Ten Greatest Fights in UFC History

10-  Maurice Smith unanimous decision Mark Coleman (UFC 14)
The UFC 14 main event between undefeated Heavyweight champion Mark Coleman and stand-out kickboxer Maurice Smith was the first time in UFC history you saw an elite level kickboxer who had evolved. Maurice Smith had spent time with Japanese star Tsuyoshi Kohsaka learning how to fight off his back and when Coleman took him to the ground he was prepared for it. After a brief stand-off, Coleman shot in and took Smith to the ground with ease. From there Coleman unleashed with right hands and headbutts as he had done in his previous six UFC contests. Smith though established his guard and began stifling Colemans attacks and making Coleman work to keep him on the ground. Coleman at one stage moved to mount, but Smiths knowledge of grappling allowed him to get back to guard and continue defending. Maurice briefly escaped after about seven minutes but Coleman took him down again. Coleman though was gassing and his efforts from on top became less and less and Smith escaped again just before the 15 minutes was up and landed some solid punches and leg kicks. The following two-three minute over times were all Smith as Coleman was gassed and could barely walk from the leg kicks he was taking. Smith picked his shots and landed at will while stuffing Colemans takedowns. Coleman somehow survived the onslaught, but Smith took the decision and the title in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.

9- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira submission (3rd) Tim Sylvia (UFC 81)
A battle a long time coming with Nogueira and Sylvia at one point holding the PRIDE and UFC Heavyweight titles at the same time. They eventually fought at UFC 81 for the interim Heavyweight championship after Randy Couture ‘retired’ and wouldn’t face Nogueira. Nogueira was out of form having split two fights with Josh Barnett by close decision and barely surviving against Heath Herring while Sylvia was looking to gain back some respect after losing his title to Couture almost a year ago. Sylvia came out with bad intentions, firing his jab and trying to follow it up. Nogueira pulled guard, but Sylvia wisely stood up and showed he had no interest in fighting on the ground with the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu stylist. Midway through the first Sylvia dropped Nogueira heavily with a right hand and move in to finish. Nogueira regained his senses and Sylvia invited him back up. Nogueira scored a takedown in the final seconds, but Sylvia was saved by the bell. Sylvia continued to batter Nogueira during the 2nd round while stuffing his takedowns and standing up whenever he pulled guard. In the third round Nogueira pulled half guard and quickly swept Sylvia. Now on top, he passed Sylvia’s guard with ease and began looking for a submission. Sylvia turned into Nogueira and was immediately caught in a guillotine choke and forced to tap out. It was an incredible comeback from Nogueira who has made a career out of coming back from the brink of defeat.

8- Don Frye submission (11:19) Gary Goodridge (Ultimate Ultimate 1996)
Probably not the fight most people would have put in their top ten, but in my opinion (obviously) one of the greatest fights in UFC history. These two engaged in a gruelling battle of attrition that ended in the first round of the champions tournament of 1996. Goodridge, wearing a gi for some strange reason, and Frye immediately locked horns and started trading shots from the clinch. Frye was using Goodridges gi for leverage and pinned Goodridge against the cage while delivering knees and elbows on the inside. Goodridge repeatedly made room and landed his heavy right hand but Frye simply ate it. This went on for a few minutes before they seperated and started trading bombs from the outside. Frye seemed to be taking control when Goodridge took him down and began to land heavy shots of his own. With both men tiring it was Goodridge who was now able to use his weight advantage and he was landing heavy shots from on top. Frye then showed the newest trick in his game, an ability to fight off his back as he survived Goodridges onslaught and then swept the much larger man. With Goodridge exhausted and now on his back, he conceded the fight and tapped out due to exhaustion. Frye would go on to win two more fights that night, one of them against Tank Abbott which was #23 on this list, to win the tournament.

7- Oleg Taktarov submission (17:47) Tank Abbott (UFC 6)
Speaking of gruelling fights, they don’t get more gruelling then the Final of UFC 6 between newcomer Tank Abbott and UFC 5 veteran Oleg Taktarov. Abbott had walked through John Matua (20 seconds) and Paul Varelans (two minutes) earlier in the evening while Taktarov had a tougher then it sounds 57 second victory over UFC 5 runner-up Dave Beneteau and a 10 second submission win over Anthony Macias. Abbott immediately went on the offensive, rocking Taktarov with vicious bombs before ending up on top in a scramble. Abbott tried to finish, but Taktarov played his guard well and managed to wear Abbott down. Tank would open up from time to time and everytime they stood up he’d rock and bloody ‘The Russian Bear’ but could do little offensively against the Sambo master on the ground. Taktarov though was showing signs of fatigue by 10 minutes into the fight as Abbotts bombs were taking their toll on him. Somehow late in the fight, Taktarov found the energy to move to Abbotts back in a scramble and had just enough strength left to secure a rear naked choke and force Abbott to submit. After the fight both men lay exhausted and Taktarov needed oxygen as he was completely spent.

