The 100 Greatest Fights in MMA History: Fights 50-26

The land of meat and spuds, fight fans, that's where we are.

The filet mignon, veal cutlets, and Lyonnais potato are still ahead, but Nos. 50-26 feature some tasty dishes in their own right. Dare I say, some delicious ones?

I do.

At this altitude, we start breathing rarefied air—bouts featuring titans clashing for high stakes, usually decided after a scintillating back-and-forth affair that allows both combatants to exhibit their considerable prowess. But, even up here, you'll see some contests more profound in meaning than deed.

The pure statement matches are less frequent the higher we get, especially when we get to the next tier. But there's still room for a couple in the top 50. Once we hit the top 25, everything is a statement and a great actual fight so the point is moot.

But let's crawl before we walk (all links were working when posted—Nos. 75-51 are here):

No. 50—Shane Carwin vs. Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96 Jackson vs. Jardine

Like I said, some momentary explosions populate even this bank.

You'll see a more glorious moment for Napao a little later, but this particular night finds him on the receiving end of said violence. Shane Carwin was hot on everyone's mind heading into this one because everyone's always on the watch for the next big heavyweight.

Looks like we've found one.

After wearing a couple evil shots from a sincerely powerful man in Gonzaga, Carwin is able to brush away the cobwebs as well as the Brazilian's vice-like, post-takedown clench to create space.

Both Cain Velasquez and Carwin have legitimate claims to the Heavyweight Division's next big thing—Shane's is more persuasive.

No. 49—Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 Breakthrough

This the fight that put eventual Light Heavyweight Champion (and now ex-such champ) Sugar Rashad on the map. If you're of the opinion that a couple good shots later in a belligerent's career carry the cumulative weight of those absorbed over said career, than Evans helped finish the Iceman's slide that Quinton Jackson started (at 18:45).

The feeling out process is lengthy, but the action picks up in earnest at the end of the first round and Goldie throws in one of his "he can just explode on people" to keep you entertained.

Once the leather starts to fly in the second round, you can see Evans' superior speed really take over. Plus, Liddell is visibly upset about having to stalk the younger fighter—and that's always the first step to beating the Iceman.

No. 48—Jason Delucia vs. Royce Gracie at UFC 2 No Way Out

Poor, poor Jason Delucia. Although, you've got to give him oodles and oodles of respect—he knew exactly what was waiting for him inside that Octagon and, yet, into its teeth he went. 

If you surf the old, dark places of the Web, you can uncover some grainy gym footage of Royce toying with Jason at some backwater stop in the training circuits.

The only differences between that disembowelment and this one are time and place.

As in, less time and different place—Gracie doesn't toy with the accomplished martial artist. Instead, he goes right for the arm bar and pops Delucia's joint.

Just another day at the office for the Godfather of MMA. Incidentally, this was the fight that sold me on the legend of Royce Gracie—Jason Delucia was no easy mark.

No. 47—Mirko Filipovic vs. Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70 Nations Collide

The beauty of this fight is all about anticipation and execution.

This was only Cro Cop's second rodeo in the UFC after warming up against some cupcake in his debut. Not only that, he was coming off wins over Josh Barnett (twice), Wanderlei Silva, Hidehiko Yoshida, Ikuhisa Minowa, a split decision loss to Mark Hunt, and a unanimous decision loss to some guy named Fedor Emelianenko (we'll get to that one...eventually).

Finally, Dana White and his machine were doing their best to spread word, near and fall, of Filipovic's lethal striking marksmanship—especially those head kicks.

To quote one of B/R's resident fight expert, Irish Mike D, "there is awesome underlying meaning in the form of retribution."

That form being Napao's big right leg. Really hard to believe Mirko escaped without ghastly damage to that knee. One of the most horrifyingly fascinating KOs you'll ever see.

No. 46—Rashad Evans vs. Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 The Ultimate 2008

There are some rather obvious parts to Forrest Griffin's game that make him a fan favorite—he's tough and that allows him to fight with neither fear nor regard.  Consequently, there is always a better than average amount of action.

