MMAjunkie's 'Knockout of the Month' for October: He folded up his opponent

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

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

Curtis Blaydes def. Cody East at UFC Fight Night 96

With a full training camp behind him – and a new team, as well – Curtis Blaydes (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) used blade-like elbows to take out fellow heavyweight Cody East (12-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) for his first UFC win.

After eating an early punch in the second round, Blaydes blasted in for a double-leg takedown and planted East on his back 30 seconds in. As East tried to get up, Blaydes continued to rain down elbows, and with the referee looking in and telling East to improve his position, Blaydes kept the elbows coming. A dozen or so shots later, the fight was over.

Nate Marquardt def. Tamdan McCrory at UFC Fight Night 96

Nate Marquardt (35-16-2 MMA, 13-9 UFC), an MMA veteran of nearly 18 years, proved he’s still dangerous after remaining patient and taking advantage of an opportunity to put away Tamdan McCrory (14-5 MMA, 4-5 UFC) in their middleweight bout.

Marquardt found an opening during a striking exchange and staggered McCrory with an over-the-top right hand. With “The Barncat” wobbling and stumbling backward, Marquardt launched a left kick that landed flush to the chin. McCrory fell backward, and Marquardt had a walk-off knockout with 16 seconds left in the second round.

Mike Perry def. Danny Roberts at UFC 204

For nearly three full rounds, Mike Perry (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Danny Roberts (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) traded the kind of blows that could have easily ended the welterweight fight at any moment.

But after several wild exchanges and near finishes, Perry landed the deciding blow and floored Roberts in the final minute. He followed up with an outright violent assault of follow-up shots to decisively end the bout and keep his undefeated record intact.

Jimi Manuwa def. Ovince Saint Preux at UFC 204

The highlight-reel knockout Jimi Manuwa (16-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has been searching for his entire UFC career finally came in his seventh octagon appearance. He crumpled fellow light-heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux (19-9 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in thunderous fashion.

After being put on his back for the first round, Manuwa was determined to keep it standing in the second. Once there, he found Saint Preux’s chin with a combination that caused him to fall backward toward the cage, bending his leg underneath him while unconscious.

Dean Trueman def. Arnold Quero at Cage Warriors 79

Dean Trueman’s (7-3) Cage Warriors return after nearly two years away couldn’t have gone any better. He obliterated Arnold Quero (13-5) with a stunning 12-second knockout.

The lightweight bout was essentially over before it began. Quero came out aggressively and looked to control the center of the cage, but he left his chin exposed. Trueman stepped in and connected with a right hand that wobbled him badly. He followed with a left that landed and then another big overhand right that separated Quero from his wits and dropped him to the canvas.

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The winner: Jimi Manuwa

After one round of having his way with Manuwa on the mat, Saint Preux quickly faded in the second. That left him exposed to Manuwa’s fearsome punches, and at the 2:38 mark of the round, a combination toppled Saint Preux.

A left hook to the body stunned Saint Preux, and a right hook sent him to the mat. He managed to recover long enough to receive a left hook that completely knocked him out, sending his head bouncing off the canvas as Manuwa threw in another shot for good measure.

Saint Preux’s defense seemed to disappear after a failed takedown attempt in the second. Manuwa worked the body and legs in response, and attempted a flying knee to finish the job. It was a stark turnaround from the first frame, where Saint Preux outworked him on the mat.

Manuwa was put down early and spent much of the opening frame with Saint Preux at his back while trying to secure both hooks in for back control. He managed to avoid serious damage and attempted a guillotine choke late in the round that forced Saint Preux to defend. If the trend continued, however, he likely would have dropped a decision on scorecards.

Instead, Manuwa rebounded and returned to the win column after a knockout loss to current contender Anthony Johnson in his previous fight at UFC 191.

“All the hard work I put in over the weeks and months paid off on the night,” Manuwa said. “People come to see me fight because I don’t come for decisions. I come to put my opponents away. Doing it in front of a U.K. crowd makes it even more special. Look at the size and the volume of the crowd. It gives me energy and it’s a great feeling. I should be top five now, and that’s a great feeling, to be in the top five in my weight category in the world.”