MMAjunkie's 'Knockout of the Month' for November 2014 (one heck of an MMA return)

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMAjunkie takes a look at the best knockouts from November. Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and the winner of MMAjunkie’s “Knockout of the Month” award for November 2014.

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

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The Nominees

Marcus Brimage def. Jumabieke Tuerxun at UFC Fight Night 55

Jumabieke Tuerxun and Marcus Brimage

Despite an opponent switch and being shuffled from a fight card in Mexico to one in Australia, Marcus Brimage (7-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC) scored what was arguably the most impressive victory of his career when he knocked out Jumabieke Tuerxun (14-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC) with a head kick. Tuerxun attempted to duck a strike in the first round, but instead, he put his face right into an incoming roundhouse kick and was out cold upon impact.

Louis Smolka def. Richie Vaculik at UFC Fight Night 55

Richie Vaculik and Louis Smolka

Louis Smolka (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) showed brilliant creativity when he pulled off a stepping sidekick to the face of Richie Vaculik (10-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) to set up a TKO victory. “The Last Samurai” appeared on his way to a loss, but he turned things around in seconds when he launched the unpredictable but flush kick.

Joseph Duffy def. Julien Boussuge at Cage Warriors 74

Julien Boussuge and Joseph Duffy

A split-second reaction was all Joseph Duffy (12-1) needed to plant a knee on Julien Boussuge’s (10-4) jaw for the knockout win after a sloppy takedown attempt. Boussuge tried to take down Duffy early in the first round, but before he could even make contact with the legs, he dipped right into Duffy’s rising knee and was immediately separated from consciousness.

Joe Schilling def. Melvin Manhoef at Bellator 131

Melvin Manhoef and Joe Schilling

After more than six years without an MMA fight, Joe Schilling (2-3 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) returned to the sport with a devastating second-round knockout of Melvin Manhoef (29-12-1 MMA, 1-1 BMMA). Schilling and Manhoef both split time between kickboxing and MMA, which led to a predictable standup battle. Schilling and Manhoef went toe-to-toe before Schilling connected with a left-hand, right-hook combination that laid out Manhoef.

Fabricio Werdum def. Mark Hunt at UFC 180

Fabricio Werdum and Mark Hunt

Fabricio Werdum (19-5-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) was crowned interim heavyweight champion when he knocked out Mark Hunt (10-9-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) with a flying knee. While Hunt got the better of the striking exchanges through the first seven minutes of the pay-per-view headliner, Werdum rallied to win with the knee and a flurry of punches. Once little more than a grappler, Werdum has evolved his striking to the point he became the first heavyweight in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a flying knee.

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The Winner: Joe Schilling

With nearly 25 pro kickboxing matches to his name, Schilling knows a thing or two about the knockout. However, his Bellator 131 finish of Manhoef marked his first in MMA competition.

Although he got the win, it wasn’t a flawless performance from the 30-year-old. Schilling struggled to get his footing in the first round and was put in danger by Manhoef, who has more than 10 times as many MMA fights, with many coming against some of the world’s top competitors.

It took Schilling a full round to find his rhythm. However, once the second round began, Schilling said he knew a knockout was on the horizon.

“The beginning of the second round, I felt really confident I was going to be able to put him away in that round,” Schilling told MMAjunkie. “I was really tentative in the first round, but I felt like Melvin was folding a little bit. I felt really comfortable in the exchanges in the second round.”

Schilling wasn’t pulled too deep into Manhoef’s wild attacks, and when the opening for a finish arrived, he made sure he didn’t miss his target.

“We started the exchanges, got the clinch, and I hit him with a knee,” Schilling said. “As we were breaking out of the clinch, he threw a hook. On video it looks like the hook hit me, but I have no recollection of it. I stepped off to create a little distance and just threw. I didn’t even know I caught him with the left hand until I was in the back watching the video. When the right hook landed, I knew it was over.”

Manhoef crashed to the mat as soon as the hook landed. He was out cold, but even then, Schilling admits he wasn’t totally sure the fight was over. That’s why he walked over to Manhoef and nearly nailed him with one more punch before the referee jumped in.

“He went down, and I went to go do the walk-off, but my coaches and managers kept reminding me before the fight that this is MMA and that it’s not kickboxing,” Schilling said. “There’s not an eight-count. I went in to finish it, and the referee had already jumped in. I was just elated at that moment.”

With the win, Schilling proved to himself that he’s capable of making MMA more than just an experimental venture. He’ll continue to train full-time in the sport, and he hopes his “Knockout of the Month” is the first of many.

“I’m really appreciative and excited to hear it was ‘Knockout of the Month,’” Schilling said. “There were so many great knockouts this month. That mine was the best is pretty awesome.”