Consensus Rankings:   Official  |  Member Designed  |  This Ranking Updated 2 years, 11 months ago  |  All By Musha

1. 1

   

   Edgar vs. Maynard II

   Fight Ends in a Draw After 5 Rounds

   2011 | UFC 125

   👑 UFC Lightweight Championship ※ 💰 270.000 PPV Buys ※ Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ Nothing about this fight screamed classic. Honestly, nobody expected anything out of it, at least from an entertainment standpoint. Gray Maynard was known for being a relatively boring fighter, which ultimately caused Frankie to get a title shot before him, which is pretty unusual considering he held a win over Frankie and was still undefeated. To be fair, their first fight was a pretty good wrestling scrap that saw the bigger Maynard outwrestle the much smaller Edgar, nothing too noteworthy that could've make fans excited bout the rematch. But Frankie won his next three fights convincingly enough to get him a title shot and dethrone BJ Penn in a major upset and then winning the rematch in the process. Yet, fans kept doubting him after beating the fan favorite Penn and blamed it on BJ overlooking the unlikely underdog... It felt like Frankie was unfairly discredited, and many predicted his reign to be short-lived as Maynard would be too big and too much for him, and everybody expected Maynard to overwhelm Frankie in similar fashion to their first fight, nothing more. But this fight turned out to be way more than that. This was a career-defining performance for Frankie, one that earned him the respect of the whole MMA community and defined him for the rest of his career as one of the gutsiest fighters in the history of the sport. Starting with the first round, one of the most one-sided beating to not result in a stoppage... Not only did Frankie desperately survived the assault, he miraculously came back and decisively won round 2 in style, even pulling out a magnificent, perfectly timed takedown slam. He also managed to win most of the wrestling exchanges afterwards against the much bigger Maynard everybody expected to outwrestle Frankie. The three final rounds were extremely close and competitive with some excellent, back-and-forth exchanges both striking and wrestling. Both, and especially Frankie showed unprecedented heart and will, something nobody knew they had, but this was one of those fights that dramatically change our perception of a fighter, and it actually makes us appreciate the fight even more. Nothing wrong with the draw as it was truly a thriller of a fight that could've gone either way. And anyway, this set up the third and final fight of this trilogy, which ultimately put a definitive end to this epic rivalry. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🔢 Round 1: [ ≥ 4.5 ] 10-7 Maynard ✔ ※ 🔢 Round 2: [ ≥ 4.5 ] 10-9 Edgar ✔ ※ 🔢 Round 3: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Edgar* ※ 🔢 Round 4: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Edgar ✔ ※ 🔢 Round 5: [ ≤ 4.5 ] 10-9 Edgar* ※ 🔢 My Scorecard: [ 47-46 Edgar* ] ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≤ 4.6/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 10/10 ]
   

2. 2

   