6- Frank Shamrock submission (4th) Tito Ortiz (UFC 22)
The tactical brilliance of Frank Shamrock was never more on display then when he defeated future  Light Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in their title matchup at UFC 22. Ortiz was the hungry young contender who had just blown through Jerry Bohlander and Guy Mezger and was gunning for Shamrock and his belt. Tito had a big size advantage as he cut down to the weight limit while Shamrock walked around 5-10lbs below it. The fight started off with them briefly striking before Ortiz took Shamrock down. Comfortable off his back, Shamrock was the one who opened up and began trading with Tito from his back while making Tito work to hold him down. Tito was happy to engage from on top and was throwing heavy shots and Frank was just as happy as his plan was to wear Ortiz out. Shamrock would escape back to his feet only too happy to let Tito take him back down and expend some more energy. By the 4th round Ortiz was gassed but continued to score takedowns. Shamrock knew though that Tito was struggling to hold him down and as he escaped from the bottom at the end of the 4th round, he landed an elbow that hurt Tito and followed it up with a barrage of punches that forced Ortiz to tap out to. It would be Shamrock’s last fight in the UFC having gone 5-0 with all five fights being for the title.

5- Randy Couture unanimous decision Pedro Rizzo (UFC 31)
At the time fighters like Mark Coleman were calling it the greatest fight in MMA history and it probably was. The opening rounds of this fight saw both fighters take punishment that would have stopped most men, but they took it and continued and went the full five rounds. Couture was the champion again after returning to the organisation and defeating Kevin Randleman for the belt. Rizzo was on an impressive run following his loss to Randleman for the belt and was coming off a huge knockout over Josh Barnett. Couture opened fast, taking Rizzo down and relentlessly scoring with hard shots from on top. Rizzo was closed to being stopped in the first round as Couture pushed him up against the fence and unleashed with bombs. Rizzo survived and in round two it was his turn to be the aggressor. ‘The Rock’ scored with numerous hard leg kicks that had Couture limping as well as scoring with hard punches to the face. Rizzo punished Couture for the entire five minutes with mainly his damaging leg kicks. After two rounds of action, I had the fight scored 18-18 with Couture winning the first 10-8 and Rizzo the 2nd 10-8. The last three rounds were all heart as both men were exhausted and battered. Couture’s wrestling game him the edge on my card as he was able to get Rizzo down, but Rizzo did more damage to Couture’s legs which made the decision a 50-50 one. The judges cards read the same as mine and Couture retained his belt by unanimous decision.

4- Matt Hughes submission (1st) Frank Trigg (UFC 52)
This is UFC president Dana White’s favourite fight of all-time and it was an incredible turnaround in an incredible fight. Hughes and Trigg hated each other and there had been a lot of trash talk after their first battle at UFC 45. Hughes had since lost his title to BJ Penn before regaining it with a submission win over Georges St Pierre after Penn had left the organisation while Trigg had scored wins over Dennis Hallman and Renato Verissimo by knockout. During the final instructions Trigg bumped heads with Hughes prompting Hughes to shove him and Trigg to blow him a kiss. They clinched up and Trigg scored an unintentional knee to Hughes’ groin. The referee missed the illegal blow and Trigg pounced, nearly knocking Hughes out before mounting him, then taking his back and sinking in the same rear naked choke that Hughes had submitted Trigg with in their first fight. Hughes somehow muscled his way out of the choke, picked Trigg up on his shoulder, ran the entire way across the Octagon and slammed him hard into the mat. From there Hughes rained down punches and elbows that bloodied Trigg up. Hughes continued to punish Trigg from on top before Trigg gave up his back. Hughes again looked for the rear naked choke and after a brief struggle forced Trigg to submit.

3- Chuck Liddell unanimous decision Wanderlei Silva (UFC 79)
While this is my all-time favourite MMA fight, I do believe there are two better fights in the UFC, but this is the one I enjoyed watching the most. It was a battle between long time PRIDE 205lb champion Wanderlei Silva and long time UFC 205lb champion Chuck Liddell but it wasn’t for the belts, it ended up coming at a time when both men were on the back of two fight losing streaks. Accurately described by Joe Rogan as ‘two dogs who have been looking through the cage at each other for a long time’ these two let loose with some of the hardest strikes ever traded inside a cage. Both men circled for much of the opening round letting everyone elses anticipations of the slugfest that was about to be delivered boil over. Then just at the time when people might have thought the fight wasn’t going to live up to expectations, they began exchanging. The shots were wild and they were hard nd they were trading almost evenly, but Liddell was landing the harder blows. Wanderlei continued to stand in the pocket though and Liddell even started walking him down but everytime he landed his home run strike, Wanderlei returned fire and they traded bombs. Liddell won the first round and Wanderlei won the 2nd and the fight was up for grabs in the third round. Liddell surprisingly opened with a takedown but Wanderlei quickly escaped to his feet. Midway through the round (which was full of further exchanges) Liddell rocked Wanderlei with a spinning backfist and looked to finish. With Wanderlei pinned up against the cage, Liddell unleashed a barrage that had dropped men like Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz, but Wanderlei wouldn’t go down. Wanderlei lasted the third round and even landed some good shots later in the round, but the decision was Liddell’s. The only thing that could have made this fight better would be had they fought over five rounds for the UFC and PRIDE belts. It was almost a shame that they had to stop as both of them looked like they would fight like that all night.

