Who’s the hardest hitter in the UFC? It’s gotta be Francis Ngannou, right? Well, apparently not—at least not anymore. As of 2025, just days before his fourth title defense, it looks like Alex Pereira has taken the crown as the most powerful puncher in the promotion.
With highlight-reel knockouts and a striking resume that speaks for itself, Poatan has left a trail of unconscious opponents in his wake. But is he really the hardest hitter, or is this just hype?
Before his relationship soured with the UFC and Dana White, Ngannou was a fighter heavily hyped by the UFC and White thanks to his freakish knockout power. Back in 2018, he set the world record for the hardest punch ever recorded on the PowerKube, registering a staggering 129,161 units.
To put that into perspective, UFC President Dana White once quipped that Ngannou’s punch was the equivalent of 96 horsepower, which apparently felt the same as being hit by a Ford Escort at full speed.
That might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but even if that was 50% true, it makes sense why Ngannou left a trail of knocked-out opponents in his wake.
However, it appears that Pereira, who is currently the most dangerous knockout artist in the UFC, has broken Ngannou’s record and has proof to show for it.
And this wasn’t just a barely beat-the-record kind of situation—Pereira absolutely smashed it.
Ngannou’s punch had registered at 129,161 units, but Pereira smashed a mind-blowing 191,796 units. That was absurd, especially for a fighter who had started at middleweight and then dominated at light heavyweight.
So, anyone who has been making fun of Jamahal Hill for being knocked out, now you know just how much those left hooks hurt.
Interestingly, Pereira, who holds the crown in the UFC for the hardest punch, was recently beaten on score by someone who isn’t even a fighter.
Pereira beaten by ‘Train to Busan’ actor
After a wild 2024 with three title defenses, Pereira was spotted in South Korea, enjoying a well-earned break. But even on vacation, Poatan couldn’t resist some action.
He was seen sparring at a local gym, going hard against an amateur boxer. He even went viral for making an entrance during a wedding, smacking a guest with 20-some calf kicks during the party!
But the coolest moment of the trip came at another gym, where Pereira met fan-favorite action movie star Don Lee. The 53-year-old actor joined the UFC light heavyweight champion in a game of ‘who’s the hardest puncher‘ and surprise, surprise, he won!
In a video posted on Lee’s Instagram, Pereira lined up his signature right hand—the same one that knocked out Israel Adesanya—and smashed the punching machine, scoring 8534.
Then Lee stepped up and crushed it, scoring 9525, over 1,000 points higher. It was wild! Take a look for yourself!
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It should be noted that Lee isn’t just a veteran in Hallyuwood (South Korean movie industry) and Hollywood; he was a personal trainer and even worked with UFC legends Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman.
So, while Pereira might have been outpunched, at least it was by someone with legit fight experience.
