Five Seconds to Stardom

On July 6, 2019, Jorge Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren with a flying knee five seconds into their welterweight fight at UFC 239 in T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada. 12

Five seconds is barely enough time to find the remote. It was enough time for Masvidal to sprint across the Octagon, meet Askren's lowered head with a flying knee, and break the UFC's fastest knockout record. 13

That is the whole oddity in one stopwatch-sized package: an undefeated Olympic wrestler, a veteran striker, one opening charge, and a result Guinness World Records recognizes as the fastest UFC victory. 3

Askren entered UFC 239 undefeated at 19-0 with one no contest, and his resume was not some padded curiosity. He was a former Bellator welterweight champion, a former ONE Championship welterweight champion, and a 2008 U.S. Olympic wrestler. 4

Masvidal entered at 33-13 after a long, strange road: a 15-year pro career that began in 2003, two straight losses in 2017, a 16-month layoff, then a March 2019 knockout of Darren Till in London that restarted his momentum. 5 In normal fight math, that setup points toward a tense style clash. In actual fight time, it lasted one beat longer than a sneeze.

At the opening bell, Masvidal ran directly at Askren. Askren dipped his head, apparently looking for the takedown entry that had powered his career. Masvidal's knee arrived first, Askren stiffened and dropped unconscious, and referee Jason Herzog stopped the bout after Masvidal landed two follow-up punches on the ground. 1

The previous UFC record had been Duane Ludwig's six-second knockout of Jonathan Goulet at UFC Fight Night 3 on January 16, 2006. 16 Masvidal beat that by one second, which sounds tiny until the entire record category is measured in blinks. Guinness World Records recognizes Masvidal's five-second finish as the fastest UFC victory. 3

The knockout was not just fast. It carried pre-fight static. Askren's trash talk included calling Masvidal stupid and making coded remarks about Masvidal's Cuban and Peruvian background. 7 Masvidal told Yahoo Sports that Askren crossed lines beyond ordinary promotion: "He talked about my manhood, he talked about my culture, my ethnicity." 7

That context explains why the aftermath looked less like celebration than punctuation. Masvidal got on all fours beside Askren and slapped the mat while Askren was still down. 1 Asked why the follow-up punches were needed, Masvidal answered, "They were super-necessary." 1

Askren's own post-fight summary was shorter and probably more accurate than any column could be: "Well that sucked." 1

The numbers around the night add to the mismatch between event size and event length. UFC 239 drew 18,358 attendees and a $6,063,707.11 gate, with Jon Jones vs. Thiago Santos and Amanda Nunes vs. Holly Holm as title fights on the same card. 2 Masvidal's official work lasted five seconds, and he earned a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus. 2

Masvidal did not become champion because of the Askren knockout, but the knockout changed his gravity in the sport. Later in 2019, ESPN named him its Male Fighter of the Year, and the knockout collected Knockout of the Year recognition across major MMA outlets. 5

On November 2, 2019, Masvidal beat Nate Diaz by doctor-stoppage TKO after the third round at UFC 244 in Madison Square Garden to win the inaugural BMF title, a symbolic belt created for that fight. 5 In less than five months, the Askren knockout had moved Masvidal from respected veteran into a much larger UFC spotlight. 5

Askren's arc went the other way. He lost his next MMA fight to Demian Maia by rear-naked choke at UFC Fight Night 162 on October 26, 2019, then announced his retirement from MMA in November 2019. 4

The strangest part is that Masvidal's record is not merely a highlight clip fact. The UFC's official fastest KO/TKO table lists Masvidal at 0:05, Ludwig at 0:06, and a four-way tie at 0:07 among Todd Duffee, Chan Sung Jung, Ryan Jimmo, and Terrance McKinney. 6

Most fights ask who is better after minutes of adjustment. This one asked the question at the bell and answered before anyone had time to settle into a stance.