The 100 Greatest Fights in MMA History: Fights 75-51

Wow, the intro piece to this series got away from me and I didn't stop to think how long a piece of 25 short blurbs would be, proving, yet again, I'm not that bright.

So I'll cut the chit-chat and dive right into this group.

The second tier from the bottom (or top depending on your slant in life) will begin to show the direction I'm going.

Like I said, Nos. 100-76 were more spectacle than true fights for the most part. In Nos. 75-51, you'll see a shift.

There are still some one-sided bouts mixed in here—contests that jump levels because of what they portend for the future of MMA as opposed to the past, but this bank is more true fight than spectacle.

Consequently, I'm expecting some disagreement because entertainment seems more universal than excellence.

Short and sweet (all links were working when posted):

No. 75—Leonard Garcia vs. Roger Huerta at UFC 69 Shootout

One thing lightweights promise is a lot of action—the good ones, at least. What the smaller fighters lack for in power, they reply with speed and activity. Some people prefer the trade and this bout is surely high on their slate of evidence.

El Matador dominated the Bad Boy for three rounds and, as Joe Rogan chirps, never quit coming forward. To his credit, Garcia didn't blink once (he smiled through most of it, in fact) and mounted more than his share of counter-attacks.

They were brief.

No. 74—Cheick Kongo vs. Cain Velasquez at UFC 99 The Comeback

Let's not mince words—the former Arizona State Sun Devil destroyed the larger Kongo. He made him curl up and turtle like a child being attacked by a bear. Velasquez took some of Cheick's best shots and kept coming.

This warrants mention, because the French terror is no shrinking violet.

The expanding pugilist features some impressive victories, yet is still probably only a smidgen more dangerous than a gatekeeper. Nevertheless, that made him Velasquez' first robust challenge in the UFC.

Based on the ex-wrestler's performance, the size of his hands, and his All-American pedigree, Cain Velasquez is someone to watch at heavyweight if he can clean up his striking.

No. 73—Dustin Hazelett vs. Josh Koscheck at UFC 82 Pride of a Champion

You really gotta love Hazelett, and not just because he looked so fluid while dominating a very dangerous opponent for about a round and a half.

Nor because the kid is still only 23.

Any fighter with enough sense of humor to go by McLovin is an hombre with whom I'm siding.

Alas, every young stud has his growing pain. I'm sure quite a bit of it accompanied the lanky welterweight's first coherent thoughts after absorbing a kick/punch combo to the noodle. And Kos doesn't lack for power.

Nevertheless, it's undeniable that the belligerent man who ended the session unconscious was the more impressive for 95 percent of this night—which is why mixed martial arts are so cool.

No. 72—Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 95 Sanchez vs. Stevenson

Meet Mr. Maia—he is the man who will popularize ground fighting amongst the casual American MMA fans.

This is not his most impressive opponent in my opinion, but it was arguably his most impressive fight (you'll see I disagree). Sonnen is an accomplished wrestler and the undefeated Maia was on everybody's radar by this, his most recent fight.

The former NCAA champ knew exactly what the Brazilian planned to do—go to the ground, and strike to open submission opportunities—but still couldn't stop it.

It's hard to believe anyone could ever mount anything but a quixotic charge at Anderson Silva in the Middleweight Division. And yet there's Maia...

No. 71—Nick Diaz vs. Frank Shamrock at StrikeForce Diaz vs. Shamrock

I'll beat the haters to the punch and say Frank Shamrock is not the fighter he used to be. And that is why this fight is all the way down at No. 71. The man is still dangerous, and El Diablo gave him a thorough spanking.

Diaz is a controversial fighter, and not because he pissed hot for marijuana (incidentally, most of the stoners I know are mellow—can you imagine if this dude didn't get sparked?)  Controversy, thy name is persona.

You can see/hear him trash-talking in this one and he's always stirring up some sort of disrespect or personal affront from the past as motivation. I forgive him such transgressions for two reasons—it's mostly for show and dude can fight.