   Rua vs. Henderson

   Dan Henderson | Decision

   2011 | UFC 139

   ❺-Round Light Heavyweight Fight ※ 💰 290.000 PPV Buys ※ Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ A clash of legends... A fight fans had been craving for ever since the Pride days back when Shogun and Hendo were two of the absolute best in the world. Unfortunetaely, this dream fight never came to fruition... It took years to finally see these two face each other. But the timing was actually pretty damn good. Shogun and Hendo were still two of the very best in the world, two extremely dangerous fiinishers capable of beating anybody at any given time. Shogun had just lost the UFC Light Heavyweight title to the GOAT Jon Jones and came back with a quick finish over Forrest Griffin while Hendo had won 6 of his last 7 and just came off a first round knockout of Fedor Emelianenko. If anything, they actually further cemented themselves as certified legends of the sport. So it was still an highly anticpated fight that had fans crazy excited, and it had a lot at stakes with the winner making a strong case as Jon Jones' next title contender. The Pride nostalgia was at its apex, and these two old school legends simply put on a war for the ages, a fight that took MMA's coveted top spot as the greatest fight of all time for a few years, most definitely the greatest non-title fight ever (before Conor vs. Diaz II). This was actually the second scheduled 5-round main event in UFC history, and the very first to go the distance, which apeared absolutely unlikely at first, and only made possible thanks to both legends unreal heart and toughness they put into this fight, perfectly illustrating the importance of this iconic clash for the two warriors. Both were on the verge of being finished multiple times but kept surviving and fighting. This was not the most technical fight, it was quite wild and both were pretty tired by round 3, but the display of warrior spirit, the turn of events, the drama... This was a perfect Pride eulogy, an iconic clash of legends immortailized by their iconic picture backstage following the fight, one of the first iconic post-fight pictures in MMA history. Mind and heart overcome all... Hendo's shirt couldn't have portrayed that fight more perfectly. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🔢 Round 1: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Henderson ✔ ※ 🔢 Round 2: [ ≥ 3.5 ] 10-9 Henderson ✔ ※ 🔢 Round 3: [ ≥ 4.5 ] 10-8 Henderson ✔ ※ 🔢 Round 4: [ ≤ 5.0 ] 10-9 Shogun ✔ ※ 🔢 Round 5: [ ≥ 5.0 ] 10-8 Shogun ✔ ※ 🔢 My Scorecard: [ 47-46 Henderson ✔ ] ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≥ 4.5/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≥ 9.5/10 ]
   

3. 3

   

   Cruz vs. Faber II

   Dominick Cruz | Decision

   2011 | UFC 132

   👑 UFC Bantamweight Championship ※ 💰 350.000 PPV Buys ※ Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ Just a few months after the first ever UFC Featherweight title fight between José Aldo and Hominick in a classic, we got the first ever UFC Bantamweight title fight, and it was also, a classic. While Aldo vs. Hominick had a peculiar feel to it, the circumstances were much different. There was nothing personal between them, it was all about the competitive nature of the fight and how both the fight and the event were historic. This one between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber... was personal, and just as historic for the division. It didn't have an hometown underdog looking to make history in front of the largest attendance in UFC history, but the heated build-up, the bad blood between the two and the stakes made for the biggest fight in the division's history up to this point, by far. Urijah Faber was reponsible for handling a young and unexperienced Dominick Cruz the first and only loss of his career over 4 years prior in defending his WEC Featherweight Championship. Cruz built himself back up after that loss and became one of the best fighters in the world, moving down, winning the WEC Bantamweight Championship, and later being promoted to UFC Bantamweight Champion following the WEC merger. With Faber moving down to bantamweight and setting his eyes on Dom's crown, this rematch for the first defense of his title was the perfect opportunity for him to avenge that loss and really solidify his status as the best bantamweight in the world. The tension was palpable and the two refusing to touch gloves only added to it. The fight proved to be much different than the first as expected with Cruz showing how far he got since, pushing the pace with his constant, unorthodox movement and his impressive and just as unorthodox output. Faber had a hard time figuring him out but whenever he catched him, it had impact. The two displayed phenomenal conditioning and athleticism, the wrestling and the scrambles were marvelous, Dom scored some brilliant, perfectly timed takedowns and showed outstanding takedown defense against a game veteran. The fight was just non-stop, back-and-forth, high-level action and it resulted in a very close fight. Even though Dominick ended up being a clear winner, Urijah did land the biggest shots of the fight and surely gave Dominick quite the challenge, producing this instant classic, which I, much like the aforementioned Aldo vs. Hominick fight, find criminally underrated. It's not a wild brawl or a bloody war with two guys just throwing down, getting badly hurt and everything many expect from an all-time great fight, but it's a formidably compelling and thrilling chess fight in which two fighters who don't like each other pushed one another and tried to prove who's the better fighter, not the toughest one, even tough both showed remarkable toughness and will in this fantastic battle that certainly had the crowd on the edge of their seats. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Cruz* ※ ❷: [ ≤ 4.5 ] 10-9 Cruz ✔ ※ ❸: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Cruz ✔ ※ ❹: [ ≤ 4.5 ] 10-9 Faber* ※ ❺: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Cruz* ※ 🔢 My Scorecard: [ 49-46 Cruz ✔ ] ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≥ 4.5/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 9.5/10 ]
   

