In the last 20 years, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has changed the way people view combat sports.
To date, there have been 2,498 fights in UFC history. The first one was between Gerard Gordeau and Teila Tuli in Colorado in 1993, while the most recent one was when Vitor Belfort knocked out fellow MMA legend Dan Henderson in Brazil.
There have been dozens of fights in the UFC that set the sports world abuzz — some thrilling and bloody, others technical with a lot on the line. As the sport continues to grow fans can expect to see more and more exciting action in the Octagon.
So, in honour of the UFC’s 20th anniversary, here are sportsnet.ca’s 20 greatest UFC fights of all-time.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin, TUF 1 Finale
It’s a fight that changed the UFC and MMA forever. The technique and lack of defence would make striking and grappling coaches cringe, but the display of heart and determination is why people love this fight. Griffin and Bonnar brawled for three full rounds in one of the most fan-friendly fights of all-time. Both went on to have successful UFC careers, Griffin was even champ for a brief time, and they were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame together in July because of this fight.
No one would care about the UFC’s 20th anniversary if it weren’t for this fight.
Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, UFC 139
The UFC 139 main event was an instant classic between two legends. The amount of damage each man inflicted on the other is staggering. Although both fighters were rocked at different points in the first three rounds, Henderson got the better of Rua and busted up the Brazilian’s face. In the final two rounds, Rua stormed back. Many felt the fight should have been a draw, but Hendo edged out Shogun for a decision win.
Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva, UFC 79
This was perhaps the most highly anticipated fight in MMA history as longtime UFC champion Liddell faced longtime PRIDE champion Silva in a bout fans had been fantasizing about for years. It didn’t disappoint. The first couple minutes were slow as they felt each other out, but then they let loose. Liddell and Silva gave the fans what they craved and traded power shots for the majority of the 15-minute tilt that Liddell won.
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen, UFC 117
This was the first fight where someone broke Silva’s shroud of invincibility for more than one round. It was the birth of the best rivalry the UFC has ever seen. The trash-talking Sonnen dominated Silva for four and a half rounds, but Silva locked in a triangle choke that forced Sonnen to tap, despite the fact he was less than two minutes away from becoming the new champion.
Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, UFC 165
On his way to the Octagon at UFC 165 in Toronto prior to his main event bout against Gustafsson, Jones wore a t-shirt with the words “Not Quite Human” in big, bold letters across his chest. Ironically, this bout was the first time in his UFC career that an opponent made him look human in the cage. Not many people gave Gustafsson a chance but at the end of the night many thought Gustafsson had won. The two tall 205-pounders went toe-to-toe for five rounds in arguably the best title fight in UFC history.
Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard, UFC 125 & UFC 136
Not many people were looking forward to the UFC 125 main event as most thought it would be a dull, wrestling-heavy bout like their first meeting three years prior. But it turned out to be one of the best and most highly debated fights in UFC history. Maynard dominated Edgar early, but somehow couldn’t finish. Edgar worked his way back into the fight and the end result was a classic yet controversial split draw.
Then, in the trilogy match, the two did it again. Maynard nearly finished Edgar in the first again, but the gritty New Jersey native stormed back to pick up an emphatic knockout in the fourth round.
Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick, UFC 129
In front of over 55,724 boisterous fans at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Hominick gave Aldo the toughest test of his UFC career to date. After losing the first four rounds handily, and developing an enormous hematoma on his forehead, the underdog dominated Aldo in the fifth round. The Canadian would lose a unanimous decision, but endeared himself to MMA fans across the world.
Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg 2, UFC 52
Hughes and Trigg had one of the most intense rivalries in the sport at the time and Hughes wanted to prove his UFC 45 win over Trigg was no fluke. A minute into their rematch, Trigg landed a low blow but it was missed by the referee and Trigg looked to capitalize. Hughes went into survival mode, narrowly avoided being knocked out, fought off a rear-naked choke attempt before picking Trigg up, carrying him across the cage and infamously slammed him down, eventually locking in a rear-naked choke of his own and finishing the just like he did in their first meeting.
