WATCH: ‘KO of the year locked in’ – UFC Vegas 87 fighter landing ‘never before seen’ flying knee knockout leaves fight fans amazed

Vinicius Oliveira sleeps Bernardo Sopaj with a flying knee becoming a top contender for the KO of the year.

WATCH: ‘KO of the year locked in’ – UFC Vegas 87 fighter landing ‘never before seen’ flying knee knockout leaves fight fans amazed

Vinicius Oliveira shocked the MMA community with a sensational flying knee KO of Bernardo Sopaj at UFC Vegas 87 (via X)

The UFC Vegas 87 event had some great fights and intense battles. The best finish of the card went to Vinicius Oliveira, who landed a stunning flying knee knockout against Bernardo Sopaj. The finish came with just 19 seconds left in the bantamweight bout. Oliveira capitalized when Sopaj stumbled back after eating a leg kick and hook combination. He immediately went limp from the knee strike to his jaw.

Oliveira needed the second half of the fight to play out as it did. He was getting soundly outclassed by Sopaj early on. But he turned things around 4 minutes and 41 seconds into the third round before closing the deal. Sopaj needed help to get out of the octagon when he eventually regained consciousness.

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During weigh-ins the day before, Sopaj had promised to knock Oliveira out cold. Instead, the Brazilian pulled off what might be the Knockout of the Year. The spectacular finish came in Oliveira’s second UFC fight. Sopaj dropped to 11-3 overall and 0-1 in the UFC.

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Oliveira was originally set to face Yanis Ghemmouri. An injury forced Ghemmouri out of the event. Sopaj stepped up on short notice but struggled with Oliveira’s length. The 29-year-old Oliveira earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus for the vicious knockout. The flying knee KO felt like a different version of Jorge Masvidal’s infamous technique.

Fight fans reacted to Vinicius Oliveira’s highlight finish of Bernardo Sopaj

MMA fans were stunned by Vinicius Oliveira’s unbelievable flying knee knockout against Bernardo Sopaj at UFC Vegas 87. The vicious finish came with just 19 seconds left in their bout. It immediately entered the conversation for 2024’s Knockout of the Year.

Fight gans reacted to Vinicius Oliveira's highlight knockout
Fight fans reacted to Vinicius Oliveira’s highlight knockout (via ESPN)

The knockout generated an explosion of reactions on social media. Most fans called it an early contender for one of the best KOs due to its brutality and timing. Many commented it was one of the most violent finishes ever seen inside the octagon. Several fans campaigned for Oliveira to receive a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. Here are some of the reactions from fight fans:

The stunning finish caught the attention of both hardcore and casual MMA fans. Oliveira did receive one of the $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses. He boosted his profile in the UFC substantially while announcing himself as a bantamweight to watch. He is now 2-0 in UFC with a 100% finish rate.

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