My top five MMA fights of all time?
What, are you kidding? Every fight has a flavor to recommend, a unique series of real-time twists and turns. One of the things I truly love about MMA is the near lack of pre-fight hype – it’s straight to business – and the business is engrossing in the extreme.
Having said that, I have to do this thing or my editor, the ancient Mr. Pikey, will pull my expense budget and that means no more three-Jack-and-Coke lunches, so here it goes:
I figure you have to set up some parameters here. What makes a fight great?
First, it has to be action packed and competitive – but then, most MMA fights meet that criterion.
Second, it has to have had mass appeal. Vegas, baby! A venue that gives the bout some cachet is critical.
It has to have some real stakes on the line. As cool as a toughman contest can be, they don’t rise to the level of skill the big players/promoters attrack. We’re talking UFC, WEC and Pride here, and outside of them, I just don’t see ranking them. Wathching them is another story, but without that kind of organization and cream-skimming of talent, you got nada.
Now for the list:
1. Yoshiro Maeda Vs. Miguel Angel Torres
WEC
6/1/2008
Though this wasn’t even the solo feature bout, Miguel Angel Torres made his first defense of his WEC bantamweight (135 pound) title an outrageous thrill ride. This was a fight for the ages over three spectacular rounds.
It ended in a stoppage in the third round when Maeda’s eye swelled to the size of a Mandarin orange, but this bout had it all. A complete combination of all the fighting arts, drama that shifted in a split second from each fighter to the other, and a moment that will live on past the retirement of both men.
Maeda fought with a strong stand-up attack through the first two rounds. At that point, Maeda was 22-5-2 and looking to end the contest early mixing roundhoused kicks and punches. He clearly won the first round and cut Torres superficially on the bridge of his nose.
Then came the moment which will live in infamy and solidified Torres’ reputation as a fighter of unusual grit and substance. It was one of those moments that sends a message to the world.
Both fighters hit the ground after a series of toe-to-toe, right and left hand bombs.
Then Maeda maneuvered Torres into a toehold submission that would have put any other fighter into serious jeopardy and possibly ended the fight. But Torres showed his guts and flair by countering with a lightening quick toehold attack of his own. The sequence ended with both combatants breaking off to seek other avenues to victory, the crowd howled approval.
It was electrifying in a way no fight may ever achieve again. A pure gut check by both artists that ended in a grudging regrouping, but Torres won the war with that brilliant counter.
In the third, Torres (34-1 at the time) pulled out his muay thai striking cannons and cut Maeda down in an entirely warrant stoppage.
Explosive. Unparalleled.
2. Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin
The Ultimate Fighter Finale
4/9/2005
This brought the heat to all of MMA and made both fighters stars. This bout could have easily been tied at the top of the list, but you have to make the call somewhere.
Hardly a demonstration of elite skills and technique, this was an all-out brawl from two guys with more stones that anyone has a right to carry.
Griffin got the edge in a split decision, both fighters looked like they’d been worked over by a pack of angry apes, but the demonstration of skill, courage and pure fortitude made MMA the place to be for single combat warriors.
Dana White’s decision to award both fighters the contract was a move of pure marketing genius, and I believe, a heartfelt tribute to two guys who had no give-up in them – none at all. If there had been no limit on the number rounds scheduled, I’m certain these guys would still be at it as you read this.
3. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
UFC
4/16/2005
Short, but unbelieveable in every way.
Early on, Trigg deliver a shot to Hughes’ crotch that made you winch watching it happen.
Hughes took his eye off the ball, as it were, and turned to the ref to lodge a reasonable complaint about having his nuts assaulted – and then all hell broke loose.
Trigg set on Hughes when the ref inexplicably (having failed to see an obvious shot to the gonads) let the bout continue. Trigg found Hughes’ back and put on a vise-like chokehold and begins to pop the eyes from his stunned opponent. For anyone else, it’s lights out and on to the next feature.
But it was Matt Hughes. And Matt Hughes was pissed.
Hughes breaks the choke, lifts Trigg off the ground, and deposits him on his ass pinned to the cage. He then drops his own choke on the now struggling Trigg and forces the tap out.
A turnaround of epic proportions executed in the blink of an eye, and a moment no one who witnessed it will ever forget.
Classic stuff.