Of course, it's not always the smartest strategy for the Ohio native. This skirmish was one of those times.

It's a championship bout so there's a longer-than-usual dance at the beginning, but the sparks start flying soon enough (about the 10:42 mark on the link). You can almost immediately see Sugar's advantage in quickness and strength compensating for his deficiency in reach.

Incidentally and despite the TKO, there is no better endorsement as to the efficacy of leg kicks than Forrest Griffin.

No. 45—Royler Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba at PRIDE 8

This is probably one of the strangest great fights you'll ever see.

It was the first Gracie pelt for Sakuraba on his way to becoming the Gracie Hunter. However, he did it by kicking the much smaller man into semi-oblivion, which is a little like provoking LeBron James to defend his honor and then mopping the checkerboard with him.

But a win is a win is a win.

Although the Japanese legend finishes via kimura, the real admiration goes to the Brazilian. Look at the size difference and consider Kazushi isn't just bigger and strong—he deploys those assets behind a set of world-class grappling skills.

And, like Royce, Royler dared Sakuraba to tear tendon, joint, and bone because he refused to submit. It seemed the Gracie Hunter was accepting the challenge.

No. 44—Lyoto Machida vs. B.J. Penn at K-1 Hero's 1

Yes, that Lyoto Machida and that B.J. Penn.

I get that people don't like Penn. I get he's arrogant, abrasive, can be disrespectful, etc.  What I don't understand is how that makes the Prodigy different from many of the sport's most popular fighters. Furthermore, most of it's for the show, not the go a la Tito Ortiz or Nick Diaz or Rampage.

Anyway, Penn is a tough and freakish fighter—I'm fond of saying he's got arms for legs. Of course, the chunky version in this fight doesn't get to exhibit much of that dexterity as the Dragon dominates him (check the trip at 13:20).

Even so, the eventual and current UFC Lightweight Champion survives to lose a unanimous decision against the eventual and current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

No. 43—Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock at UFC 40 Vendetta

Unfortunately, I didn't find the entire clip of this fight so the last two or three minutes will have to suffice.

If you only caught the last two iterations in this trilogy, you'd probably be left questioning the need for it in the first place.  Your answer is their pairing at UFC 40.

Although still a relative mismatch, the World's Most Dangerous Man (in his prime) made a last stand in the Octagon against the Huntington Beach Bad Boy's new-school assault in this one. He navigated three rounds, reminded Ortiz he was in the cage for the first two, and managed to walk away from the fracas after his corner stopped it.

The next two times, Shamrock wouldn't be so lucky.

No. 42—Melvin Manhoef vs. Evangelista Santos at Cage Rage 15 Adrenalin Rush

I won't pretend to know what makes a "true" fan of mixed martial arts, but I do know that knowledge of Marvelous Melvin slugging it out with Cyborg shows you take your fights seriously. With the UFC playing MMA's black hole of publicity, it's tough for a fight outside its walls to grab the spotlight.

You wouldn't call this a beautiful fight since both men are dead on their feet by the end and I'm not sure a KO ends it as much as exhaustion. However, any time to combatants pour it all out through their fists and knees like that, they deserve recognition.

Plus, is that a South African accent in the booth?  Sweet.

I don't know how Evangelista survived the flurry at 2:18 in the link.

No. 41—Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE Total Elimination 2003

Some precious delusionals will tell you Sakuraba is one of the very best mixed martial artists of all-time. Wrong. Really wrong. Kazushi was a world-class fighter and there were few better when he was in his element—there can be no doubt about that.

Nevertheless, he was called the Gracie Hunter for a reason. The dude is a legendary grappler, but put him up against a superlative striker like the Axe Murderer?

Well, we saw what happened and this was the third time.

It really is funny how often the announcers will be talking about a "big one" landing right before it happens. You couldn't have scripted the 8:25 mark any better.