2- Roger Huerta submission (3rd) Clay Guida (TUF6 Finale)
This was the crazy super fast lightweight battle. Clay Guida took on UFC poster boy Roger Huerta who was looking for a win to legitimise the hype around him. Guida had the advantage with his wrestling, but Huerta was the better striker and probably had the better submission game. Guida dominated early with his wrestling and was outworking Huerta on the mat in typical Guida fashion. In the 2nd round Guida rocked Huerta with an uppercut after a scramble and looked to be taking over. After losing the first two rounds, Huerta came out with a psychotic look on his face and went straight to work on Guida, rocking him with a knee. Guida shot in, but Huerta stuffed it and continued to punish him. Guida again shot in and Huerta took his back in a scramble, and began looking for the finish that he needed to win this fight. After sinking in the choke, Guida eventually tapped out and gave Huerta the victory. It was a spectacular comeback and finish from Huerta, who will unfortunately probably have his last fight in the UFC against Gray Maynard in September.

1- Forrest Griffin unanimous decision Stephan Bonnar (TUF1 Finale)
Seriously, have you seen a better slugfest before? This fight made the UFC into what it was today with the mainstream appeal it gave the sport. On non PPV TV, these two waged an incredible war that saw them trade repeated blows for a breathtaking 15 minutes. Back then it was hard for MMA fighters to make a proper living off just fighting and both of these guys needed that six figure contract to be able to keep on fighting professionally and they fought like it. Griffin got the better of the first round, landing the cleaner shots and rocking Bonnar once or twice. The fight briefly hit the mat in the first with Griffin using his underrated Jiu Jitsu game to nearly submit Bonnar with an arm bar. In the 2nd round Griffin gassed and Bonnar began landing heavy shots, one of which broke Griffin’s nose. It looked like the fight could be stopped because of a cut on Griffin’s nose, but the doctor allowed the fight to continue and the final round and a half saw both men leave the little they had left plus a lot more in the cage. It was a bar room brawl inside a cage on National TV and the crowd and TV audience were eating it up. Griffin took a razor thin unanimous decision, but the fight was so entertaining that Dana White declared  there was ‘no loser’ and gave Bonnar the same contract Griffin got. Bonnar unfortunately was thrown into several hard fights against the likes of James Irvin, Keith Jardine and Rashad Evans on Fight Night cards while Griffin was built up on a steady diet of fringe contenders before they were ready to gamble with him. It’s funny to think how such a close decision that could have gone either way could have changed the course of the careers of both men. It could have been interesting to see where both men would be now had Bonnar got the decision, just food for thought…..

See Also:

Part 4 (11-20)

Part 3 (21-30)

Part 2 (31-40)

Part 1 (41-50)

UFC 100 Predictions

The big one is finally here, UFC 100 takes place this weekend and I couldn’t be more excited. The main three fights are al pick-em fights and two of those fights are between the best fighters the UFC has in those weight divisions. The main event is the rematch between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar. When these two did battle last year at UFC 81, no one expected them to be fighting a rematch in the main event of UFC 100 for the undisputed UFC Heavyweight title.Both men have had a lot to say about their first fight and the rematch promises to be explosive.
The co main event in my opinion should be the main event. Welterweight Champion Georges St Pierre defends his crown against the undisputed top challenger Thiago Alves. St Pierre has looked unbeatable again since recapturing the title from Serra at UFC 83. Alves too has looked near unbeatable with three huge wins last year over Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes and Karo Parisyan. This is the biggest fight in MMA Welterweight history.
Also on the card is the battle of TUF9 coaches Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson. These two have built a harmless little feud with Henderson wanting to shut Bispings mouth and Bisping wanting to shut Hendersons mouth for saying he wanted to shut Bispings mouth. The winner of this fight will probably earn themselves a shot at Anderson Silva’s Middleweight title. Also we have the UFC debut of Japanese stand-out Yoshiro Akiyama against in form Alan Belcher and Jon Fitch taking on the man who knocked out his team-mate Josh Koscheck in Paul Thiago.
The preliminaries could make up a Fight Night main card themselves. Stephan Bonnar takes on UFC Hall of Famer Mark Coleman. TUF6 winner Mac Danzig looks to snap a two fight losing streak against contender Jim Miller. Light Heavyweight prospect Jon Jones looks to do everyone a favour and eliminate Jake O’Brien from the UFC and TUF7 runner-up CB Dollaway takes on TUF8 veteran Tom Lawlor.

Main Card
Frank Mir vs Brock Lesnar
(UFC Heavyweight Championship)
Prediction- Lesnar by 2nd round knockout
This fight really is 50-50, but I figured I’d have to pick Lesnar at some stage so I thought I’d start now. Who knows, maybe he’s just my Zab Judah in MMA in that every fight he has, whoever I pick, loses (which is the deciding factor in this pick as I want Lesnar to lose). I think Mir’s ‘improved striking’ is a myth that was created by how good he looked against the shot/staph riddled Nogueira that he fought at UFC 92 and I don’t think he’s sorted his cardio out. If Lesnar gets past the first round, especially with the damage Lesnar will be doing, I think Mir will gas and Lesnar will pound him out. On the other hand, if Mir gets Lesnar in his guard, has Lesnar’s less then two years of jiu jitsu training prepared him for the level of game Mir has? If Mir gets on top at all this fight he’ll end it. I think Lesnar just has to ride out Mir’s conditioning and then his physical abilities will win him the fight.