4. Royce Gracie v. Matt Hughes
UFC
5/27/2006
Gracie, the figurehead of MMA, once said, “You put the devil on the other side, I’m gonna walk in to fight.”
That’s some cohones on that man.
Gracie, the acknowledged master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the heir-apparent to his father and uncle (Helio and Carlos Gracie), has fought some of the most legendary bouts in MMA history.
Royce Gracie put it on the line time and time again in the UFC, pulling off submission wins over Patrick Smith, Judo Champ Remco Pardoel, and Kimo Leopoldo.
But it was his fight against wrestler Dan Severn that secured his legend and propelled him to near mythic status in MMA circles.
Lasting for 16 minutes at a time when there were no rounds or time limits in UFC fights, Gracie struggled under the 260 pound behemoth Severn.
Gracie finally, through force of will and patient effort,pulled off a triangle choke that closed out the match.
But it was a fight he lost that makes this list.
Gracie put together a training regimin that included lots of Muay Thai work to attempt to counter the stalwart Hughes stand-up edge, but in the first round, Hughes locked Gracie into a kimura and nearly hyperextended his arm, but Gracie wouldn’t tap.
For his part, Hughes said later that he purposely let Gracie free himself from the kimura because he knew that Gracie would rather allow his arm to break than tap out.
Let that sink in.
Matt Hughes gave up a hold due to his opponent’s implacable, intractable, impressive set of brass balls. The man would have let his arm snap like a piece of celery rather than tap out.
Madness. Masochistic genius. Call it what you will, but there are precious few men in the world with that kind of determination.
Hughes went on to win on a TKO after wearing Gracie down with strikes in the first round – and a great career was launched – but there you have it.
5. Dan Henderson v. Wanderlei Silva
Pride
2/24/2007
This was a toe-to-toe war for three rounds with both fighters trading stand-up shots which would have ended many a bout.
Most notable for being the moment in which Henderson became the first ever MMA artist to hold simultaneous titles in two weight classes.
Classic.
Henderson’s spinning back fist which spelled the end of line for Silva was a master work of timing and sheer brutality.
As fights go, everyone has their list, but now that I’ve put mine together and my expense account is once again safe, feel free to disparage my choices to whatever extent you choose.
Motorcycleinsurance.com
The Top Five MMA Fights of All Time
My top five MMA fights of all time?
What, are you kidding? Every fight has a flavor to recommend, a unique series of real-time twists and turns. One of the things I truly love about MMA is the near lack of pre-fight hype – it’s straight to business – and the business is engrossing in the extreme.
Having said that, I have to do this thing or my editor, the ancient Mr. Pikey, will pull my expense budget and that means no more three-Jack-and-Coke lunches, so here it goes:
I figure you have to set up some parameters here. What makes a fight great?
First, it has to be action packed and competitive – but then, most MMA fights meet that criterion.
Second, it has to have had mass appeal. Vegas, baby! A venue that gives the bout some cachet is critical.
It has to have some real stakes on the line. As cool as a toughman contest can be, they don’t rise to the level of skill the big players/promoters attrack. We’re talking UFC, WEC and Pride here, and outside of them, I just don’t see ranking them. Wathching them is another story, but without that kind of organization and cream-skimming of talent, you got nada.
Now for the list:
1. Yoshiro Maeda Vs. Miguel Angel Torres
WEC
6/1/2008
Though this wasn’t even the solo feature bout, Miguel Angel Torres made his first defense of his WEC bantamweight (135 pound) title an outrageous thrill ride. This was a fight for the ages over three spectacular rounds.
It ended in a stoppage in the third round when Maeda’s eye swelled to the size of a Mandarin orange, but this bout had it all. A complete combination of all the fighting arts, drama that shifted in a split second from each fighter to the other, and a moment that will live on past the retirement of both men.
Maeda fought with a strong stand-up attack through the first two rounds. At that point, Maeda was 22-5-2 and looking to end the contest early mixing roundhoused kicks and punches. He clearly won the first round and cut Torres superficially on the bridge of his nose.
Then came the moment which will live in infamy and solidified Torres’ reputation as a fighter of unusual grit and substance. It was one of those moments that sends a message to the world.
Both fighters hit the ground after a series of toe-to-toe, right and left hand bombs.
Then Maeda maneuvered Torres into a toehold submission that would have put any other fighter into serious jeopardy and possibly ended the fight. But Torres showed his guts and flair by countering with a lightening quick toehold attack of his own. The sequence ended with both combatants breaking off to seek other avenues to victory, the crowd howled approval.