No. 40—Luiz Azeredo vs. Takanori Gomi at PRIDE Bushido 9

I don't know the back story to this one, but there simply has to be one. The Fireball Kid loses his freakin' gourd after making Azeredo go night-night. You'd think decimating another person's chin would be retribution enough for the whooping Gomi had embraced to that point.

Apparently not.

The other great thing about the skirmish is Bas Rutten. I wish I could've seen El Guapo fight because he clearly knows the game and I hear he was an astounding athlete.

There is a difference between calling a big shot before it lands and articulating exactly how/why it's gonna happen in the face of an opposite tide. Rutten does the latter when, despite the barrage of Brazilian knees and kicks, he points out that Gomi is setting up the kill shot with body blows (at the 1:23 mark).

No. 39—Stephan Bonnar vs. Jon Jones at UFC 94 Penn vs. St. Pierre II

Every so often, you see a bout where one of the competitors does something and you think to yourself, "why doesn't everyone try to do that?"

That's exactly the situation I found myself in whilst watching Bones toss the American Psycho from cage-to-cage.  Seriously, how can you fight a guy like that if, every time you clinch up with him, he chucks you at some no-warning, unorthodox angle?

And Bonnar's no chump—his only losses in the Octagon were to Forrest Griffin (twice), Rashad Evans, and Lyoto Machida. I'll end the suspense and say, yes, all of those men are intimately familiar with the Light Heavyweight Championship.

Jon Jones is the first non-champ to put Stephan's notch on his belt. Time will tell if he remains the lone exception.

No. 38—Yuki Kondo vs. Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE Final Conflict 2004

Say what you want about Kondo, but he faced off against some of the toughest MMA had to offer at any weight in their prime. Names like Josh Barnett, Dan Henderson, Igor Vovchanchyn, Tito Ortiz, Guy Mezger, Frank Shamrock, Pete Williams, etc.

It's an inconvenient little tidbit that he lost every time, but the Japanese warrior undeniably offered something of value as a challenging opponent.

Perhaps it was merely the ability to take a punch. Or a villainous stomp from the Axe Murderer.

The match also benefits from Quinton Jackson behind the mic. Rampage is openly rooting for Silva while talking trash because Wanderlei had to win this night to advance into a rematch with Jackson.

No. 37—Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua at UFC 97 Redemption

Man, the UFC Light Heavyweight Division is getting really interesting all of a sudden. With Lyoto Machida atop the perch at the moment, we've got an undefeated champ who looks every bit the part.

But you've also got a reanimated Rampage Jackson lurking in the depths. There's Bones Jones and Anderson Silva is making furtive runs around the peripherals.

And, based on his dismantling of the Iceman, it would appear Shogun is ready to join the fray. His strikes were snappingly crisp and heavy—you could see Liddell limping almost immediately after the initial leg kicks (such an underrated weapon). Mauricio additionally showed a good chin (taking a couple Chuck Specials) and still beat Liddell by stalking him—no simple proposition.

I don't know the deal, but Zuffa went on a campaign of scorched earth for this fight. I couldn't find it anywhere, not even a decent highlight reel. This is the best I could do.

No. 36—Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar at UFC 91 Couture vs. Lesnar

What kind of sense does it make that this full fight is easy as pie to find, but the powers-that-be have scoured Liddell-Rua from the face of the Internet?  Odd.

Anyway, I'm not a fan of Neanderthal pound-n-ground accompanied by slabs of meat colliding for position, but it's a legitimate approach to fighting so it's gotta be acknowledged.

Especially since, what Brock Lesnar lacks for in subtlety, he atones for with alien quickness and power. If the Predators ever come to Earth, I'm sending Lesnar because he's our best shot.

The ex-pro wrestler may just be able to knock some of his contenders out through their hands. That would present a significant problem.

As does Lesnar's size—holy God, look at how teeny-tiny Captain America looks by comparison.

No. 35—Dan Henderson vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at PRIDE 24 Cold Fury 3

Here's another drastic size differential with Dangerous Dan playing Randy Couture to Minotauro's Brock Lesnar.

The difference, of course, is that Nogueira is one of—if not the—finest practitioners of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at any weight. Certainly at heavyweight.

