Whenever two fighters enter the ring, the audience knows that what they are about
to witness is going to enlighten them on a different level. Since the existence of MMA, there have been many remarkable and historic fights, but the thing that makes them epic is not only the action or fun of watching them but also the efforts and the not-giving-up attitude of the fighters, who go to extreme levels to win and entertain their fans. In this article, we are going to tell you about some of the greatest fights in the history of MMA that had eyes stuck on them and made a significant impact on the sport.
Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar
The fight between these two that took place in 2005 at the Ultimate Fighter
One Finale is considered to be the beginning of MMA’s tremendous rise in
popularity. It was the first program to be broadcast on Television. The performance both fighters Griffin and Bonnar gave that night is something that they would have never replicated even if given the opportunity to fight again.
Both fighters went into the cage with one goal in mind-to behead the other man. For 15 minutes, the two let it all happen, they were badly hurt, covered in blood, and tired, but they kept going to the end as the match was being watched by 3.2 million people at the time. At the end, Forrest Griffin got the victory, but because both fighters did an amazing job for the sport, the UFC rewarded both of them with six-figure contracts.
Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard II
The fight took place in 2011 at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where Edgar was defending his lightweight title for the second time. Through this fight, Frankie wanted revenge for his lone defeat, and Maynard only wanted to earn the title for which he had been working hard. In the first round, it almost seemed that the world was going to see a new lightweight champion, as Edgar was hurt by him several times.
If it wasn’t a title fight, the fight would have been shelved, but Edgar’s resistance was commendable, as he survived the storm and advanced to the next round. In the second round, Edgar made an impressive comeback. The scoring for the next three rounds was everywhere. At the end, the fight ended in a draw. Although both Edgar and Maynard’s supporters made many arguments that their fighter deserved the win, both of them were standing as the best men that day.
Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin
Lesnar and Carwin faced each other at Ultimate Fighting Championship 116 in
2010 for the Heavyweight Championship. Carwin was considered the favourite
for this fight, as many people thought that he had the potential to neutralise
Lesnar’s superior striking. The biggest question that everyone had in mind was
if this fight would go to the second round because Carvin’s last 12 fights never
went past the first round.
As the fight began, Carwin was able to stop the Champion’s first takedown and unleash everything on him. Although Carwin landed many punches, they didn’t do much damage and were mostly blocked by Brock. Despite being blooded, Lesnar was able to stand on his feet. In the last minute of the first round, Carwin looked drained, while Broke still maintained his composure. As the second round began, it was very easy for Lesnar to knock Carwin down. Brock ensured the victory through a triangle choke, and this became one of his biggest wins in UFC history.
Leonard Garcia vs Chan Sung Jung I
Garcia vs Sung Jung in World Extreme Cage Fighting in 2010 is still remembered as one of the most entertaining MMA fights in Boxing history. That night, Jose Aldo cemented his place at the top of the featherweight division, but it was Garcia and Sung Jung who made the event remarkable with their impressive performances that nobody could forget.
It is a very rare sight that boxing fans get to see when two fighters keep taking punches until one of them drops. This happened that night when both fighters took turns punching each other, leaving Sung Jung in a coma. It wasn’t a technical fight, but it still gave the audience an enjoyable sight. Garcia won the fight by split decision after entertaining the fans for three rounds straight.
Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen
When Chael Sonnen challenged Anderson Silva for his title, he got enormous attention from the media during the fighting week. Even though he was an underdog, Sonnen seemed like he would unseat Silva from the throne. Everyone picked out some flaws in Silva’s game and brought up the analysis of how Sonnen would be able to exploit those little flaws and snatch the title from Silva.
When the match began, the skeptics seemed almost right, as Sonnen executed his game plans perfectly. There was no doubt that Sonnen was the better wrestler, but it doesn’t matter how good the striking or wrestling of a fighter is unless he knows basic submission defence. When there were only two and a half minutes left on the clock, the audience saw Silva create an opening as he locked his opponent in a triangle to defend his title for the eighth time. Silva showed the quality of a true champion that night by making a huge comeback and defending his title successfully.