No. 70—Karo Parisyan vs. Georges St. Pierre at UFC 46 The Supernatural

This was GSP's UFC debut, and you can tell because Rogan spends the entire fight slobbering about the Heat while St. Pierre is mauling him. In Joe's defense, Parisyan is a dominant judo specialist and had Rush in several horrible situations.

And he was the better known fighter at that point.

Regardless, St. Pierre would show the foundations of his eventual rise to being one of the sports' most respected and feared fighters—incredible strength, untarnished cardio, and unrelenting ground-n-pound.

Rush has added new toys along the way, and learned his lessons well. Look out.

No. 69—Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre at UFC 74 Respect

I'm actually not the biggest fan of GSP—something about the guy just rubs me a little wrong. Which is funny because you're going to see a lot of him from here on out. There's just no way to deny the man his credit as an extraterrestrial talent.

We've already seen him dominate a world-class judo practitioner and, in this contest, he throttles a reputed world-class wrestler in Kos. True, the blond one gets some good licks in here and there, but the takedowns belong to Rush.

As does the majority of time spent on the attack, on top, and dishing out punishment.

I doubt Koscheck thought that, by the end of the fight, he'd be opting to stand and trade with GSP rather than go to the ground.

No. 68—Ed Herman vs. Demian Maia at UFC 83 Serra vs. St. Pierre II

Another entry from Maia (not his last) features an opponent with polished grappling of his own, and considerable striking prowess. Short Fuse may act like a donkey, but he's got heart and he's no trifling softball.

No surprise, the undefeated Brazilian obliterates him with his special brand of the Gentle Art. Be sure to catch the fluid transitions starting around the 3:33 mark.

There's a little laziness right before he finishes Herman. Of course, the key words there are "he finishes Herman."

No. 67—Thiago Alves vs. Spencer Fisher at Ultimate Fight Night 2

Look, I understand this fight was four years ago and the Pitbull has dusted Parisyan, Koscheck, and Matt Hughes since then; however, King Fisher fights these days at lightweight and he gave GSP's next victim all he could handle.

Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical about Alves' chances against one of the best MMA has to offer. Possibly ever.

It's not like the bigger Brazilian had the American dominated before Fisher got lucky. Quite the contrary, this was a pretty dead heat before the King ended it via triangle.

And now Thiago Alves is supposed to handle Georges St. Pierre? Hmmm...

No. 66—Demian Maia vs. Nate Quarry at UFC 91 Couture vs. Lesnar

This is the last we'll see of Mr. Maia, but it's not his fault—pure and simple, nobody's been able to pose a stiff enough challenge for him to qualify.

In my opinion, this is his most impressive fight to date because it offered a genuine and balanced opponent in Quarry. The Rock will probably retire never having worn a UFC belt of any kind, but don't be fooled by his lack of accolades and quiet demeanor.

Nate's a good fighter and a formidable counterpart. For most MMA warriors.

Not for Demian Maia.

No. 65—Clay Guida vs. Diego Sanchez at TUF 9 Finale

Here's another competitor of whom I'm not so fond, but to whom you must pay homage. The Nightmare is quite literally the embodiment of his nickname—the dude is cuckoo.  But Sanchez is also a high-energy fighter, whom I have no problem believing trains just as hard as he scraps.

That makes him dangerous because he's obviously a special athlete. His striking is crisp in this one, as he proves the Carpenter has one hell of a chin. The entire first round of this fight is a testament to a brand of toughness very few fighters have, but be sure to watch with about 2:05 left in the first round.

No. 64—Thiago Alves vs. Matt Hughes at UFC 85 Bedlam

In my opinion, this is the last of the so-so fights that gets bumped up because of import.

The first four minutes of the "battle" are, truth be told, boring.

From there on out, it's a massacre and the ending is not pretty.

Rogan's shrill lamentations don't help matters—although he's right, Hughes' knee goes down at a grotesque angle (the saving grace being these are welterweights).

For his efforts in London and subsequent UD over Josh Koscheck, the Pitbull gets GSP.

Ah, the exuberance of youth—hope the 25-year-old enjoys his spoils.

No. 63—Thiago Alves vs. Karo Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13

Maybe I included this bout just as an excuse to slide one of Joe Rogan's "gorilla strong" references into the list. I'm always tickled by that because (A) it implies Joe knows what it's like to roll with a primate; and (B) it articulates his point extremely well.

