Jorge Masvidal owns the quickest knockout in UFC history
Jorge Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren in five seconds at UFC 239. See the official record, nearest finishes and timing distinction.
Jorge Masvidal holds the record for the quickest knockout in UFC history. He stopped Ben Askren with a flying knee five seconds into their welterweight bout at UFC 239 on July 6, 2019.
UFCStats records the result as a first-round KO/TKO at 0:05, with “Flying Knee Head” as the finish detail. It credits Masvidal with one knockdown and three landed significant strikes; Askren landed none (UFCStats fight record).
Fastest UFC KO/TKO results
The UFC’s current record book places Masvidal first, Duane Ludwig second and four fighters in a tie at seven seconds (UFC Record Book).
| Rank | Winner | Opponent | Recorded time | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jorge Masvidal | Ben Askren | 0:05 | UFC 239 |
| 2 | Duane Ludwig | Jonathan Goulet | 0:06 | UFC Fight Night 3 |
| T-3 | Todd Duffee | Tim Hague | 0:07 | UFC 102 |
| T-3 | Chan Sung Jung | Mark Hominick | 0:07 | UFC 140 |
| T-3 | Ryan Jimmo | Anthony Perosh | 0:07 | UFC 149 |
| T-3 | Terrance McKinney | Matt Frevola | 0:07 | UFC 263 |
This comparison is limited to UFC bouts ending by KO/TKO. It excludes other MMA promotions and unofficial contests. The UFC notes that its online record-book results cover UFC 28 onward; separate UFC and ESPN reports nevertheless identify Masvidal’s result as the fastest knockout across UFC history (UFC.com, ESPN).
Why the record is five seconds, not three
Record comparisons use the fight time attached to the result, not a frame-by-frame estimate of when the decisive strike landed or a fighter lost consciousness.
Masvidal ran across the Octagon at the opening signal. Askren lowered his head, the flying knee connected, and Masvidal landed two more strikes before the referee intervened. That sequence accounts for the three significant strikes in UFCStats and the recorded time of 0:05.
A UFC retrospective observed that Askren appeared to be out when the knee landed and suggested the decisive contact occurred at roughly three seconds. The article still calls the official five-second fight time the UFC record (UFC.com). In other words, “three seconds” describes an estimate of the knockout blow; five seconds is the record-book result.
That distinction matters when comparing extremely short fights. Fight times represent elapsed action rather than the full scheduled duration covered in our guide to UFC round and fight timing.
Why Ludwig’s six-second result needs an asterisk
Duane Ludwig’s knockout of Jonathan Goulet illustrates how an official commission time and a promotion-recognized record can diverge. The timekeeper recorded 11 seconds, while video placed the finish at 6.06 seconds. The Nevada State Athletic Commission did not change its ruling, but UFC president Dana White recognized Ludwig’s finish as the company record at six seconds (UFC.com).
Masvidal’s recorded five-second result displaced that mark. ESPN’s report from UFC 239 also identified Ludwig’s six-second knockout as the previous record (ESPN).
For a narrower category, Conor McGregor holds the quickest knockout in a UFC title fight: 13 seconds against José Aldo at UFC 194. UFC distinguishes that title-fight record from Masvidal’s five-second promotion-wide mark (UFC.com).
Record checked: September 28, 2026.