4. 4

   

   Alvarez vs. Chandler

   Michael Chandler | Submission | Round 4

   2011 | Bellator 58

   📍 Bellator 58: Alvarez vs. Chandler
   
   📅 2011, November 19
   🌎 Hollywood, Florida, USA
   🏟️ Seminole Hardrock Hotel & Casino
   🎟️ 20.034 ▸ $17.200.000 total gate
   📺 269K TV viewers ▸ MTV 2 ▸ Main Event
   
   👑 155 lbs ▸ Bellator Lightweight Championship
   
   👑 ▸ [ 87 ] ▸ Eddie Alvarez ▸ USA | 27 | 22-2 | 176 cm | 175 cm | -240
   1️⃣ ▸ [ 88 ] ▸ Michael Chandler ▸ USA | 25 | 8-0 | 173 cm | 175 cm | +190
   
   Future UFC champions collide in one of Bellator's most important fights ever as champion Eddie Alvarez, highly regarded as one of the world's very best fighters not fighting in the UFC with many even considering him the best lightweight in the world, faces undefeated (8-0) NCAA Division I wrestler and winner of the Bellator Lightweight Tournament, Michael Chandler.
   
   On a magic night that saw legends Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Dan Henderson deliver a five-round epic in the UFC's then dubbed greatest fight of all time, Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez deliver one of their own.
   A bloody war sparked by an early storm from Michael Chandler, who comes out guns blazing and drops Alvarez big time in the opening and final seconds of a stunning first round, leaving him with a badly cut upper lip.
   Eddie's unreal recovering abilities shine once again as he manages to come back strong and gain some momentum in round two before scoring a massive round three, having Chandler badly hurt and bloodied against the cage.
   On the verge of being finished in round three, Chandler proves unbreakable, coming out strong in round four, dropping Alvarez with another right hand before mounting him and securing a fight ending rear naked choke in a major upset.
   
   A star-making win for Chandler, who would go on to become Bellator's poster boy for a decade and a fight that set-up Bellator's biggest rematch ever two years later.
   
   1️⃣ ▸ ✳️ [ ≤ 4.5 ] ▸ 10-8 ▸ ↗️ Chandler
   2️⃣ ▸ ☑️ [ ≥ 3.5 ] ▸ 10-9 ▸ 🔀 Alvarez
   3️⃣ ▸ ✳️ [ ≥ 4.5 ] ▸ 10-8 ▸ ↗️ Alvarez
   4️⃣ ▸ ✅ [ ≥ 4.0 ] ▸ 10-9 ▸ ➡️ Chandler
   
   🥋 SUB4 ▸ rear naked choke ▸ 3:06 ▸ Chandler ▸ [ 4.16 ]
   
   ➡️✅✅✅✅☑️ ▸ 🎬
   ⬅️✅✅✅✅⬜ ▸ 🥇
   ➡️✅✅✅✅✅ ▸ ⚔️
   ⬅️✅✅✅✅✅ ▸ ❤️
   ⬅️✅✅✅✅⬜ ▸ 🏛️
   
   ⚛️ ▸ FIGHTscore ▸ [ 4.46 ]
   

5. 5

   

