Favorite MMA Fights of all time

[Spedizzo]

There have been epic fights in MMA up until this point.

Which are your favorite? Whether it was a badass fight, a crazy finish, or you were at the bar and the atmosphere was so epic that you will forever remember it fondly?

I have the UFC Fight Pass (which is actually pretty damn awesome btw) and I sometimes watch random fights - especially Pride before I go to bed. There is so much I have forgotten or haven't seen it is insane.

Some of my favorites:

Big Nog vs. Randy Couture
Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua
Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor (the bar atmosphere I was at was almost historic)
Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley
Big Nog vs. Cro Cop
Don Frye vs. Takayama
Mauricio Rua vs. Lil Nog

[OD50]

Eddie Alvarez/Tatsuya Kawajiri
Eddie/Alvarez/Michael Chandler I & II
Mirko Crocop/Wanderlei Silva II
Mirko Crocop/Gabrial Gonzaga II
Gilbert Melendez/Josh Thomson (second fight I think was the best)
Dan Henderson/Wanderlei Silva I & II

Soo many to choose from..

[Nash Diesel]

I know I'm going to miss a shit ton but here's a few that I came up with off the top of my head:

GSP v. Penn 1
Iceman v. Wanderlai
Cyborg v. Carano
Condit v. Lawler
Fedor v. Goodridge
Wanderlai v. Rampage 1 and 2
Mark Hunt v. Bigfoot Silva
Lesnar v. Mir 2
GSP v. Matt Serra


Yeah there are way too many. For me it's hard to really narrow down actual fights, it's easier for me to do favorite fighters because even if the fight isn't legendary sometimes the performance of a fighter makes it for me i.e. why I consider Fedor v. Goodridge one of my favorite fights, because Fedor puts on a fucking clinic in like 60 seconds on the guy it was beautiful.

[Eddie Brock]

Akebono vs. Royce Gracie. It wasn't in the UFC, so it doesn't get much attention. But this fight showcased what Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - or rather Gracie Jiu Jitsu - is all about. Imagine Akebono falling inside your guard. If you weren't flexible he could damage your groin. In this fight Gracie proved once again that Gracie Jiu Jitsu can enable a person to defeat a larger opponent. It's my all-time favorite fight.

[Percussion]

Nogueira vs Cro Cop

[OD50]

Nogueira/Bob Sapp was pretty damn epic.

[Seanny One Ball]

Mauricio Rua vs Dan Henderson
Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry
Pete Sell vs Scott Smith
Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 3
Carlos Newton vs Matt Hughes
Igor Vovchanchyn vs Paul Varelans
Keith Hackney vs Joe "Random Task" Son
Chuck Liddell vs Rampage Jackson 1
Don Frye Vs Takayama
Roger Huerta Vs Clay Guida
Randy Couture Vs Tim Sylvia
Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir 2

[Nash Diesel]

I'm just going to be the mark and say Bonnar v. Griffin 1. That fucking fight holds up today and is one of the most entertaining fights and obviously legendary fights in MMA history.

[OD50]

I have memories of Nick Diaz/Diego Sanches being pretty damn nuts. Nick Diaz/Karo Parisyan as well.

[Nash Diesel]

I have memories of Nick Diaz/Diego Sanches being pretty damn nuts. Nick Diaz/Karo Parisyan as well.

That run Diego had against guys like Diaz, Karo, and Riggs were amazing. Diego might be a weirdo but he is easily one of the most exciting fighters I've ever witnessed in the UFC. Maybe MMA in general. And hey, WWE owes this motherfucker some royalties with that YES! shit.

[Seanny One Ball]

Sanchez/Parisyan was just mental. Parisyan explains his tooth flying out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0IDbNJggGQ

I hated Karo from that moment onwards.

[Mik]

Lawler vs ...

[Mark Hammer]

Both Hendo/Shogun fights.

Jones/Gus

GSP/Hendricks

Brock/Carwin (fucking emotional rollercoaster of a fight)

JDS/Cain II (primarily because it was 25 minutes of glee)

Lawler/Condit in spite of the shit decision

Conor/Mendes

Frankie/Benson 1

Frankie/Maynard 2

Frankie/Maynard 3

Kongo/Barry

Dom/Mizugaki

Dom/Dillashaw

Dom/Faber III was really good. Cruz ends the trilogy from guillotine loss to narrow decision win to decisive 50-45. Easily one of my favorite fighters period.

