The 10 Best UFC Fights of All Time 2023

In the UFC, a big fight is never too far away. The organization had its first competition in 1993 and since then has had thousands of exciting competitions.

It gets stronger and stronger and is now bigger than ever. With so many memorable battles over the years, it’s hard to get into the top 10. What all of these battles have in common is that there were a lot of them, and they were all brutal.

There are a lot of things that can make for a great fight. The underdog can fight against the odds, it could be a complete contest, or perhaps it’s a technically perfect contest with two fighters at the top of their game.

We have it all here as we take a look at the 10 best UFC fights of all time. We’ve also included some video links so you can relive the mayhem. Start!

1. Forest Griffin vs Stephen Bonnar (TUF Final 1)

In the 2005 finale of The Ultimate Fighter, the winner would receive a contract from the UFC. There are many challenges as both men fight for their careers and try to make a name for themselves in the sport.

From the first bell, you could see how much it meant to both fighters. It was a hand-to-hand battle that lasted 15 minutes. A standing ovation usually occurs at the end of a show, but this time it started after the first bell and didn’t really stop.

Even though they were tired before the third round ended, they still kept trying to defeat each other. When the final bell rang, they were both exhausted and bloody.

No one deserved to lose, but Griffin was the one who got a close but unanimous decision. Such is the epic nature of the fight, the UFC will offer contracts to both fighters. Both will enter the UFC Hall of Fame.

2. Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165)

This fight was the sixth time Jon Jones defended his light heavyweight title. Bones snapped a nine-game winning streak with an overall record of 18-1. It’s fair to say he’s the favourite.

It’s an underdog title that Gustafsson will soon challenge. He deserves respect given his own 15-1 record entering the contest. He immediately showed he belonged at this level by pressuring Jones with repeated shots.

Jones was cut early and it looked like he wasn’t prepared for what Gustafsson could throw at him. To everyone’s surprise, he was able to overcome Jones’ infamous takedown defense, although Jones quickly recovered.

The rest of the fight was a back and forth battle that showed a lot of heart and courage. By the end of the fight, Jones’ face was covered in blood and both men were exhausted.

It came down to a decision where many thought the underdog had done enough, but the judges disagreed and Jones was declared the winner. It wasn’t the result he wanted but the Swedish fighter pushed Jones further than anyone expected in an epic fight.

3. Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva (UFC 79)

There are many times in combat sports where the fight doesn’t live up to the hype. You really want to watch the competition but it’s not effective. However, at UFC 79, the opposite happened.

The reason this fight was so highly anticipated is because both men fought under different organizations in the past, with Silva in PRIDE and Liddell fighting in the UFC. Ultimately, it was the UFC that was able to bring them together in the octagon.

The fight started off rough as both fighters were not ready to fight. That fizzled out when things exploded again with just over a minute to go in round 1. Both men swung hard at each other. That action continued into the second round in a contest where Liddell began to gain the upper hand.

Both men were still able to land significant strikes, but Liddell continued to assert his dominance to deliver a big win for the UFC legend. It was at this point that the pre-fight hype was truly earned as both men were recognized for a great contest.

4. Frankie Edgar vs. Gary Maynard III (UFC 136)

By 2011, these fighters had met twice, the first going to Gary Maynard via unanimous decision and the second a split decision draw. Those were great fights but their third fight would beat them all.

Maynard has fared better in the first two fights and looked like he was destined to win the first round as he landed a huge uppercut. A flurry of punches followed and somehow Edgar managed to stay on his feet.

It looked like he was getting his groove back and recovering when Maynard hit another big shot with under two minutes remaining. This time Edgar has gone down and the end is surely near.

Maynard couldn’t pin him down but still hit him with another vicious headbutt and knee, breaking Edgar’s nose. He survived and the 2nd and 3rd rounds were limited damage from Edgar, boxing and moving to avoid attacks.

With just a minute left in the fourth round, this time it was Edgar who would land a huge headbutt. Unlike his opponents, he won’t let the opportunity go to waste and get the job done. It was a worthy reward for the incredible courage he showed in the first half.

5. Diego Sanchez vs Clay Guida (TUF 9 Finals)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx5djnbL7hw

If there was a list of the best starts ever in a UFC fight this would definitely be number one. The referee shouted “let’s fight” and that’s exactly what the two men did, as they rushed towards each other like dogs on a leash.