   Aldo vs. Hominick

   José Aldo | Decision

   2011 | UFC 129

   👑 UFC Featherweight Championship ※ 💰 800.000 PPV Buys ※ Co-Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ The first ever UFC Featherweight Championship fight, and a perfect introduction to the division. This one had a peculiar feel to it, this was not your typical big fight feel, this wasn't even the main event, but this was a special event and this fight had special circumstances. This was the first event in Ontario since the sport was legalized there the previous year, and at the time, this shattered MMA's attendance and gate records for an event in North America. Most of it was due to GSP fighting in the main event of course... But this featherweight title fight was just as big and even more anticipated than the actual main event. This one was all about the homestate hero Mark Hominick, facing the featherweight GOAT José Aldo, a man who hadn't lost in over 5 years and at the time was unquestionably a top 3 P4P fighter. Of course, Hominick came in as a huge underdog, but this was the perfect opportunity for an underdog story, and in many ways, it was. Up to this one, this was by far the best anyone had ever look against Aldo. From a quality standpoint, this was a marvel to watch, the speed, the footwork, the head movement, the counters, the combinations, Aldo's outstanding leg kicks, even the work from the guard, the class shown by both men... Just a beautiful display of mixed martial arts. Add to that the great atmosphere and the drama and you get a classic title fight. Sure this was a clear unanimous decision win for Aldo, but it was still very competitive, they went toe-to-toe in very educated fashion, never turning it into a brawl or anything, just keeping it clean and technical. Aldo obviously landed the biggest shots, knocking Hominick down and hurting him multiple times, brutalizing him with some of his leathal leg kicks, even causing him one of the nastiest head hematomas ever seen inside the octagon (very reminiscent of LeBanner's all-time kickboxing classic against Abidi), which added a lot of drama. Hominick's spirited performance, his big, exciting fifth round with him spending it almost entirely inside Aldo's guard, landing big shots and the crowd wildly rallying behind him, made this an instant classic... One I feel remains highly underappreciated somehow. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Aldo ✔ ※ ❷: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Aldo ✔ ※ ❸: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Aldo ✔ ※ ❹: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Aldo ✔ ※ ❺: [ ≤ 4.5 ] 10-8 Hominick ✔ ※ 🔢 My Scorecard: [ 48-46 Aldo ✔ ] ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≤ 4.4/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 9.5/10 ]
   

6. 6

   

   Diaz vs. Daley

   Nick Diaz | KO/TKO | Round 1

   2011 | Strikeforce

   👑 Strikeforce Welterweight Championship ※ 📺 806.000 TV Viewers ※ Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ Arguably Strikeforce's biggest fight ever, and undeniably its greatest fight ever. Nick Diaz was Strikeforce's biggest star, and Daley added some good heat This fight only lasts one round, but that round produced fireworks. That heated staredown had the crowd going totally nuts, and the following action did not disappoint one bit. It was wild, both clipped one another, which made for some exciting shifts of momentum, and Nick's trash talk throughout was absolutely awesome. This further solidified him as one of the baddest ************s to ever do it, just a bad ass performance from the original gangsta. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≤ 5.0 ] 💥 Diaz TKO ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≤ 4.2/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 9.0/10 ]
   

7. 7

   

   Edgar vs. Maynard III

   Frankie Edgar | KO/TKO | Round 4

   2011 | UFC 136

   👑 UFC Lightweight Championship ※ 💰 225.000 PPV Buys ※ Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ A classic conclusion to a classic trilogy. Following their epic title fight on New Year's Eve earlier that year, business remained unfinished. With all the twists and turns and the back-and-forth action, judges were unable to find a clear winner, and understandably so. So naturally, an immediate rematch was scheduled to hopefully settle the rivalry once and for all, and fans couldn't have hope for a more definitive and satisfying end to it as this time, no room for doubt was left. It seemed like Maynard would finally get just that after assaulting Frankie in round 1 in a very similar way he did in their original rematch, but this time being more conservative and effective. But Frankie again, somehow, found a way to survive and come back strong, pushing the pace and winning the following two rounds with great footwork, head movement and some crisp combinations over a probably too conservative and flat footed Maynard. All of this ultimately led to the fourth round, which saw Frankie get more and more success before eventually capitalizing on a small opening and unleashing a barrage of punches to close the show. Gray would never be the same again after this devastating loss while Frankie would lose his title the following fight but remain a title contender for years to come at Featherweight and Bantamweight. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≥ 4.5 ] 10-7 Maynard ✔ ※ ❷: [ ≤ 3.5 ] 10-9 Edgar ✔ ※ ❸: [ ≤ 3.5 ] 10-9 Edgar ✔ ※ ❹: [ ≤ 4.5 ] 💥 Edgar KO ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≤ 4.2/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 9.0/10 ]
   

