The Defining Fight for GSP and the 20 Greatest MMA Fighters

Given that the sport of MMA is relatively young compared to some of the other institutions in the world, we've been privileged to watch some of the best fighters in its history compete before our eyes.

Although there are numerous instances where we can point to a fighter's greatness showing through, each of them has a defining fight that helped to define their legacy.

A number of factors helped create these moments. Many share the same characteristics such as hype for the fight or a strong history between the two men.

One thing is clear. All of these men performed greatly when opportunity called and provided a defining moment for their careers.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko "Cro Cop"

In perhaps the climactic showdown in heavyweight MMA history, Fedor Emelianenko took on touted K-1 striker Mirko "Cro Cop."

For years "Cro Cop" displayed devastating striking attacks that featured a WMD-level high kick. Prior to the bout, fans were expecting "Cro Cop" to display his patented tough takedown defense and utilize his powerful strikes to throw the Russian off.

Emelianenko, meanwhile, was expected to take the fight to the ground where he could use his Sambo background along with his heavy ground and pound.

In a surprise move, Emelianenko  bested the K-1 striker on the feet and dominated "Cro Cop" on the mat. The win secured Emelianenko's place as the top heavyweight in the world.

Honestly, you could swap this bout with Emelianenko's battles with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira as Emelianenko survived inside the Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard's guard, but I chose this one as it was definitely a more impacting bout.

Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II

In a crazy fight, Matt Hughes created one of the biggest comebacks in MMA history against Frank Trigg. Their first bout ended with Hughes securing a rear-naked choke on the challenger Trigg.

The rematch was nearly a twist of fates as a groin shot to Hughes opened the door for Trigg to swarm the welterweight champion. Trigg secured a rear-naked choke attempt of his own, but Hughes fought through it and eventually turned the tables on Trigg.

Hughes picked Trigg up and carried him across the Octagon in a move that Hughes fans know all too well. After some ground-and-pound, Hughes would eventually secure another tapout with a rear-naked choke of his own.

The champion faced arguably his toughest adversity outside of the loss to BJ Penn at this point in his career. Hughes not only survived a dangerous scare but came roaring back in dominant fashion to effectively end his rivalry with Trigg.

Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz

"The friendship is over."

That was the line that was repeated to us heading into the climactic showdown between Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. For years, Ortiz reigned over the light-heavyweight division but somehow managed to avoid facing one of the top challengers in Liddell.

Fans were starting to speak out loud about Ortiz ducking "The Iceman," but Ortiz retained the idea that they were friends and former training partners. Liddell adamantly denied a secret "non-aggression" pact ever existed between the two.

Once the he-said-he said stuff was finished, Liddell became the undeniable king at 205 pounds by taking out Ortiz in impressive fashion. Ortiz's run as champion was effectively done, and Liddell would go on to be the king of the division in the UFC for years.

Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia

Although Randy Couture made his name off defeating his rivals Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, it was his bout against Tim Sylvia that gave him the legendary status he enjoys today.

After taking time away from the Octagon, Couture returned to the UFC to square off against the mammoth-sized heavyweight champion Sylvia. The champion was supposed to have all the advantages one could want: size, strength, age and length.

But there's was one thing fans didn't factor into this bout: Couture's game-planning.

Couture worked inside the long reach to drop Sylvia during the opening seconds and would never be in trouble for the remainder of the fight. This bout cemented the legacy of Couture and proved to MMA fans that we should never doubt "Captain America."

Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson II

In what many people consider to be the best fight of 2004, Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson renewed their intense rivalry for another battle.

The first bout ended with Silva landing a flurry of knees from the Muay Thai clinch, and he finished Jackson off with some soccer kicks for good measure. In the rematch, Jackson once again found himself inside the clinch with Silva but was able to avoid being put into the Muay Thai plum once again.

The end to a back-and-forth fight came in the second round as Silva used his Muay Thai clinch to land a handful of knees to Jackson's head. The resulting image would become one of the most famous in MMA history as Jackson was sprawled out between the ropes, blood dripping from his forehead.

Their rivalry was one of the most violent in MMA history and although Silva would lose their rubber match, his two performances in Pride created no doubt as to who the better fighter was in this rivalry.

Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Mauricio Rua entered Pride as a huge underdog in many of his fights, but that didn't stop the Brazilian from climbing the 205-pound rankings.

Although it would be his victory over Ricardo Arona that won Rua the 2006 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix, it was the quarterfinal bout that made Rua into a superstar.

In an action-packed fight, Rua and his opponent Antonio Rogerio Nogueira exchanged numerous flurries that saw both men be nearly finished by the other. The fight is widely regarded as one of the best in MMA history.

The win against Nogueira proved Rua was among the 205-pound elite and demonstrated the toughness we've come to expect from the former Chute Boxe star.

BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes I

When fans heard that the lightweight kingpin BJ Penn had decided to move up a weight class to fight the reigning champion Matt Hughes, they laughed off the smaller fighter's chances.

Penn came in and shocked the world by taking out the much bigger fighter in Hughes. Using his jiu-jitsu skills, Penn secured a tapout victory by his most prolific move, the rear-naked choke.

The win made Penn only the second fighter to win a title in two different weight classes and all but guaranteed a place in the UFC's Hall of Fame.

It would also begin Penn's process of switching weight classes to find the best fight, a move that may have tainted his legacy at times to some fans.

Dan Henderson vs. Wanderlei Silva II

During the twilight of Pride's run in Japan, a superfight between Wanderlei Silva and Dan Henderson came together. Silva, the Pride middleweight champion would be putting his belt on the line against the Pride welterweight champ, Henderson.