Anyone who's seen the Heat toss guys hither and yon understands the type of strength we mean, which is why this is a better and more impressive victory than the Pitbull's victory over the more accomplished, but fading, Matt Hughes. Thiago is able to shrug off Karo's considerable clenches and take the fracas on his own terms.

As you can see, that's not good news for the Armenian.

No. 62—Dan Henderson vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at Rings King of Kings 1999 Final

This is one of the few, if not the only, rumble I couldn't find online. You can download it here, but it takes some old-school 20 minutes or so to snatch.

Understand this is Dangerous Dan, who now is taking challenges at middleweight against one of the finest heavyweights mixed martial arts has ever seen—in the larger fighter's prime, no less.

Not only that, Henderson had already won a unanimous decision over Gilbert Yvel that same night and would go on to take a majority decision over Renato Sobral after earning the split over Minotauro.

Not a bad night's work.

No. 61—Nick Diaz vs. Diego Sanchez at TUF 2 Finale

One reliable foundation for a great fight looks like this: take two borderline psychopaths with no fear, add as much cardio as the body will take, dump in a high level of skill and proficiency across the breadth of MMA techniques, and voila.

The result is usually a joy for the generic fight fan's senses.

This baby has all of the above, plus the Nick Diaz Special Sauce—some unspecified beef that has him all cantankerous before receiving instructions. And shoulder strikes, who doesn't enjoy an effective shoulder strike?

Gotta love the dude. He's a fighter's fighter, a man who'd probably be in jail if he hadn't found a way to kick ass legally. How Sanchez walked away with a UD is beyond me.

No. 60—Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg at UFC 52 Couture vs. Liddell II

Check the link. I love how it says Dana White considers this to be one of the top 10 MMA fights of all-time. Sorry Dana, not even close.

It is a pretty sweet brawl, though. I can't say it's got much artistry when part of the excitement is a groin strike from Twinkle Toes that goes unnoticed, an ill-advised visual plea to the ref from Hughes, and then a gray-area/cheapshot from Trigg that floors the champ.

But Matt Hughes was a certified beast in his prime (pushing scripture all the while) and proved it by shaking off the blast to the jewels as well as a moderate-to-deep choke.

And the ride across the Octagon is vintage Hughes.

No. 59—Randy Couture vs. Kevin Randleman at UFC 28 High Stakes

The Monster came in wearing the Heavyweight Championship belt that the Natural had vacated during his first (and not last) contractual dispute with the organization. The match-up pitted what were essentially mirror images against each other—racial differences notwithstanding.

Two superlative wrestlers squared off with supreme athleticism and stars across the board for performance. Randleman entered the Octagon with more pop in his hands, but Couture had conditioning on his side.

Guess which won out.

No. 58—Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre at UFC 50 The War of '04

This is the first of three fights between these two legends and is remarkably similar to the rematch except GSP finishes his performance in that one.

In the original stanza, Rush leaves the door open or lets Hughes off the hook or maybe there's a metaphor more to your liking. The point being that St. Pierre had the champ thumped for nigh the entire first round.

Whenever a spinning side kick (roughly at the 15:02 mark) lands that squarely, it's a BAD sign.

Unfortunately for Rush, nerves, hero-worship, or whatever he chose to call it got the better of him with about 15 seconds to go. Hughes took advantage and the triumvirate was etched by the Fates.

No. 57—Mirko Filipovic vs. Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE 20 Armed and Ready

Like I said, we're in the chute now.

This was back in the glory days of PRIDE, the Axe Murderer, and Cro Cop. The promotion is done, Silva has been on the big fade for a while now, and the Croat has had a hard time bouncing back from his epic battle with Fedor Emelianenko.

But, back in 2002, these fellas were two of the most petrifying strikers in the game.

Hence, the stand-off features quite a bit of tip-toeing around the obvious. Fortunately for the bystander, it also comes replete with bone-cracking connections of shin and target.

If we weren't left kissin' our cousin at the end, it'd be higher on the list.

