed about as much action as possible into a 39-second matchup, but it was “Moggly” who proved victorious.

The two fighters came out swinging at the start, with Benitez landing a crushing left hand that sent his opponent crashing to the floor. With Benitez seeking the quick finish, Bandenay responded, grabbing hold of the right wrist and locking in an armbar that threatened to end the fight. But Benitez had other ideas, lifting Bandenay into the air, then slamming him into the floor in violent fashion. The impact dazed his opponent, and a few follow-up hammerfists sealed the result, leaving Bandenay out cold in stunning fashion.

Phil Davis def. Linton Vassell at Bellator 200

Phil Davis’ (19-4 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) quest to get back to the Bellator light heavyweight title took another positive step forward when he defeated Linton Vassell (18-7 MMA, 7-4 BMMA) in highlight-reel fashion.

Davis used his usual methodical attack to slow Vassell through two rounds. Then, just 65 seconds into the third, he put his opponent away with a vicious right head kick.

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The Winner: Lyoto Machida

In a battle of Brazilian legends, it was Machida who proved victorious over Belfort.

Machida set up in the center to start, bouncing lightly as he looked to counter, but Belfort was patient in the early going. Both men were wary of the other, leading to some caution that frustrated the fans in the first few minutes. Machida eventually reached forward with a sneaky kick that saw the heel touch the chin, but Belfort retreated before his opponent could follow.

Machida was clearly the more active fighter, and he appeared the quicker man, as well. Belfort opened up briefly in the latter stages of the frame, but it was Machida’s kicks from range that proved the best offense in the first.

Machida continued to use kicks to keep his opponent at distance, before a front kick landed clean to the face, sending Belfort crashing to the canvas. Machida didn’t bother to follow the devastating blow, which ended the fight in spectacular fashion reminiscent of Anderson Silva’s famed 2011 knockout of “The Phenom.”

“I trained a lot for this fight, but I did not train the front kick that much,” Machida said after the fight. “But when you are well-trained and well-prepared, you can see the fight more clearly and be able to do things that you did not even train. I know it was a lot like the kick I got in Randy Couture when he retired, with the difference that his was right and that was left, so maybe it is the history repeating itself.”

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