Yet, despite a considerable slate of odds stacked against him, Henderson is right there in the pocket. The smaller American fearlessly trades leather with the hulking Brazilian myth, scores multiple takedowns, and even spends some of the fight with the upper hand.

And, don't forget, the great Minotauro was out for revenge. Which he ultimately got.

No. 34—Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE Final Conflict 2003

If you, like me, were surprised by the criminal cheapshots Rampage delivered to an obviously unconscious Axe Murderer after the bell in their latest entente, here's the first part of your answer.

This exemplar is one of those horrific fights that make you wonder if it's physically possible to send a certain participant off to the Land of Nod. Rampage assimilates a tremendous amount of damage, yet his eyes never roll.

Even more impressive considering both men had fought early that same night—Jackson had put down Chuck Liddell while Wanderlei said good-bye to Hidehiko Yoshida.

And Rampage is actually winning the war until the referee stands both men up at the 5:13 mark. Then, the evening takes a wrong turn for Senor Jackson.

Lastly, how scary is Wanderlei? Who slaughters an already punch-drunk target with surgical knees while looking right in his face and smiling?  Yikes.

No. 33—B.J. Penn vs. Matt Hughes at UFC 46 Supernatural

I gotta get this out of the way—the contest is judged by someone named Trowbridge.  Isn't that Chevy Chase's refugee camp cover in Spies Like Us? Dr. Trowbridge?

And why do I remember nonsense like that?

As for the fight, people thought the Prodigy was loco for jumping up in weight to take on the iron-cored Welterweight Champion in Matt Hughes. It doesn't matter those people were right—for ordinary opposition, that is a genuine pair of Bad Idea jeans.

But Penn is not ordinary—in physicality or mentality and he's a little touched in the dome. Of course, maybe he knows something we don't...because he walked away with the title.

Another treat from the fight is getting to hear Goldberg and Rogan back in the insecure days of the UFC. Back when they were still trying to sell MMA as a mainstream sport.

No. 32—Chuck Liddell vs. Guy Mezger at PRIDE 14 Clash of the Titans

The Iceman brought the rest of the UFC into the ring when he faced the Sandman and he started a trend of simultaneous UFC guys making the trip. Gradually, the organization would gain the upper hand and you know the rest.

Again, Bas Rutten demonstrates his pure awesomeness and be sure to catch the liver shots at the 10:52 mark. There's also the priceless moment when Rutten's partner is predicting both men saving themselves for the second round (about 11:52).

Almost as soon as the words have left his tongue, all hell breaks lose.

Those of you who think Chuck is a pop culture, Dana-White-created phenom, take some notes. There's a reason the Iceman was and will always be one of the best.

And, damn, outside of jaws, knees take some terrible abuse in this sport.

No. 31—Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton at UFC 34 High Voltage

I'm clearly not on the same page as the UFC because this was another MMA war that was tough to find. It randomly popped up on YouTube, which is really strange because Zuffa seems to police the site with singular vigilance.

But I'm glad I found it because this fight really is a good one and it flies a bit under the ol' radar.

The Ronin came in as the Welterweight Champion and prepared to defend his belt using a dizzying array of ground techniques—Newton is a sincere badass on the mat.  Unfortunately, Matt Hughes was way, way stronger. He mixes in some trademark cash-and-carries while slam-dancing Carlos around the Octagon. And the finish is rad.

Yes, Hughes was probably out. Of course, so was the Ronin and Matty woke up.

Oh, and you must love the early days of the UFC/MMA, back when they'd have fellow fighters and/or training partners in the booth for some "objective" analysis.

No. 30—Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz the Box Set (UFC 47 and UFC 66)

OK, OK, so I'm cheating on this one—squeezing two fights into one slot. Hey, I've covered 69 fights up until this point and have played it almost perfectly straight. I make no apologies.

Plus, I could only find a low-quality clip of the first fight.

