From 20-1 the greatest ever fights ranked ahead of UFC 300
Bloody five-round wars, all action knockouts, controversial decisions and a few Aussies appear on our list of the top 20 best UFC fights ever.
Ahead of this weekend’s UFC 300 blockbuster, we’re counting down some of the best UFC fights ever.
From throwback classics, to modern day wars, hidden gems and game-changing encounters, there’s something for everyone.
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There’s also a couple of Aussies on the list.
20) Robbie Lawler vs Johny Hendricks 1 – UFC 171, March 2014
Just four months after Johny Hendricks’ controversial decision defeat to Georges St-Pierre, ‘Big Rig’ got the job done in a five-round slog against Lawler.
19) Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen 1 – UFC 117, August 2010
Sonnen was absolutely perfect for 23 minutes, dominating the first four rounds in a way no one had ever been able to do to Silva in the UFC. But ‘Spider’ pulled off the most outrageous late triangle submission, with two minutes left in the five-rounder, to retain the middleweight title. Madness.
18) Robbie Lawler vs Carlos Condit – UFC 195, January 2016
Often overlooked on these kinds of lists, but this barn-burner actually edged McGregor-Diaz 2 as the best fight of 2016. Lawler’s last welterweight title defence, and his last truly great performance.
17) Cub Swanson vs Doo-Ho Choi – UFC 206, December 2016
It was on the UFC 206 PPV card, but no one really expected too much from this featherweight showdown. What we got was a contender for fight of the year in an underrated three-round fight won by Swanson.
16) Alex Volkanovski vs Brian Ortega – UFC 266, September 2021
This was the fight where Alexander Volkanovski truly proved to the world how good he is. He’d already beaten Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo and Max Holloway, but the way he escaped Brian Ortega’s submission attempts showed his all-round skillset.
15) Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping – February 2016
Michael Bisping was in no man’s land before this fight. Ranked seventh at middleweight, he was two fights removed from a loss to Luke Rockhold, but wasn’t truly considered a threat at 185-pounds. This absolutely wild fight – which had momentum swings, showboating, controversy and high-level striking – propelled him to the top, and four months later, he beat Rockhold to become champion.
14) Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes 2 – UFC 179, October 2014
Two-and-a-half years after being knocked out by Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes went to Rio de Janeiro and nearly pulled off a massive upset. There were late shots, eye pokes, low blows and a raucous Rio crowd. It was the last win of Aldo’s legendary featherweight title reign.
13) Robert Whittaker vs Yoel Romero 2 – UFC 225, June 2018
Robert Whittaker hit Yoel Romero with shots that would’ve felled large animals, but the Cuban couldn’t be stopped. One of the great title fight performances by an Aussie, especially after Romero missed weight.
12) Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum – UFC 236, April 2019
Israel Adesanya’s first taste of UFC gold didn’t come easy, with ‘The Last Stylebender’ made to go to dark places to beat Kelvin Gastelum for the interim 185-pound title. Adesanya was spotted saying “I’m prepared to die” ahead of the crucial fifth round, and it remains one of the most insane moments in UFC history.
11) Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler – UFC 268, November 2021
Has Justin Gaethje ever not been in a classic brawl? The answer is no, but this one was next level. All action from the opening minute at Madison Square Garden, Gaethje came away with the decision win, but Chandler’s stocks went through the roof too. Incredibly high-level fighting.
10) Diego Sanchez vs Clay Guida – The Ultimate Fighter, June 2009
Not only is this one of the best fights, it also might have the best opening 30 seconds of any fight in UFC history, before Sanchez won a three-round split decision.
9) Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva – UFC 79, December 2007
You could’ve had a handful of Chuck Liddell fights on this list, but it’s hard to go past his long awaited grudge match with the Axe Murderer. One of the UFC’s early icons, Liddell defined the sport in the 2000s and this was his last ever win.
8) Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 2 – UFC 125, January 2011
Three years after Frankie Edgar suffered his first professional loss to Gray Maynard, he defended the lightweight title in one of the great five-rounders ever. Edgar somehow survived a first round onslaught before they went to a draw in one of the great UFC rivalries.
7) Mark Hunt vs Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva 1 – December 2013
One of the bloodiest, most gruesome and gruelling fights ever. Hunt walked to the ring with peroxide blonde hair, and left it with a pink mop of blood. It’s not one for the faint hearted.
6) Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson 1 – UFC 165, September 2013
A career-best performance from Alexander Gustafsson and the deepest Jon Jones has ever had to dig. ‘The Mauler’ took Jones down twice, and opened a cut, but Jones showed his class in a unanimous decision win for his record-breaking sixth consecutive light-heavyweight title defence.
5) Dan Henderson vs Shogun Rua 1 – UFC 139, November 2011
Pride never die! These two Pride FC icons finally met in 2011 in a five-round main event non-title fight. UFC president Dana White immediately called it one of the best MMA bouts ever, likening it to the Thrilla in Manilla between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
4) Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar 1 – The Ultimate Fighter 1 finale, April 2005
A stunning three-round fight, and arguably the most important UFC showdown ever. Griffin – who was on leave from his job as a sheriff’s deputy in Georgia – won a decision in what was the most important fight in UFC history.
3) Nate Diaz vs Conor McGregor 2 – UFC 202, August 2016
A five-round classic that had a lasting impact. Just a few months later, McGregor became champ-champ with a win over Eddie Alvarez, before his multimillion dollar boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather. None of that would’ve happened had he not edged Diaz in their spiteful rematch.
2) Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk 1 – UFC 248, March 2020
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The last UFC PPV before Covid shut the world down, and it produced one of the greatest fights ever between defending strawweight champion Zhang Weili and the division’s greatest fighter, Joanna Jedrejczyk. The Polish fighter fell short, and left the Octagon with the worst hematoma on her head you’ll ever see.
1) Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald 2 – UFC 189, July 2015
A bloody, brutal war that left both men smeared with blood and changed their lives forever. Their stare down at the end of the fourth round still gives chills. It takes a lot to overshadow Conor McGregor on one of his own cards, but this might have done it.
Originally published as From 20-1 the greatest ever fights ranked ahead of UFC 300
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