UFC 319 star was responsible for a knockout so scary that it left ‘freaked out’ Dana White fearing the worst

When it comes to genuinely frightening knockouts, not many can hold a candle to one of UFC 319 star Edson Barboza’s best wins.

After wrapping up two weeks of action at the Apex in Las Vegas to kick off August, MMA’s leading promotion will return to Chicago for the UFC 319 pay-per-view.

All eyes will be on the main event, as Khamzat Chimaev challenges Dricus du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title in a highly anticipated clash of two stars who are both yet to taste defeat inside the Octagon.

While that represents the only title bout on the card at the United Center, the lineup features plenty of prominent names. That includes one feared knockout artist who is responsible for some of the most vicious finishes in UFC history.

LATEST UFC 319 NEWS: Reinier de Ridder reveals ‘dream’ first title defense after beating the Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev winner

Dana White was ‘freaked out’ by rare delayed KO in Edson Barboza vs. Shane BurgosEdson Barboza has a lengthy highlight reel that includes an unforgettable spinning wheel kick against Terry Etim, a brutal beatdown of Dan Hooker, and a knee from hell to put down Billy Quarantillo. But one of the Brazilian’s knockouts remains arguably his most shocking and bizarre.

The fan-favorite striker shared the cage with always-exciting brawler Shane Burgos at UFC 262, a card headlined by Charles Oliveira’s title win against Michael Chandler in May 2021. The pair threw down to open the main card and a knockout always looked to be on the cards. The manner of Barboza’s wild finish against Burgos, though? Absolutely nobody could have called that.

Just over a minute into round three, the Brazilian caught his American opponent with a hard right hand. Seconds passed without a reaction when ‘Hurricane’ suddenly began to fall back before collapsing against the cage and going unconscious.

Fans watching on were hit with a mix of amazement, shock, and fear for Burgos’ health. And UFC CEO Dana White was with them.

“Yeah, it freaked me out too,” White said at the post-fight press conference when asked about the scary KO.

“He got hit in the temple and it took a minute for him to react to it. And then the way that he was laying there, I thought something bad happened.

“He got right up and was speaking fine,” White continued. “But we made sure that he went right to the hospital and we’re getting all the tests that need to be done on him done.”

Ringside physician David Abbasi analyzed the knockout in a YouTube video, describing it as a battle between Burgos’ will power and scientific ability to continue to fight. He also theorized that the featherweight fighter’s head movement immediately after the punch might have caused the delayed reaction.

LATEST UFC 319 NEWS: Robert Whittaker explains how Dricus du Plessis will eventually lose… ‘It is obvious’Edson Barboza could break a record he shares with Dustin Poirier at UFC 319Barboza has struggled with consistency since his Burgos KO, winning two of his subsequent five fights. And the Brazilian is coming off a loss, having failed to stop the charge of a featherweight whom he shares the UFC 319 card with, Lerone Murphy.

However, something did come out of that Apex main event in May 2024, as the pair walked away with an extra $50,000 each after earning Fight of the Night honors. It marked Barboza’s 10th time receiving that bonus, leaving him tied for the most of all-time with Dustin Poirier.

‘The Diamond’ can perhaps count himself unlucky to have not pulled ahead in his retirement fight. Poirier lost a five-round war against Max Holloway at UFC 318, and much to the Hawaiian’s frustration, they were snubbed of FOTN in favor of Brendan Allen’s win over Marvin Vettori.

With that in mind, Barboza now has the chance to be the first to hit 11 at UFC 319, but he will likely need a willing dance partner in Drakkar Klose if he is to collect another additional $50k.