Thiago Alves vs Georges St Pierre
Prediction- St Pierre by 4th round stoppage
This is another 50-50 fight, but I think GSP will be able to get Alves on his back and work him over. The big factor in this fight could be how the weight cut will affect Alves in rounds three and four and five. Alves striking is unreal; he’s by far the best striker at the top of the Welterweight division. GSP’s chin will make things interesting, but I think his striking is good enough to be able to hang with Alves and avoid the big shots. Alves’ effectiveness from his back and ability to get back up will be a big key because you know GSP is going to get him down at some stage. I’ll be surprised if there’s a submission in this fight unless GSP gets Alves’ back after he gasses, but I think there’s more of a chance of a finish then a decision here. Alves should do well early and I wouldn’t be that surprised if he KO’d GSP in the first two rounds, but I think as the fight wears on GSP’s takedowns will become more frequent and his top game will take it’s toll on Alves and he’ll stop him late.

Michael Bisping vs Dan Henderson
Prediction- Henderson on points
Basically I think Henderson is the better striker and the better wrestler. Bisping doesn’t have the power or the submission game to finish Henderson, but he might have the conditioning to outwork him. I think Henderson can win this fight by knockout, but I think he’ll outwrestle Bisping and score repeated takedowns during this fight. I don’t think Bisping is dangerous enough to win this fight. His striking is good, but it seems to only excel against average strikers or average wrestlers and his submissions are good but they’re not on the level of a Nogueira which is needed to catch Henderson. It’ll be vintage ‘Decision Dan’ in that he’ll use his greco takedowns and do minimal damage from on top for the full three rounds and frustrate the shit out of Bisping in winning a unanimous decision.

Yoshiro Akiyama vs Alan Belcher
Prediction- Belcher by 1st round knockout
I think Akiyama will be forced to stand with Belcher and while his stand-up is good, it’s not on Belchers level. Akiyama has several knockout wins, but mostly against grapplers. Belcher seems to be getting better and better and I think he’s going to open a few peoples eyes in this fight and score a big knockout win.

Jon Fitch vs Paulo Thiago
Prediction- Fitch on points
Fitch’s wrestling will be the answer in this fight. Thiago will need to get the fight to the ground and he won’t be able to outwrestle Fitch. Even though he KO’d Koscheck, Thiago’s hands aren’t that good and Fitch will outstrike him without doing any real signficant damage.

Preliminaries
Stephan Bonnar vs Mark Coleman
Prediction- Bonnar on points
I’ve no doubt that Bonnar will be too good for Coleman, but I can’t see how he’ll finish him. Coleman will probably prove a frustrating opponent with his takedowns, but Bonnar’s bottom game is dangerous and I’m sure he’s trained escapes and takedown defence so he’ll likely keep it standing. I’m not sold on Bonnar’s punching power though and I think Coleman will last the distance as long as he gasses after three minutes instead of thirty seconds.

Mac Danzig vs Jim Miller
Prediction- Miller on points
Danzig keeps getting thrown to the wolves and I think this will mark three losses in a row for him. Miller is an exceptional grappler and Danzig doesn’t have the wrestling to keep this standing where he wants it or the stand-up game to really punish Miller. Bad style matchup for Mac and hopefully they give him someone a touch easier next time.

Jon Jones vs Jake O’Brien
Prediction- Jones by 1st round knockout
As Jones has stated ‘O’brien has been shooting that same double leg takedown for years’ and I don’t think it helps him one bit in this fight. Jones is always improving and will be too athletic, well rounded and intelligent to get sucked into O’Briens game. Jones by spectacular first round knockout.

Dong Hyun Kim vs TJ Grant
Prediction- Kim on points

CB Dollaway vs Tom Lawlor
Prediction- Dollaway by 2nd round knockout

Matt Grice vs Shannpn Gurgerty
Prediction- Grice on points

Fifty Greatest Fights in UFC History Part 4/5

20- Sam Stout split decision Spencer Fisher (UFC 58)
This fight saw the explosive return of the lightweight division in the UFC after a two year absence. Fisher took the fight on short notice, filling in for the injured Kenny Florian, but no one would have known from the effort he put in. The fight was a back and forth battle between two heavy hitters, but it was Stout’s crisper striking that saw him take a razor thin split decision. The two would headline a UFC Fight Night in 2007 with Fisher winning in another war.

19- Bas Rutten KO (14:43) Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (UFC 18)
The long awaited Octagon debut of ‘El Guapo’ Bas Rutten nearly didn’t go as planned as Tsuyoshi Kohsaka repeatedly took Bas down in the early goings of their fight. The feared kickboxer, who was hyped as having been able to knock opponents in Pancrase out with palm strikes (closed fist strikes were illegal in Pancrase) showed a hole in his game with his inability to stop the takedown. Bas played his guard well and took any punishment that was dealt out to him. After the 12 minute regular period, Kohsaka was ahead on points and it appeared that Rutten had three minutes to finish ‘TK’ in order for his Octagon debut to be a successful one. Rutten punished Kohsaka in the final three minutes, kicking his legs and body as well as landing heavy right hands before finishing TK with a barrage against the cage.

18- Jens Pulver majority decision BJ Penn (UFC 35)
The fight that really put the Lightweight division on the map. The first fight between rivals BJ Penn and Jens Pulver was a war. Penn was the new phenom having dominated Din Thomas and Caol Uno already in the UFC and few gave reigning champion Pulver a chance. It was all Penn in the opening two rounds as he took Pulver down and took him to school on the ground. At the end of the second round, Penn secured an armbar but Pulver was literally saved by the buzzer. After that it was all Pulver as he stuffed Penn’s takedowns and battered him standing up. The fight went the full five rounds, but Pulver retained his title. It would take Penn another six years to capture the Lightweight title (in the meantime he moved up and choked out Matt Hughes for the welterweight title).

