Kindest Knockout in MMA History

Mixed martial arts is known for its brutal knockouts and vicious finishes. Most of the time, they end with one fighter punching or kicking or choking his opponent until the referee has to physically remove him from his unconscious opponent. Except for one fighter.

UFC fighter Brian Stann is a rising star in the middleweight division and is also one of the easiest people in the sport to root for. Stann served as a United States Marine in the operation in Iraq and returned home as a decorated veteran. While that is a fantastic story, the real reason to root for him is because he is a pretty darn good fighter.

Sincer entering the UFC, Stann has suffered only three losses. One has been to title contender Chael Sonnen, who will be fighting Anderson Silva this summer, and the other was to light heavyweight Phil Davis. Oh, and Davis just fought for the light heavyweight championship. Needless to say, those are two losses not to be ashamed of in the slightest.

While working his way up the middleweight ladder, Stann was tasked with a fight on Fuel TV recently.

What kind of fighter knocks his opponent out but stops before doing excess damage? Less than three minutes into the first round, Stann brutally and visibly knocked out his opponent, Alessio Sakara. Instead of waiting for the referee to do his part and step in, though, he simply puts his hands in the air and stops.

The saying goes in fighting "Protect yourself at all times," and not one single person would have questioned it if Stann had continued punishing his defenseless opponent, as is the name of the game in fighting. Instead, he made himself a bonafide fan favorite and delivered what can be labeled the kindest knockout in the history of mixed martial arts.

Any other fan favorite moments or fighters? Let us know in the comments below!