Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez and the Top 5 UFC Heavyweight Title Fights

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

MMA's heavyweight title fights are almost always exciting, and Saturday's UFC 155 was no exception.

Dominating Junior dos Santos for the full 25 minutes, Cain Velasquez regained his championship belt in a thrilling display of heavyweight action.  Despite the loss, "Cigano" showed a ton of heart by refusing to let the now-current champ finish him, culminating in one of the most exciting heavyweight title fights in the promotion's history.

With so many great bouts between the biggest and baddest dudes in the UFC to choose from, here are the top five UFC heavyweight title fights.

5. Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo I

Image via theCageDoor.net

This main event barn burner from UFC 31 was a classic battle that marked Hall of Famer Randy Couture's first championship defense, albeit in somewhat of a controversial fashion.

Taking on a game Pedro Rizzo, this fight was super close as the challenger seemingly had the advantage in the striking department while the veteran Couture scored points with his takedowns and ground-and-pound strikes.  Many onlookers gave Rizzo the nod, but it was Couture who would come out victorious.

Regardless of the decision, both men showed their warrior spirits and displayed a ton of heart in this exciting back-and-forth war.

4. Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez II

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

This past weekend's UFC 155 featured one of the top heavyweight title fights of the past few years.

Determined to not have a repeat KO loss to dos Santos, Velasquez put on a masterful performance as he dominated the now-former champ for all five rounds.  Scoring a ton of takedowns while constantly pressuring with strikes and attacks from every position, Velasquez's dismantling of the Brazilian was a thing of beauty.

What really made this bout an exciting affair was dos Santos' refusal to quit, staying game to the very last second despite receiving a brutal beatdown in the process.

Between Velasquez's display of his MMA arsenal and "Cigano's" never back down attitude, the action just kept coming in one of the year's top fights.

3. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin

Fights featuring comebacks are always exciting, but I'm guessing they are pretty painful for the eventual victor.

Brock Lesnar knows what I'm talking about as his comeback win over Shane Carwin at UFC 121 nearly ended early when the challenger poured on the strikes throughout the first round.  Just barely weathering the storm, Lesnar fired back with a takedown in the second frame and was able to catch the tired Carwin with a tight arm-triangle choke.

This unexpected resurgence by the former champ is definitely the top comeback in heavyweight history.

2. Andrei Arlovski vs. Tim Sylvia II

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In the second meeting between these longtime heavyweight foes, the first ending as a submission win for Andrei Arlovksi just 47 seconds into the first round, Tim Sylvia was poised to not have a repeat performance.

Halfway through the first round, Sylvia was nearly finished for the second time by "The Pit Bull," whose right cross put "the Maine-iac" down on the mat.  Rocked but not out, Sylvia fought back to his feet and eventually landed a huge right hand of his own.

Slipping a hook before landing the KO blow, Sylvia pounced with ground strikes as the referee called an end to the bout.

A huge finish and highlight for the now-former champ, this battle was definitely one of the most exciting fights out of their lengthy saga.

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II

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For me, the most exciting UFC heavyweight title fight has to be the UFC 100 rematch between the then-champ Brock Lesnar and former title holder Frank Mir.

Bad blood had been brewing ever since the two first battled at UFC 81, finally reaching a boiling point when they entered the Octagon for the night's main event.  Lesnar put a beatdown on the ex-champ and completely dominated the fight before finishing Mir with punches in the second frame.

The fun didn't stop there as Lesnar followed the finish by berating Mir inside the cage, flipping off the fans and publicly announcing his love of Coors Light.

Considering all the hype leading into the fight and Lesnar's finish as well as the post-fight drama, this bout was an all-around exciting and interesting affair.

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