No. 56—Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort at UFC 49 Unfinished Business

I don't know where the saying "good things come in threes" comes from, but it certainly rings true in the varied world of MMA. This conflagration marked a triplet for the Natural and the Phenom.

Couture registered a shocking upset with a technical knock-out at UFC 15. Belfort would retort with an anticlimactic slash of Randy's cheek at UFC 46, which ended the night after 49 seconds.

Needless to say, those soft on the sport were anticipating the tie-breaker after such a rude ending to the rematch—and we got it in spades.

No. 55—Mark Hunt vs. Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE Shockwave 2004

There was a place and a time when some followers of the sweeter science had a corner of their eye reserved for Mark Hunt. Fedor Emelianenko was turning away all comers with superficial ease, but here came this pre-Kung Fu Panda Kung Fu Panda.

As Randy Couture remarks during the fisticuffs, the Kiwi showed a nice natural gift for MMA as well as thunderous striking power with his hands, feet, and knees. The most effective part of the sale was his quickness, though, which was on full display in the fray with the Axe Murderer.

Three things you must know—the round mound took this bad boy on three days' notice, he makes a number of fluid escapes from Silva (an effective practitioner of jiu jitsu), and the atomic butt drop is an actual part of his arsenal (at 3:12).

No. 54—Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi at PRIDE 33 Second Coming

Technically, this was a loss for Diaz because his notorious positive test for smoking dope nullified the victory.

Thankfully, I don't have to adhere to the record books—I'm bound by reality and the reality is Diaz beat the [expletive] out of the Fireball Kid. That was not rope-a-dope toward the end of the first round on the part of the Japanese dynamo.

He'd been spent by El Diablo's constant assault and sneaky-sharp strikes.

And don't be fooled by the blood—Diaz cuts in a stiff breeze. Instead, focus on one of the rarest finishing moves you'll see in modern MMA: the gorgeous, glamorous gogoplata.

No. 53—Mirko Filipovic vs. Mark Hunt at PRIDE Shockwave 2005

This would be the pinnacle of Hunt's reputation. He'd go one to some more wins after earning the split decision over Cro Cop, but a loss to Josh Barnett slowed him down before his hostilities with...well, I'll get to that.

On this night, the New Zealand native went toe-to-belly with arguably the most dangerous and facile striker in the ring at the time.

And it wasn't a Filipovic who was off his game; on the contrary, the former member of Croatian Parliament dished out his customary punishment, leaving Hunt battered and bruised.

But vertical and triumphant.

No. 52—Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson at UFC 86 Griffin vs. Jackson

I like Griffin as much as anyone, but even I wasn't giving the ex-cop from Atlanta much chance against Rampage. For one thing, Jackson is savage—both in force and mentality. It just didn't seem likely Forrest could compete with an attentive Jackson, and it didn't seem likely Quinton would overlook his opposition from The Ultimate Fighter.

And maybe it's inaccurate to imply that's how the Light Heavyweight Championship belt landed around Griffin's waist—lack of preparation or inattention to detail or any such failure on Rampage's part.

After all, Jackson put Forrest on the canvas several times and lasted all five rounds. Ultimately, however, it was the original Ultimate Fighter's dogged attack and superior ground game that carried the night.

No. 51—Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mark Hunt at PRIDE Shockwave 2006

This was really Emelianenko's last serious threat since the dissolution of the PRIDE Heavyweight Division. And it will probably remain as such until the UFC or Fedor capitulates in their juvenile staring contest.

Unless, of course, Brett Rogers becomes something nobody expects him to and only Affliction thinks he can be.

As I mentioned, the Last Emperor came into the brawl spoiling for a substantial scuffle. Many awaiting the fight expected Hunt to give Fedor just that, despite his recent loss to Josh Barnett.

For one hot minute (maybe a little more, but I'm exercising poetic license), it looked like the oval from Oceania would deliver on the promise. He writhed and rolled his way out of submission attempts that snuffed other sad souls, managing to take side mount on the Russian twice. He even put the modern-day Terminator in an apparently fatal kimura.

But this is Fedor Emelianenko—you've heard the story before and the ending's still the same.

Next up:  Nos. 50-26

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