17- Frankie Edgar unanimous decision Tyson Griffin (UFC 67)
Another Lightweight fight makes it into the top 20 and this one pitted two young prospects with excellent wrestling against one another. Edgar had the better wrestling, but Griffin had the more complete game. The cardio and pace each could set was dead even and it was at an electrifying level. Edgar controlled much of the fight with his superior wrestling, but Griffin was able to light him up when he could keep it on his feet and used some excellent escapes which created some of the best ground transitions ever seen in the UFC. Griffin sunk in a deep knee bar at the end of the 3rd round which he held for a good 30 seconds as Edgar gutted it out and took a close decision due to time spent on top.

16- Shonie Carter knockout (3rd) Matt Serra (UFC 31)
The spinning backfist fight and a night that Jiu Jitsu expert and future UFC Welterweight champion Matt Serra will never forget. After dominating Carter on the ground for the majority of the fight, Carter caught Serra with a spinning backfist that knocked him out in the final seconds of the fight. Serra had gone from submission attempt to submission attempt to submission attempt for the full three rounds and was clearly ahead on points at the time of the stoppage, but Carters experience, submission defence and unorthodox style saw him over the line with one of the most memorable finishes in UFC history.

15- Royce Gracie submission (0:57) Ken Shamrock (UFC 1)
The first high paced grappling match in the UFC. The first time two future UFC Hall of Famers fought each other in the UFC. Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock were head and shoulders ahead of everyone in the first UFC tournament, but drew one another in the semi finals after winning their opening two matches quickly earlier in the night. Gracie immediately shot in and a scramble ensued and went on for nearly a minute before Gracie sunk in a sleeve choke after taking Shamrocks back and forced a tap-out. These two would dominate the early parts of UFC history with Royce winning UFC 1, 2 and 4 and Ken becoming the first UFC Heavyweight champion after winning the vacant title against Dan Severn at UFC 6. Gracie and Shamrock fought again, going to a draw in a dull 35 minute fight at UFC 5 which was fought entirely in Gracie’s guard.

14- Matt Lindland majority decision Phil Baroni (UFC 34)
The other fight between these two  was even better then the UFC 41 rematch. This one was fought on the preliminaries of UFC 34 and was an all-out war that was fought at a higher tempo and was alco closer then their rematch. In this fight Lindland again repeatedly took Baroni to the mat and was able to improve his position and do damage, but his stand-up back then was awful and Baroni rocked and dropped him whenever they stood up only for Lindland to get a clinch and then a takedown. After splitting the first two rounds, Lindland was having his way with Baroni again in the final round until a foul cost him a point and the fighters were stood back up. Baroni then looked like he had stolen the fight by nearly knocking Lindland out in the final seconds, but the judges saw differently with two of them scoring every round to Lindland and the other judge scoring it a draw (2-1 Lindland before the point deduction).

13- Forrest Griffin unanimous decision Rampage Jackson (UFC 86)
The controversial decision in MMA history. This fight is like the Sugar Ray Leonard vs Marvin Hagler Middleweight title fight for MMA. The Ultimate Fighter 7 coaches fought out a five round war for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and the decision still gets argued about to this day. Griffin pushed the pace in round one only for Rampage to drop him and come close to finishing him at the end of the round. Griffin dominated round two, hurting Rampage with a leg kick and then getting on top and mounting him. Round three was very close as again Forrest worked at an enormous pace, but Rampage scored with the heavier blows. Round four saw Rampage get a takedown and land some shots from on top, only for Forrest to come close with a triangle before the champion slammed his way out of it. The final round was again very close as Forrest continued to push the pace and Rampage picked the cleaner shots. I personally scored the fight a draw (10-9, 8-10, 10-9, 10-9, 9-10) but all three judges scored it for Griffin who became the first Ultimate Fighter Winner (excluding Matt Serra) to win a world championship.

12- Matt Hughes knockout (3rd) BJ Penn (UFC 63)
After being choked out in less then a round in their UFC 45 meeting, Hughes had revenge on his mind. The only trouble was BJ Penn is an absolute freak and even though he was filling in for an injured Georges St Pierre on five weeks notice, he came prepared to take his title back. Penn outboxed Hughes in the first round while showing cat like balance to avoid being taken down. In the 2nd round Hughes finally got Penn on his back, only to be caught in a triangle choke and an armbar that he barely made it out of. Penn seemingly blew his gas tank trying to finish Hughes in the 2nd round and Hughes began to land heavily standing up in the 3rd. Hughes took the weakened Penn to the ground and held him in a crucifix while landing clean shots on Penns head which forced the referee to stop the fight. It was an incredible comeback from Hughes and is probably his career defining victory. I would still like to see this rivalry become a trilogy and I’m sure there’s plenty of others who’d like to see these two fight again.

11- Diego Sanchez split decision Clay Guida (TUF9 Finale)
The last fight to take place in the Octagon makes it nearly into the top ten. After a staredown that almost put the Rampage-Wanderlei fights to shame (almost), both men exploded as the opening round started exchanging wild blows. Sanchez began scoring with heavy combinations before Guida took him to the mat. Sanchez escaped and dropped Guida moments later with a head kick that looked to have finished the fight. Guida showed the heart and determination that has made him a fan favourite and saw out the round. Rounds two and three saw Guida completing takedowns, but spending all his time defending submissions or trying to keep Diego on his back. The fight went the full three rounds at a pace that the Lightweights seemed to produce time and again and Sanchez’s work from the bottom gave him the split decision.

