"Rampage" Jackson and the 10 Most Brutal Powerbombs Ever Witnessed in MMA

insidefighting.com

Though mixed martial arts can be a blend of smooth transitions and technique, sometimes even the most blunt and unrefined move can be the most effective.

Just ask Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, where some years ago he scored one of the biggest wins of his career when he was pitted against fellow Pride vet Ricardo Arona.

The submission whiz was a powerhouse in the ring, though, Jackson managed to find a way to neutralize the Brazilian Top Team product in such a way that it has become one of the greatest highlight reel finishes of all time. 

Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve

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At UFC on Versus 6, polar opposites Stefan Struve and Pat Barry met in a heavyweight affair.

Struve stood literally a foot taller than the 5-foot-11 Barry, who was using his whipping leg kicks to try to chop down the towering "Skyscraper" to his size.

A scramble in the second round saw Barry end up on the ground momentarily where Struve expertly applied a triangle choke.

The bruiser in Barry did not look for some picture perfect technique in order to stave off the hold. Instead, "HD" hoisted Struve over his head, hoping for a Quinton Jackson-esque slam. 

Though the powerbomb was all kinds of aesthetically pleasing, Struve eventually earned the tap just a few moments later. 

Sarah Kaufman vs. Roxanne Modafferi

When Kaufman reigned as the Strikeforce 135-pound champion, she had a stern test set in front of her when tested veteran Roxanne Modafferi stepped into the cage with her.

"The Happy Warrior" was just coming off of an impressive victory over the touted Tara La Rosa and was thought to be a major challenge for the champ.

In the third round, Modafferi was working from within guard where the powerhouse in Kaufman picked her up and slammed her straight to the canvas, knocking her out cold. 

Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton

At his first shot at gold, Matt Hughes made the most of his opportunity when he took on then-UFC champion Carlos Newton.

The former collegiate wrestling stud didn't have much in his arsenal at the time, save for his powerful grappling skills and some brutal ground and pound.

However, early in the second round, Newton was beginning to cinch up a triangle choke. Hughes elevated the Canadian to elevate pressure, brought him to the cage and slammed him from above the Octagon to the canvas where he laid unconscious. 

Hughes himself was nearly out from the submission hold and the duo later had a rematch, where Hughes solidified himself as champion when he TKO'd Newton on strikes in the fourth. 

Kevin Randleman vs. Fedor Emelianenko

It may not exactly be a "powerbomb" per say, but it was a brutal slam nonetheless. 

Back in the days of Pride, both Randleman and Emelianenko remained the top dogs of the heavyweight class.

The duo eventually met whilst in the 2004 Grand Prix, where Randleman utilized his superior wrestling skills in order to slam the Russian to the canvas in such a way that his spine and neck simultaneously hit the mat at an awkward angle.

Some feared for the worse, though, Emelianenko continued to battle through, eventually subduing Randleman with a submission just moments later. 

Frank Shamrock vs. Igor Zinoviev

To earn the vacant 205-pound UFC title, Shamrock needed just 16 seconds to submit wrestling powerhouse Kevin Jackson.

Though his battle with Igor Zinoviev took a little bit longer (22 seconds), it was impressive nonetheless.

In the first defense of his title, Shamrock slammed the wily Russian to the canvas, who was out as soon as he hit the deck. 

Bob Sapp vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

During the prime of his career, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was a quick thinker with incredible submission skills, to which Bob Sapp can attest to.

However, well before Nogueira eventually earned the tap from his daunting, near-350-pound opponent, Sapp was dominating the Brazilian all over the ring.

Slams galore ensued several times throughout the fight, with Sapp continuing to plug away with strikes from within guard before the jiu-jitsu specialist eventually found his opening and earned the armbar finish. 

Nate Marquardt vs. Thales Leites

While Nate Marquardt remained a viable fighter in the organization some time ago, the Greg Jackson product was pitted against a fellow top contender in Thales Leites.

The Brazilian engaged Marquardt in a back-and-forth battle where midway through the round, as Leites was attempting to bring Nate "The Great" to the canvas, the powerhouse middleweight instead opted to hoist the submission whiz in the air and spike him to the ground.

Ironically enough, Marquardt was not deducted a point for that but for a litany of other infractions. 

Charlie Valencia vs. Ian McCall

Though McCall may be recognized as the best flyweight in the world today, there was a time where the Californian was just another bantamweight who was the next highlight reel finish for one Charlie Valencia.

The duo met whilst under the WEC banner, where Valencia earned arguably his most impressive victory of his career, stunning McCall with successive right hands before horsing him to the ground with a powerful suplex, which amazingly McCall survived from—though the guillotine moments later sealed the deal. 

Tito Ortiz vs. Evan Tanner

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During his reign as king, Tito Ortiz was a scary man to step inside the cage with.

Unfortunately, the late, great Evan Tanner would be able to attest to that as well, when in their 205-pound tilt, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" took the future champ for a ride, changing levels and grabbing hold of Tanner with a powerful clinch before slamming him to the ground, where the Team Quest product went head first and out cold. 

Tommy Dibernardo vs. Nick Defranco

In this battle, we see that the regional shows have something to offer. 

Dibernardo took on Defranco in a match where both men were engaged in a back-and-forth battle early on; though, after an infraction suffered by Dibernardo, things took a turn for the worse for his opponent. 

Dibernardo took Defranco to the mat where he closed up his guard and from there, hoisted his foe not once but twice, stunning him the second time around. He closed the show with some ground-and-pound blows. 

Jump to 5:55 for the beginning of the end. 

Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona

It's a no contest—the infamous Ricardo Arona slam heard around the world has to be at the top.

Whilst in Pride, both Arona and Jackson were some of the top guys in the weight class. Both men were hoping to meet Wanderlei Silva—the Pride Middleweight Champion—again in the future, and they knew the only way there would be to face one another.

Though Arona seemed to have the fight all but locked up when he was beginning to wrap up a triangle choke, Jackson hoisted him over his head and slammed him on to the canvas where Arona was laid out cold immediately after impact.