8. 8

   

   Brandão vs. Bermudez

   Diego Brandão | Submission | Round 1

   2011 | The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale

   TUF 14 Featherweight Tournament Final ※ Co-Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ A classic TUF Final between two young, hungry fighters who finished all three of their opponents each. There was a lot of hype behind Diego Brandao, he became a fan favorite of the season for his intensity and explosive finishing abilities, having knocked out his three opponents in the first round. Him coming out with Wanderlei Silva's iconic entrance song was a perfect fit for him and the fight most definitely delivered. It was as good as a 1-round fight gets. Both dropped each other and when it seemed like Diego was in trouble he pulled one of the most explosive submissions you'll ever see, a brilliant armbar with under 10 seconds left in the round, making him the first ever TUF featherweight winner. .⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≤ 5.0 ] 🥋 Brandao SUB (armbar) ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≤ 4.0/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 8.5/10 ]
   

9. 9

   

   Guida vs. Henderson

   Benson Henderson | Decision

   2011 | UFC on FOX 1

   ❸-Round Lightweight Fight ※ Co-Main Event (Fox Prelilms) ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ For the UFC's debut on Fox, this lightweight title eliminator accomplished its job. This was a big opportunity for both, and Benson Henderson and Clay Guida made the most out of it with an excellent scrap. You had the always energetic Guida, never afraid get into brawls against the much more measured and technical Henderson who showed he wasn't afraid to engage in some heat. There was some pretty wild exchanges on the feet, both men were dropped, Guida more notably, and the grappling in this one was very exciting. Benson's neck was once again put to the test but he showcased his outstanding submission defense and he was able to win much of the exchanges on the feet, in the clinch and on the ground, getting a unanimous decision win that earned him a shot at Frankie Edgar's title, which he would eventually go on to win in Japan in another great fight. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Henderson ✔ ※ ❷: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Henderson* ※ ❸: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Henderson ✔ ※ 🔢 My Scorecard: [ 30-27 Henderson ✔ ] ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≤ 3.8/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≥ 8.0/10 ]
   

10. 10

    

    Sanchez vs. Kampmann

    Diego Sanchez | Decision

    2011 | UFC on Versus 3

    ❸-Round Welterweight Fight ※ Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ A typical gutsy effort from the always intense and iron-willed Diego Sanchez, who after getting lit up in the first round, turned it into his kind of crazy, wild slugfest against the more technical Kampmann, leaving him a bloody mess by the end of the third and final round in the process. This was just a few months before the UFC would instate the 5-round rule for non-title main events, and it's a shame because had there been two more rounds, this could've been a classic and Diego might've gotten a finish instead of a close, somewhat controversial decision win after an exciting slugfest. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≥ 3.5 ] 10-9 Kampmann ✔ ※ ❷: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Sanchez ✔ ※ ❸: [ ≥ 4.5 ] 10-8 Sanchez* ※ 🔢 My Scorecard: [ 29-28 Sanchez* ] ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≥ 3.8/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≥ 8.0/10 ]
    

11+

11. 11

    

    Hardy vs. Lytle

    Chris Lytle | Submission | Round 3  |  UFC on Versus 5

    ❸-Round Welterweight Fight ※ Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ A gratifying final fight for one of MMA's greatest journeymen. Chris Lytle announced this would be his final fight prior to it, and Dan Hardy truly was a perfect fit. Even though he was on a 3-fight losing streak, had his back against the wall, he remained one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, and at the time, Lytle was the leader in UFC post-fight bonuses, so it's no surprise the fight delivered. Lytle's tricky, wild boxing style caused Hardy a lot of problems, but Hardy was not afraid to exchange and landed the bigger shots against a very aggressive Lytle. This made for an exciting fight, one Lytle was winning, which led Hardy to desperately try to finish Lytle in the final minute until he made the fatal mistake to shoot for takedown and got choked, leaving Lytle on a positive note, one that earned him FOTN and SOTN... Truly an underrated moment for one of MMA's most underrated warriors. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Lytle ✔ ※ ❷: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 10-9 Lytle* ※ ❸: [ ≥ 4.0 ] 🥋 Lytle SUB (guillotine choke) ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≥ 3.8/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≥ 8.0/10 ]
    