See Also:

Part 3 (30-21)

Part 2 (40-31)

Part 1 (50-41)

Fifty Greatest Fights in UFC History Part 3/5

30- Marco Ruas knockout (13:17) Paul Varelans (UFC 7)
Marco Ruas introduced the world of UFC to leg kicks in this epic final of UFC 7. Outweighed by over 150lbs, Ruas was up against it in the final of this tournament. Having fought over 15 minutes already in the tournament, his opponent ‘The Polar Bear’ had fought just over two. Ruas immediately went to work chopping the big man down with leg strikes and showing his superior technique in the clinch by stifling Varelan’s attempts to use his strength in any way. Ruas also implored a never before seen tactic of foot stomps during a clinch up against the cage, but it was his leg kicks that eventually wore the bigger man down after over 13 minutes of fighting. Ruas was arguably the first fighter in the UFC to show excellent stand-up as well as great submission skills.

29- Marcus Davis submission (1st) Paul Taylor (UFC 75)
This fight was short, but sweet. Marcus Davis made the mistake of standing with Paul Taylor who was a reknowned kickboxer and it didn’t take long for him to pay for it. Taylor put Davis down with a vicious head kick that looked to have ended the fight. Taylor pounced on Davis and landed several shots before Davis recovered and took top position. On the ground there was no question who was the superior fighter as Davis moved quickly to mount, landed some hard shots and secured an armbar that forced Taylor to submit.

28- Matt Lindland unanimous decision Phil Baroni (UFC 41)
This was one of those grudge matches that lived up to expectations. This was a rematch of a controversial decision at UFC 34 in what was another war and they picked up right where they left off. Lindland controlled the fight with his superior wrestling, but Baroni’s punching power kept him very much in the fight. The fast pace continued until Baroni slowed down in the 2nd round allowing Lindland to establish top position and dominate with his wrestling. Baroni caught his 2nd wind and finished strong in the 3rd landing several hard combinations but it was too little too late as Lindland took a unanimous decision.

27- Dave Menne unanimous decision Gil Castillo (UFC 33)
The epic first UFC 185lb title fight lasted the full five rounds and was probably the best five round display of MMA at that time in UFC history. Both men showed a well rounded game as they traded strikes, had some excellent scrambles as well as attempted submissions from the top and bottom. Menne’s ability to stuff the takedown and get back to his feet the times he was taken down proved to be the difference in what was a close fight as he was able to establish the better positions and earn a close, but unanimous decision.

26- Kimo Leopoldo knockout (9:08) Paul Varelans (Ultimate Ultimate 1996)
The first victory for Kimo in the Octagon after coming up short in battles with UFC legends Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie came in the Ultimate Ultimate 1996 champions tournament over Paul Varelans. Kimo would show in this fight he wasn’t the wild brawler that gave Royce Gracie his toughest fight to date, but a tactician who was very capable off his back. After shooting in early, Kimo ended up on his back taking punishment on punishment while trying to work his newly improved ground skills. Kimo worked his guard and wore the bigger man out, but it took nealy nine minutes for this to happen. Kimo finally swept the 400lb giant and rained down with strikes until Varelans’ corner stopped the fight. Kimo was unable to continue in the tournament due to the damage he received in this fight.

25- Scott Smith knockout (2nd) Pete Sell (TUF4 Finale)
This fight was just strange. Both men, Team Mojo teammates on TUF4, were good friends who cheered each other on during the fight while they beat the shit out of each other. They traded heavy punches for the entire first five minutes, then hugged and complimented each other at the bell. The ending was just as wild as the fight. Midway through the 2nd round, which was shaping up to be exactly the same as the first, Sell hurt Smith with a left hook to the body that looked like it could end the fight. As he moved in for the finish, Smith landed a flush right hand on the chin that put Sell out and then Smith collapsed in agony from the body shot. It was an ending reminiscent of the Jack Johnson-Stanley Ketchel Heavyweight title fight of the early 20th century.

24- Jon Koppenhaver knockout (3rd) Jared Rollins (TUF6 Finale)
The UFC careers of both men were short lived, but their fight was one to remember. Both fighters let it all hang out in the opening round and did a lot of damage while exerting a lot of energy. They swapped takedowns and took turns wailing away from each others guard for the entire first round. The 2nd round was fought on heart and again they hammered each other from on top. Towards the end of the 2nd, Rollins appeared close to stopping a tiring Koppenhaver, but he was saved by the bell. Rollins, also visibly tired, got on top in the 3rd and looked for the finish when out of no where Koppenhaver swept him to mount and finished the fight from on top.

23- Don Frye submission (1:22) Tank Abbott (Ultimate Ultimate 1996)
Short but sweet. Tank Abbott beat Don Frye in the final of the Ultimate Ultimate 1996 from one side of the Octagon to the other. Tank dropped Frye immediately with a short left and was proving too strong for the UFC 8 champion as he continued to land with hard shots which bloodied ‘The Predator.’ About one minute in, Tank slipped and that was the only opening Frye needed. Frye took his back and sunk in a rear naked choke that forced Abbott to tap out. After the fight it appeared that Frye was the beaten man as Tank stormed out of the Octagon while Frye was attended to by ringside physicians.

