Boxing has seen many power-punchers come and go, but this list ranks the top eight active fighters by KO percentage.
From Daniel Dubois‘ emphatic win over Anthony Joshua or Gervonta Davis‘ brutal KO of Mario Barrios, boxing fans sit in awe of the dominant knockouts fighters are able to produce, and extremely impressed by those who can produce them fight after fight.
In this list, Bloody Knockout breaks down the top eight active boxers by what percentage of their fights ended in a KO win:
Daniel ‘Dyanmite’ Dubois
Daniel Dubois boasts 21 knockouts to his 22 wins, but as a result of his two losses, to Oleksandr Usyk and, years earlier, Joe Joyce, ‘Dynamite’ Dubois has a knockout percentage of 87.5%.
Dubois has been on a great run of form lately and has stopped his last three opponents – Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, who had choice words for Dubois, and Anthony Joshua.
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis is currently undefeated with 33 wins on his record, 29 by knockout, giving him a KO percentage of 87.8%, just edging over that of Dubois.
Ennis wasn’t able to stop his last opponent, Karen Chukhadzhian, and won by unanimous decision. He faced Chukhadzhian just one year earlier, but wasn’t able to stop him back then either.
Ennis is set to face 15-0 Eimantas Stanionis in May.
Gary Antuanne Russell
Gary Antuanne Russell won his first world championship on the undercard of Gervonta Davis vs Lamont Roach Jr. as he dethroned Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela, who lost controversially to Chris Colbert, by unanimous decision.
This marked the first and only decision win of Russell’s 19-fight career. His one loss to Alberto Puello means Russell’s knockout win percentage sits at 89.5%.
Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue
Nicknamed ‘The Monster’ for good reason, Naoya Inoue holds an 89.6% KO percentage in his undefeated career. Only three men have survived the Japanese fighter’s power – Nonito Donaire, who Inoue lent his trophy to, David Carmona, Ryoichi Taguchi (in a ten-round contest). Inoue also stopped Donaire in their rematch.
Inoue will face Ramon Cardenas in May, and a win will set him up to face either MJ Akhmadaliev or Britain’s Nick Ball, who Inoue mocked, later this year.
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis
Gervonta Davis’ record received its first and only blemish in his latest fight, as he fought to a draw against Lamont Roach Jr., who claims Davis tried to bite him.
Davis has won 30 of his 31 fights, and only two have been by decision. Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is the only man aside from Roach to go the 12-round distance with Davis, and the only other man who survived to the final bell was journeyman German Ivan Merez in a six-rounder in 2014.
Davis’ KO percentage is 90%, and is topped only by three other men.
Artur Beterbiev
If this list were compiled one year ago, Artur Beterbiev would sit comfortably at the top with a 100% KO rate in his 20-fight-long career, however, his two recent outings against Dmitry Bivol have dropped his percentage all the way to 91%.
Beterbiev won the first fight against Bivol, who was allegedly dropped by David Benavidez, by decision but lost the second in an equally close fight.
Vergil Ortiz Jr.
As with Beterbiev, the past year has made all the difference to Vergil Ortiz‘s KO percentage. Whilst the American hasn’t yet tasted defeat, his only two wins by decision have both come in his latest two fights, and all 21 fights before have ended in a stoppage.
Ortiz Jr. won his last fight by unanimous decision against Israil Madrimov, who lost a close fight with Terence Crawford. Before that, Ortiz won a controversial majority decision over Serhii Bohachuk.
Ortiz’s KO percentage sits at 91.3%, the second highest of any high-profile active fighter.
Subriel Matias
At 91.6%, Subriel Matias holds the highest KO percentage of any high-profile active fighter and is clearly one of the heavier-handed fighters around.
Matias has never won by decision, only stoppage, but has lost to two men – Petros Ananyan back in 2020, and, more recently, Liam Paro for the IBF super lightweight title.
Though there may be heavier hitters out there, and some lesser-known boxers with a high KO percentage, these eight are sure to make heads turn whenever they enter the ring.