It was electrifying in a way no fight may ever achieve again. A pure gut check by both artists that ended in a grudging regrouping, but Torres won the war with that brilliant counter.
In the third, Torres (34-1 at the time) pulled out his muay thai striking cannons and cut Maeda down in an entirely warrant stoppage.
Explosive. Unparalleled.
2. Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin
The Ultimate Fighter Finale
4/9/2005
This brought the heat to all of MMA and made both fighters stars. This bout could have easily been tied at the top of the list, but you have to make the call somewhere.
Hardly a demonstration of elite skills and technique, this was an all-out brawl from two guys with more stones that anyone has a right to carry.
Griffin got the edge in a split decision, both fighters looked like they’d been worked over by a pack of angry apes, but the demonstration of skill, courage and pure fortitude made MMA the place to be for single combat warriors.
Dana White’s decision to award both fighters the contract was a move of pure marketing genius, and I believe, a heartfelt tribute to two guys who had no give-up in them – none at all. If there had been no limit on the number rounds scheduled, I’m certain these guys would still be at it as you read this.
3. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
UFC
4/16/2005
Short, but unbelieveable in every way.
Early on, Trigg deliver a shot to Hughes’ crotch that made you winch watching it happen.
Hughes took his eye off the ball, as it were, and turned to the ref to lodge a reasonable complaint about having his nuts assaulted – and then all hell broke loose.
Trigg set on Hughes when the ref inexplicably (having failed to see an obvious shot to the gonads) let the bout continue. Trigg found Hughes’ back and put on a vise-like chokehold and begins to pop the eyes from his stunned opponent. For anyone else, it’s lights out and on to the next feature.
But it was Matt Hughes. And Matt Hughes was pissed.
Hughes breaks the choke, lifts Trigg off the ground, and deposits him on his ass pinned to the cage. He then drops his own choke on the now struggling Trigg and forces the tap out.
A turnaround of epic proportions executed in the blink of an eye, and a moment no one who witnessed it will ever forget.
Classic stuff.
4. Royce Gracie v. Matt Hughes
UFC
5/27/2006
Gracie, the figurehead of MMA, once said, “You put the devil on the other side, I’m gonna walk in to fight.”
That’s some cohones on that man.
Gracie, the acknowledged master of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the heir-apparent to his father and uncle (Helio and Carlos Gracie), has fought some of the most legendary bouts in MMA history.
Royce Gracie put it on the line time and time again in the UFC, pulling off submission wins over Patrick Smith, Judo Champ Remco Pardoel, and Kimo Leopoldo.
But it was his fight against wrestler Dan Severn that secured his legend and propelled him to near mythic status in MMA circles.
Lasting for 16 minutes at a time when there were no rounds or time limits in UFC fights, Gracie struggled under the 260 pound behemoth Severn.
Gracie finally, through force of will and patient effort,pulled off a triangle choke that closed out the match.
But it was a fight he lost that makes this list.
Gracie put together a training regimin that included lots of Muay Thai work to attempt to counter the stalwart Hughes stand-up edge, but in the first round, Hughes locked Gracie into a kimura and nearly hyperextended his arm, but Gracie wouldn’t tap.
For his part, Hughes said later that he purposely let Gracie free himself from the kimura because he knew that Gracie would rather allow his arm to break than tap out.
Let that sink in.
Matt Hughes gave up a hold due to his opponent’s implacable, intractable, impressive set of brass balls. The man would have let his arm snap like a piece of celery rather than tap out.
Madness. Masochistic genius. Call it what you will, but there are precious few men in the world with that kind of determination.
Hughes went on to win on a TKO after wearing Gracie down with strikes in the first round – and a great career was launched – but there you have it.
5. Dan Henderson v. Wanderlei Silva
Pride
2/24/2007
This was a toe-to-toe war for three rounds with both fighters trading stand-up shots which would have ended many a bout.
Most notable for being the moment in which Henderson became the first ever MMA artist to hold simultaneous titles in two weight classes.
Classic.
Henderson’s spinning back fist which spelled the end of line for Silva was a master work of timing and sheer brutality.
As fights go, everyone has their list, but now that I’ve put mine together and my expense account is once again safe, feel free to disparage my choices to whatever extent you choose.