Diego Sanchez vs. Gilbert Melendez, UFC 166
“That’s the greatest fight I’ve ever seen in my life,” UFC commentator Joe Rogan yelled after the final horn sounded.
Sanchez took worlds of punishment throughout the bout, but got more intense and aggressive the longer the fight went on and in the third round dropped the ultra-durable Melendez with an uppercut that lifted fans at the Toyota Center in Houston out of their seats. What the bout lacked in technical fluidity it more than made up for in sheer entertainment as Melendez won a unanimous decision. It was by far the best fight on what Dana White says is the best card in UFC history to date.
Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry, UFC Live 4
No one expected this fight to last long since Kongo and Barry were two of the most dynamic and dangerous heavyweight strikers. After Barry dropped Kongo several times early in the first round it appeared as though Barry would walk away with another impressive stoppage win. Out of nowhere, a wobbly Kongo put Barry to sleep with an uppercut in one of the best comebacks in UFC history.
Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida, TUF 9 Finale
Known as two of the most intense and exciting fighters ever to grace the Octagon, fans had this matchup circled on their calendars for months leading up to fight night. The two engaged for 15 of the wildest, bloodiest minutes in UFC history with Sanchez earning a split decision win and a lightweight title shot in the process.
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, UFC 116
In a battle of two of the biggest, strongest athletes to ever compete in the sport, the MMA world was buzzing about this bout between behemoths. Lesnar was getting smashed in the first round but withstood the beating and recovered in time for the second round. He ended up submitting a fatigued Carwin to retain and unify the UFC heavyweight title in what was the superstar’s last win in his MMA career. Both men are now retired but their meeting lives on.
Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia, UFC 68
In terms of action in the cage, this bout isn’t exciting after about the first two minutes of the first round. But it was greatly significant for the heavyweight division. Couture was 43 years old at the time, hadn’t fought in a year and had been competing at light-heavyweight. Yet the Hall of Famer took on the younger, physically intimidating Sylvia and the end result was remarkable. In front of the biggest crowd for an MMA event in North America at the time, Couture landed a huge right hand that dropped the giant and fans in attendance went into a frenzy. Couture then dominated Sylvia for the full 25 minutes.
Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture, UFC 57
This bout was MMA’s first huge trilogy bout and it received mainstream publicity – and in 2006 that was saying something. They had split their first two meetings and Liddell would wind up defending his title and knocking Couture out, just like he did to take the belt from Couture the year before.
Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta, TUF 6 Finale
When these two lightweights met in 2007 they were among the most exciting fighters to watch in all of MMA. Both guys went for it and while Guida controlled much of the bout with his wrestling, Roger Huerta was able to rocked Guida with a sneaky punch in the third round and lock in a rear-naked choke that forced the tap.
Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar, UFC 144
In front of an eerily quiet crowd in Japan, Henderson and Edgar went back and forth for five rounds with Henderson walking away with the lightweight title. There were excellent striking exchanges, scrambles and the pace the two men set was impressive.
Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier, UFC on FUEL TV 3
Neither featherweight is ever in a dull fight, so when the two were paired up expectations were high. The bout exceeded those expectations though and it served as a coming out party for “The Korean Zombie” who dominated the majority of the fight before finishing Poirier with Poirier’s signature d’arce choke.
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Dan Henderson, UFC 75
This is one of the most underrate title fights in UFC history and was significant on several fronts. It was the first title unification bout after the UFC’s parent company, Zuffa, purchased PRIDE and it took place on free TV, which was a big deal at the time. Jackson edged out a hard-fought decision in a fight filled with some great wrestling exchanges.
Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann, UFC Fight Night 18
This was mixed martial arts personified. Both men went back and forth for 15 minutes in 2009 with Kampmann winning a razor-thin split decision. It’s the type of fight that is underappreciated yet represents everything exciting about the sport as it was full of great striking, wrestling, submission attempts, sweeps, momentum shifts.
Royce Gracie vs. Kimo Leopoldo, UFC 3
This was one of the great early bouts in the UFC. It was bare knuckle, there was hair pulling, the two men nearly fell out of the cage when the door came ajar at one point, and it ended with a Gracie submission. It was crazy.