12. 12

    

    Barry vs. Kongo

    Cheick Kongo | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  UFC on Versus 4

13. 13

    

    Garcia vs. Phan II

    Nam Phan | Decision  |  UFC 136

    ❸-Round Featherweight Fight ※ 💰 225.000 PPV Buys ※ Main Card ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ When Leonard Garcia steps in, you know what you're gonna get, and that's a wild ass brawl. That's just the way he fights, and when you put a guy willing to engage with him like Nam Phan, that's what you get. That's what happened in their first fight to some extent, another FOTN that should've gone to Phan. This was the opportunity for Phan to set the record straight, and he did that beautifully. He was the far superior boxer, throwing beautiful combinations and body shots, absolutely out-boxing the much wilder Garcia in the first two rounds. Then Garcia came out swinging wildly like a mad man in typical Garcia fashion in the third, dropped Phan, and from that point the crowd went nuts, as were Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan. Again, this was far from a technical masterpiece even tough Phan's technique was very good and he certainly won the fight very clearly, but it sure was exciting, even winning FOTN over the classic trilogy settling main event between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard... .⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≥ 3.5 ] 10-9 Phan ✔ ※ ❷: [ ≤ 4.0 ] 10-9 Phan ✔ ※ ❸: [ ≤ 4.5 ] 10-9 Phan* ※ 🔢 My Scorecard: [ 30-27 Phan ] ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≤ ⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≥ 3.6/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 8.0/10 ]
    

14. 14

    

    Jones vs. Machida

    Jon Jones | Submission | Round 2  |  UFC 140

15. 15

    

    Mir vs. Nogueira II

    Frank Mir | Submission | Round 1  |  UFC 140

    ❸-Round Heavyweight Fight ※ Co-Main Event ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ A pretty chaotic rematch between two heavyweight greats that ended with arguably the greatest submission of all time. Their first fight saw Frank Mir becoming the first man to ever stop Minotauro and winning the Interim UFC Heavyweight title in the process. 3 years later, they were still two top heavyweights fighting to get a title shot. Minotauro was coming off a refreshing first round KO of Brendan Schaub in Brazil and was eager to avenge that loss to Frank Mir. And it all started well. They got into the clinch, Jor Rogan stated he would give Nog the advantage on the ground, Nog hurt him, went for a guillotine, and the rest is history... Frank Mir got a hold of Nog's arm, locked an absolutely brilliant kimura and never let go, resulting in one of the most dramatic and absolutely brutal finishes in the history of the sport, making him the first to ever submit Minotauro and leaving no doubt this time as many argued Big Nog wasn't 100% in their first fight. ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ ❶: [ ≤ 4.5 ] 🥋 Mir SUB (kimura) ⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘ 🥊 Action: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Quality: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐+ ] ※ 🥊 Competitiveness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 Heart/Toughness: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ 🥊 History: [ ≥ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ] ※ ✅ Score: [ ≥ 3.5/5 ] ※ 🐐 GOATscore: [ ≤ 8.0/10 ]
    

16. 16

    

    Penn vs. Diaz

    Nick Diaz | Decision  |  UFC 137

17. 17

    

    Cerrone vs. Diaz

    Nate Diaz | Decision  |  UFC 141

18. 18

    

    Emelianenko vs. Henderson

    Dan Henderson | KO/TKO | Round 1  |  Strikeforce

19. 19

    

    Le vs. Silva

    Wanderlei Silva | KO/TKO | Round 2  |  UFC 139

20. 20

    

    Njokuani vs. Barboza

    Edson Barboza | Decision  |  UFC 128