Hendo/Bisping. I love the Count nowadays and think what he's done is incredible but at that time I couldn't stand him and that KO was one of the most violently beautiful KO's of all time. Following the backstory they had I can't fathom anyone not having at least a mild appreciation for that fight.

I know I'm forgetting some. Silva/Sonnen is probably one of the top 5 greatest fights of all time but I can't say it was my favorite simply because I wanted Chael to pull if off.

[Eddie Brock]

I have to include two Anderson Silva fights:

1. Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben

2. Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin

Both were introduction fights for Silva. Leben was the introduction to the UFC. Irvin was the introduction to 205. Pinpoint striking. No wasted movement.

"His precision is so... precise."

[Nash Diesel]

I have to include two Anderson Silva fights:

1. Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben

2. Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin

Both were introduction fights for Silva. Leben was the introduction to the UFC. Irvin was the introduction to 205. Pinpoint striking. No wasted movement.

"His precision is so... precise."

I remember I had only seen I think one fight of Anderson's and that was the loss to Ryo Chonan that they would show on Fox Sports' Pride show. So when I saw he was coming to fight Leben and be in a main event with possible title implications right off the bat I knew either A-the guy was hype or B-the guy was legit and I just didn't know any better...Sure as shit he fucking picked apart Leben like it was target practice at the shooting range and Silva's Frank Castle. Leben was on his way to a title shot and Anderson just came in and made it look easy. Then he goes on to fight Franklin and made it look even easier. I remember seeing that first fight with Franklin and the look on Franklin's face after Silva got him in the clinch, it was like Rich knew he was going to get severely beaten.

[Tyson]

-the later half of GSP's career: 11 straight title fights, winning 40+ consecutive rounds, each challenger supposedly having the edge at X (only for GSP to rinse them using that same method)
-Silva/Franklin, the bigger Franklin might actually challenge Anderson (wrong)
-Lesnar/Mir I and II
-Silva getting caught then breaking his leg in consecutive fights v Weidman (Spider was seemingly invincible)

[Dream-Evil]

Silva vs Sonnen I
Hunt vs Bigfoot
Melendez vs Sanchez
Lawler vs Condit
Nam Phan vs Leonard Garcia

[Fanny Batter]

Silva vs. Griffin is the one time in the sport's history that I've seen perfection. My favourite fights usually involve a comeback theme - either in the fight itself or a career rebuilding performance after a bad run for a sentimental favourite. From the former you've got fights like Edgar/Maynard 2 and 3, Shogun/Hendo 1 (even though Shogun didn't win, what a comeback), Wand/Rampage 2, Nog/Mirko, Lawler/Rory, Brock/Carwin, Silva/Sonnen, Bermudez/Grice, Guida/Huerta, Sakuraba/Gelsaic, Kongo/Barry, Wand/Stann etc. Then the latter you've got Nog/Schaub, Hunt/Struve (the culmination of both in fight and career comebacks), Wand/Jardine, Hendo/Lombard, Cruz/Dillashaw, Gomi/Griffin etc.

[Eddie Brock]

Silva vs. Griffin is the most brutal showing of superiority I've ever seen in MMA.

[Nash Diesel]

Oh man I have to throw in the 2 Chuck-Tito fights. Especially the first one, that finish is burned into my memory for life, BRUTAL.

I will chime in on the Silva-Griffin fight as it pertains to "perfection". I think that Anderson Silva might go down as the GOAT simply because he has so many fights that you saw perfection. The Leben fight....That was the epitome of what you hear people call "putting on a striking clinic". He rinsed Franklin. He made Forrest Griffin, who prior to their fight was the LHW champion coming off a loss but still, he was the champ, and Anderson made it look like Forrest didn't even belong. It was such a morale killer that Forrest Griffin, one of the most humble and probably the most self-deprecating fighters/humans you could find---He ran out of the fucking cage immediately like a child being scolded by their parents. It was humiliating.

[Mark Hammer]

Silva vs. Griffin is the most brutal showing of superiority I've ever seen in MMA.
Neck and neck with Rousey/Holm imo.

Speaking of, how could I have forgotten that one? Easily one of my favorite fights of all time.

[OD50]

Yeah, me too. Seeing RRR getting thumped by HH was a thing of beauty.