Still, it warrants mentioning because you can plainly see the accidental eye-poke that allows the Iceman to flood the Huntington Beach Bad Boy with nuclear fists. And it's that little technicality that added some extra zest to the rematch between two already colorful characters.

The second battle for respect goes only slightly better for Ortiz.  He manages to persevere through one onslaught from Liddell and gets in some missiles of his own.

Ultimately, though, to no avail and Chuck retained his Light-Heavyweight Title.  I think a firmer set of bragging rights was the bigger reward.

No. 29—Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva at PRIDE 28 High Octane

There is only one conclusion when you see the stare down between these two assailants during fight instructions—they are two violent individuals on the very edgiest edges. 

We all owe Rorion Gracie, Dana White, whomever a large debt of gratitude for keeping them in the Octagon rather than roaming the streets with all that pent up rage.

This fight exemplifies perfectly why die-hard MMA fans whisper tales of Rampage and the Axe Murderer in reverent tones. It also explains why you won't find the third piece of the trilogy anywhere on the list—Silva was not the same fighter anymore and Rampage went over the edge with the unnecessary shots (which I blame on the ref cam at the end of this one).

The way Jackson wades through those atrocious knees and fists is, at times, superhuman. The punch at 5:40 in the link is from Wanderlei Silva and lands flush, Quinton barely staggers.

And he just keeps coming until the Axe Murderer finds the elusive Rampage button.

No. 28—Carlos Newton vs. Kazushi Sakuraba at PRIDE 3

If a strict slugfest can skyrocket up the charts, then so can a resplendent grappling display. 'Resplendent' is the appropriate word for what these two masters of their art authored. 

Plus, you get more of Bas Rutten's brilliance and a chance to see El Guapo on the pre-fight mic.

As for the event itself, I've mentioned the Gracie Hunter's artistry on the mat and alluded to the same from the Ronin. Well, it's no surprise a combination of the two is superb.

If you only like fists, knees, and bloody stunners, you're not gonna like this one because it's a display closer to the true spirit of the Gentle Art. Both antagonists strike fluidly, but they use such attacks more as decoys to create openings than to do serious damage.

The balance and dexterity as well as airtight technique is beyond description, particularly for someone lacking the vocabulary. Just make sure to catch the 40 second jet-stream starting at about 2:20.

No. 27—B.J. Penn vs. Matt Hughes at UFC 63 Penn vs. Hughes

It's too bad for the Prodigy that his two most memorable battles were with fellow future UFC Hall-of-Famers. Consequently, both ended in losses and stoppages at that.

Strangely, Penn came into the rematch with Hughes as the challenger to the Welterweight Championship Title. 

Despite wearing the belt after his previous victory over the Miletich-product, he lost the honor during his subsequent contract dispute with the suits and appeared to be impatient for the reclamation.

The Prodigy entered the Octagon in superficially great shape—he looked strong and trim with a good bounce to his step.

And then he proved looks can be deceiving by gassing in the third round after having the champ on the ropes and frustrated. The Hawaiian almost had the older American submitted in the second, but the attempt took its toll.

Penn, sucking wind, blundered into a crucifix during the third and poof, the belt was safe.

No. 26—Ryo Chonan vs. Anderson Silva at PRIDE Shockwave 2004

Ouch, this one stings.

The Spider is one of my favorite fighters at the moment and of all-time so including his last loss irritates me. But it's gotta be done.

Forget Yushin Okami's "victory" over Anderson. I'm fond of saying a win is a win, but not when the 'W' comes courtesy of disqualification and the matter at hand is fighting. To really win a fight, you can't be getting destroyed and then be saved by a nuance.

To win a fight, especially one over the Spider, you must do what the Piranha did.  And that's no easy thing.

You've got to stand up to one of MMA's best for the better part of three rounds. You've got to pepper him with shots and irritate him with action. You've gotta be tough with miles and miles of heart because you're gonna eat some hostilities and you'll need to shirk off some oppressive submissions.

Finally, you've got to catch him with something obscenely exotic, like a flying heel hook.  But not a flying heel hook since Chonan used it up already.

Next up:  Nos. 25-11

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