Sanchez and Guida just stood there swinging like wild men until Clay Guida was injured and had to retreat. It’s extremely tense and the breathless start continues with Guida being able to land some attacks of his own and claim the takedown.

Guida seemed to have the upper hand when Sanchez landed a sweet head kick that looked like it could end the fight. He managed to survive, although he continued to take the beatings.

Most of the second half was played on the floor but it was still brutal. The pace slowed a bit in the 3rd round but that’s not surprising given the intensity. Sanchez would win by split decision but the fans watching knew they had just witnessed a fight they would never forget.

6. Amanda Nunes vs Chris Cyborg (UFC 232)

Normally, for a match to be considered epic, it must go through at least a few rounds. The clash between Nunes and Cyborg didn’t even last a minute. Going into battle, it seemed like Cyborg was invincible. She had a 20-1 record with the only blemish on her MMA resume being a loss in her first fight 13 years earlier.

Then there’s Amanda Nunes, a real contender, but with a not-so-impressive 16-4 record. However, during the fight, Nunes would show his worth with a minute of brutal action.

The two began trading almost immediately but about 25 seconds later, Nunes landed her first big shot. Cyborg was shaken but responded by attacking. Seven seconds later, she was knocked out by another massive gunshot.

In the following seconds, Nunes knocked down his opponent two more times. Each time Cyborg showed his warrior spirit to stand up and swing. However, the next shot hit her in the jaw. She fell again and the referee decided the match.

It was an electric performance from Nunes, who became the first woman in UFC history to hold two belts, adding Cyborg’s Featherweight crown to the Bantamweight championship she already held.

7. Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz I (UFC 47)

This could be the best matchup in UFC history. The two first met at UFC 47. They were once close friends, but the competitive world of UFC put an end to that. Liddell is the underdog but he will soon prove his worth.

He landed a series of heavy blows in the first round that seriously injured Ortiz. He was never able to regain momentum. Liddell pinned him against the cage and after a series of heavy blows, the referee called an end to the fight.

The two will meet again at UFC 66. At this time, the old friends have become enemies. It was another excellent fight as Liddell once again won by knockout. Ortiz finally got revenge in 2018 with a first-round knockout in their third and final fight.

8. Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen (UFC 117)

Coming into UFC 117, Anderson Silva was on an 11-fight winning streak and looked invincible. He was matched up against the excellent Chael Sonnen, who took the opportunity to deliver plenty of trash talk before the contest.

Not many people gave Sonnen a chance but he soon proved many wrong right from round 1. He dominated the champion for almost the entire fight and a unanimous decision in his favor seemed to be the way to go. the inevitable.

The strikeout count was huge for Sonnen, who was on the verge of pulling off a major upset. However, the ending shows that you can never be sure of victory until the final bell rings.

With just over 100 seconds left in the fight, Sonnon made the mistake of lying on the floor and Silva jumped in by locking him in an arm-triangle bar. Silva wasn’t at his best throughout the fight but it showed his never-say-die attitude.

The two fought again a few years later but this time Silva won with a much more decisive TKO in the 2nd round.

9. Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin (UFC 116)

Brock Lesner has been involved in some incredible UFC fights but none were better than his fight with Shane Carwin. In the first round, Carwin completely dominated and it looked like the fight would end any second.

Lesner somehow survived and was relieved to hear the bell ending the round. In the second round, the tables were turned. Lesner charged at Carwin and took him down, then landed some hard hits.

Lesner had his opponent in an arm triangle and he wasn’t going to let him recover. He gradually tightened it until Carwin had no other choice to escape. Lesnar showed that he is a worthy world champion.

10. Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk (UFC 248)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RkjFCMiA00

This is a match made famous by an image that shows the brutality of the sport. After the fight, a large bump grew on Jedrzejczyk’s head, which was a sign of how epic the fight had been.

It was a fight that went all the way with Weili receiving the decision. What preceded that decision was a technically perfect fight between two women at the top of their game.

They both showed incredible flexibility and the audience loved every second of it. It’s one of the more recent fights on this list but deserves to be one of the all-time classics.

Categories: Entertainment
Source: Tekmonk Bio