22- Royce Gracie submission (4:40) Kimo Leopoldo (UFC 3)
After dominating everyone on a 7-0 run during UFC 1 and UFC 2, no one was expecting Royce Gracie to have much trouble with the unheralded Kimo. After walking to the Octagon with a crucifix on his back in a black cloak, Kimo surprised everyone with a gutsy performance that left Gracie unable to further compete in the tournament. Royce immediately shot in only for Kimo to use his gi against him and keep the fight standing where he was able to land several short punches. After struggling for a bit over a minute, Gracie finally got Kimo on his back and moved to mount. Kimo surprisingly knew how to escape and rolled Gracie to guard. Gracie used Kimo’s hair to control his posture and tried to set up a submission. Kimo’s strength made Gracie work like he’d never worked before and it took nearly five minutes for him to sink in a fight ending armbar.

21- Rich Franklin unanimous decision Wanderlei Silva (UFC 99)
Fought at a catchweight of 195lbs, the battle between former UFC Middleweight (185lbs) champion Rich Franklin and former PRIDE Middleweight (205lbs) champion Wanderlei Silva did not disappoint. After Franklin controlled the early goings with his movement, Wanderlei caught a kick and took him down and landed a few hard punches from on top. Franklin scrambled to his feet and ended up on top when Wanderlei went for a guillotine choke. Round two was more of Franklin sticking and moving and controlling the action until Wanderlei rocked him with a series of right hands. Franklin gutted it out, but was clearly hurt and after two rounds the fight seemed to be anyones. Franklin again controlled the early part of round three, but was eating punches in return. Wanderlei waved the crowd on during the last minute before rocking Franklin briefly then conceding a takedown. He stood up and during the final seconds exchanged elbows and punches with Franklin with his back to him as the crowd cheered. Franklin took the unanimous decision 29-28 on all three cards.

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Part 2 (31-40)

Part 1 (41-50)

Fifty Greatest Fights in UFC History Part 2/5

40- Thiago Alves stoppage (2nd) Chris Lytle (UFC 78)
This fight had the potential to be higher had the doctor not come up with a bullshit stoppage. Alves and Lytle engaged in a stand-up war that saw a trade of knockdowns in the opening round with Lytle going down first before he knocked Alves down later in the round and began dominating with his hands. In the 2nd round Alves landed numerous heavy low kicks that were starting to slow Lytle, but “Lights Out” was still landing his punches and after a close 2nd round that could have gone either way may have just needed to survive. However, the doctor stopped the fight between rounds due to a cut over Lytle’s eye that put a damper on what was the only good fight of the ’Validation’ card.

39- Randy Couture knockout (8:17) Vitor Belfort (UFC 15)
The fight that made Randy Couture famous in the UFC. Taking on the seeminly invincible Vitor Belfort, Couture showed the tactical ability, heart and determination that would take him to three Heavyweight championships and two Light Heavyweight championships in years to come. After taking Belfort down early, Couture began to rough Vitor up with his now famous dirty boxing and land heavy shots from the single collar tie. After several minutes of fast paced action, Belfort slowed allowing Couture to pin him against the fence and finish him with strikes on the ground.

38- Matt Hughes knockout (2nd) Carlos Newton (UFC 34)
One of the most controversial endings in UFC history. Did Hughes slam Newton intentionally or did he fall because Newton choked him unconscious? For those of you who haven’t seen it, in the 2nd round Newton secured a triangle choke and Hughes’ defence was to stand. At some point Hughes, whether intentionally or not, slammed Newton on his head and knocked him out. The controversy came when Hughes was unaware of how the fight ended, making people wonder whether or not he consciously slammed Newton. Up until the ending the fight was great, with Hughes power against Newtons ground skills in what was a back and forth fight.

37- Kendall Grove unanimous decision Ed Herman (TUF 3 Finale)
One of the many great finishes to a season of TUF. The season three Middleweight final between Team Ortiz fighter Kendall Grove and Team Shamrock fighter Ed Herman was a war. Herman dominated the first from on top, landing hard shots to Grove who was game in looking for submissions. Herman again got on top in the 2nd, but spent much of the round fighting a deep, deep triangle attempt from the lanky 6’6 Hawaiian. He finally escaped, but was now on the bottom and at the end of the 2nd round it was all up for grabs. Herman scored a takedown to start the 3rd and despite being exhausted, took Groves back and began pounding away. Grove scrambled on top after an armbar attempt and took Hermans back sinking in a deep rear naked choke in the final seconds. The bell sounded with Herman nearly out and the choke was enough to swing the fight in Groves favour. Dana White awarded both men a six figure contract and I’ve been waiting to see a rematch of this fight ever since.

36- Josh Barnett knockout (2nd) Randy Couture (UFC 36)
Barnett ended Couture’s 7-0 run in the UFC with a shocking comeback win in the 2nd round of their Heavyweight title clash. After dishing out punishment upon punishment in the opening round that was surely a 10-8 for Couture, he again took ‘The Baby faced Assassin’ down and began to punish him in the 2nd round. Barnett though showed his toughness and managed to get on top and at this stage Couture was exhausted. Barnett proceeded to finish the job and become UFC heavyweight champion. The fight was controversial in that Barnett then tested positive for steroids and was stripped of the title.

35- Tim Sylvia knockout (1st) Andrei Arlovski (UFC 59)
As with the previous fight, this was another dramatic and sudden turnaround, but even more so. Arlovski appeared to be having his way with Sylvia after dropping him with a right hand, much like he did in their first fight at UFC 51 where he dropped him and then submitted him with an ankle lock. Sylvia this time rose quickly and although he was on shaky legs the fight was far from out of him. Arlovski rushed in to finish him only to eat a well timed uppercut that dropped him and Sylvia finished him off with solid ground and pound. The ending was truly breathtaking and probably as close a finish to the Corrales-Castillo fight you’re likely to see in MMA.

34- Roger Huerta unanimous decision Leonard Garcia (UFC 69)
Yeah it was a little one sided but Garcia was game as hell and made it exciting all the way. Huerta manhandled the smaller man for much of the fight, but Garcia repeatedly fought back and made for a very entertaining fight. it’s one of those fights that truly shows off the Lightweight divisions exciting battles as they kept up a pace that would drown a welterweight for the entire three rounds. The fight would have been higher had Huerta not dominated so much.

33- Randy Couture knockout (3rd) Pedro Rizzo (UFC 34)
After the razor thin decision went Coutures way in their first fight, both guys were out to make it clear cut in the rematch. Couture’s improved stand-up in the rematch was the difference and he stood up with Rizzo, landing leg kicks to the leg kick master. The two mostly kick boxed for the first two rounds and Couture appeared to get the better of it. In the third round sensing that Rizzo was tired, Couture took it to the mat and finished it quickly with a barrage of strikes.

32- Georges St Pierre split decision BJ Penn (UFC 58)
The first fight between these two pound for pound combatants wasn’t as controversial as the 2nd (well if you ask me it was because the rematch wasn’t controversial at all) but it was a better fight. Penn, the undefeated UFC Welterweight champion who left the organisation was making his comeback to the UFC and was pitted against the fast rising St Pierre who’s only loss was against Matt Hughes for the title. Penn lit GSP up in the opening round with his hands, landing repeatedly with sharp punches that cut GSP up and made his face look like a crimson mask. GSP showed his championship heart and came back, using his superior strength and conditioning to outwork Penn in a hard fought round two before dominating him on top in the 3rd round to take a split decision.

31- Evan Tanner knockout (1st) Phil Baroni (UFC 45)
This fight is again among the more controversial endings in UFC history. Well actually, Larry Landless just royally fucked up as a referee in this fight, but credit must go to Tanner for coming back from such adversity. Baroni rocked Tanner big time in the opening seconds, dropping him and landing a barrage of hard right hands that bloodied and dazed Tanner. Landless called time off and checked the cut on Tanner, and he had roughly a minute’s respite from the onslaught. When they resumed, Tanner got the clinch and landed repeated knees to Baroni’s body and Baroni was now the one who seemed to be fading. Tanner got a takedown, moved to mount and began to unleash repeated elbows to Baroni’s face. Baroni was sort of defending himself and with a minute remaining in the round it was hard to see how he would have survived, but Landless thought Baroni verbally submitted and stopped the fight. Baroni threw several strikes at Landless as a result and had to be restrained. The two had a rematch at UFC 48 with Tanner winning clearly on points.

See also:

Part 1 (41-50)

UFC Hall of Fame to increase by two at UFC 100

As part of the celebration of UFC 100, two more fighters will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the lead-up week of the historic card. The two men joining Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture and Mark Coleman has started some debate among MMA fans. The two leading candidates in my opinion are:

Chuck Liddell
Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell was the poster boy for the UFC during the time the sport became mainstream. His trilogy with Randy Couture is the legendary trilogy in MMA history and his grudge fights with Tito Ortiz (well more so the lead up to those fights) gave the sport the exposure it needed at the time. Liddell won the championship with a 1st round knockout over Randy Couture before defending the belt four times against Couture, Ortiz, Renato Sobral and Jeremy Horn. Since losing the belt to Rampage Jackson at UFC 71, Liddell has lost three of his last four bouts with his only win coming in an exciting slugfest with Wanderlei Silva. Whether or not he makes the Hall of Fame now, he’ll definately make it at some stage. Liddell’s induction could rely on him announcing his retirement from the sport, although every member of the hall of fame has had a fight in the UFC following their induction (apart from Dan Severn) so who knows?

Matt Hughes
The longest reigning champion in UFC history, Matt Hughes had two monster runs as UFC Welterweight Champion. Originally avenging the loss of his trainer Pat Miletich with a controversial knockout of Carlos Newton at UFC 34, Hughes defended the belt five times against Newton, Hayato Sakurai, Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg and Gil Castillo before losing his title to BJ Penn at UFC 45. Hughes won the belt back at UFC 50 with a 1st round submission over Georges St Pierre starting another domination of the division. This time defences against Frank Trigg, Joe Riggs (who didn’t make weight thus robbing Hughes of an official defence) and BJ Penn as well as a victory in a catchweight bout with Royce Gracie came before he dropped his title to Georges St Pierre. I think Hughes induction could be based on the result of his fight with Matt Serra, or more whether or not that is his last fight.

There are a few other possibilities, although I really think it’ll be the two mentioned above. I’d like to see John McCarthy in the hall of fame as he has been a huge part of the UFC until he retired from referreeing (although he came back this year). Evan Tanner could be inducted as could Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis as they have a huge sympathy vote with their tragic deaths in the last 12 months. An old school fighter like Don Frye could also end up taking up a spot although I think it’s doubtful. I really will be very surprised if it’s anyone but Liddell and Hughes.