Henderson had competed at the 205-pound mark before and enjoyed some mixed results. Possessing world class wrestling with devastating power, Henderson was a true dual threat opponent. Silva meanwhile, possessed a black belt in BJJ, but there was no mistaking where Silva earned his money—with his Muay Thai style striking.

Although Henderson's patented "H-Bomb" is notorious for ending opponents' nights, it was in fact a left hook from the American that scored the impressive KO finish.

The win made Henderson a dual champion and the first man to hold a title in two different weight classes at the same time in a major MMA organization.

Anderson Silva vs. Chris Leben

A relative unknown to many MMA fans at the time of his UFC arrival, Anderson Silva wasted no time introducing himself to fight fans.

His opponent Chris Leben had been a very popular fighter since his days on the inaugural Ultimate Fighter season. Leben possessed a granite chin with heavy hands, so fans who had not seen Silva in Pride were expecting a great showing from Leben, aka "The Crippler."

Unfortunately for Leben, Silva decided to use him as a human punching bag as the Brazilian took virtually no damage while embarrassing Leben in the process.

The bout announced Silva as a serious contender for the UFC middleweight title in just his first appearance and set him up for his amazing run inside the Octagon. 

Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes II

In their original matchup, Matt Hughes defeated the young Georges St-Pierre to retain his welterweight title. Fans knew St-Pierre would become a superstar but simply wasn't ready to assume the mantle just yet.

At UFC 65, St-Pierre firmly asserted himself as the top dog at 170 pounds. GSP came in and simply dominated the Hall of Famer Hughes en route to securing his first UFC title.

The win propelled St-Pierre into superstar status as he defeated one of the most iconic figures in MMA history and proved to the world that he was ready to reign supreme.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Mirko "Cro Cop"

One of the true legends of the heavyweight division in MMA history, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira won the interim Pride Heavyweight Championship against Mirko "Cro Cop" at Pride Final Conflict 2003.

"Cro Cop" won much of the first round, but Nogueira would complete one of his miraculous comebacks and secure a takedown in the second round. Nogueira capitalized on the opportunity and grabbed a hold of "Cro Cop's" arm. A resulting arm bar gave Nogueira another Pride title.

Besides the title accolade, the win would become a standard method of victory for Nogueira in the future as the Brazilian repeatedly obtained insane come-from-behind victories in his career.

Mirko "Cro Cop" vs. Wanderlei Silva

Perhaps in one of the greatest highlights in MMA history, Mirko “Cro Cop” unleashed his patented high kick against Wanderlei Silva.

The bout was the semifinal to the 2006 Pride open-weight Grand Prix. “Cro Cop” used his superior technique against the wild striker and finally finished Silva with a devastating head kick.

Without a Pride heavyweight title to his credit, the 2006 Grand Prix victory is “Cro Cop's” biggest accolade, and the finish against Silva remains one of his best highlight-reel finishes.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock

Tito Ortiz may not have been able to defeat Frank Shamrock, but in one of the biggest grudge matches in UFC history, Ortiz dominated Frank's brother Ken. 

Ken entered the fight as a living legend of the early days and vowed to make Ortiz finally show some respect. If Ken's strategy was to prove he could take a beating, he achieved his goals as the fight was one of the most one-sided bouts in UFC history.

Ortiz's win against Ken firmly established “the new guard” and Ortiz's place as a superstar in the UFC for years to come.

Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock

Royce Gracie will go down as one of the most influential fighters in MMA history. But when he entered the first UFC tournament challenge, most fight fans scoffed at the chances of the tiny Brazilian fighter.

Gracie would open everyone's eyes as he used his Gracie jiu-jitsu to defeat numerous bigger opponents on his way to winning the tournament. One of these opponents was Ken Shamrock.

Shamrock entered the bout looking like a professional body builder with deadly MMA skills to boot. Gracie made quick work of Shamrock and provided Gracie with his first win over a legitimate opponent.

Bas Rutten vs. Masakatsu Funaki

Bas Rutten was the undeniable King of Pancrase, amassing a 25-4-1 record in the promotion. Perhaps the most noteworthy bout of Rutten's career was against MMA legend Masakatsu Funaki.

Funaki was the fan favorite and “golden boy” of the Pancrase promotion. In an absolute war, Rutten was able to finish Funaki after battling for over 17 minutes.

Rutten's battles with the Shamrocks are well documented but for many fans overseas, his defeat of their hero remains one of the lasting images of Pancrase.

Quinton Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell II

When Quinton Jackson challenged Chuck Liddell for a second time, fans were caught up in a tense debate.

Liddell had lost to Jackson earlier, but that was in Pride and in Japan.“The Iceman” was the king of the Octagon, and Jackson was coming to Liddell's realm.

The result would be the same, as Jackson emerged victorious after KO'ing Liddell to win the UFC light-heavyweight title.

The battle between the two men was one of the first PPV's that had major media coverage, and Jackson used the spotlight to become one of the biggest superstars in MMA.

Jon Jones vs. Mauricio Rua

Jon Jones was in the midst of one the greatest years in MMA history when he challenged Mauricio Rua for the UFC light-heavyweight title. Jones was given the title shot after his training partner Rashad Evans was injured, and Jones had just defeated Ryan Bader.

In the weeks leading up to the fight, Rua fans were foaming at the mouth at the prospects of their champion unleashing thunderous leg kicks to Jones' small frame. Those dreams would not come to fruition as Jones dominated every second in the fight en route to becoming the youngest champion in UFC history.

The Rua victory is arguably Jones' most impressive feat to this day and set in motion the events that have led to the rivalry between Jones and Evans.

Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber

Jose Aldo had been a wrecking machine on his way to winning the WEC featherweight title. Against the man who had just defeated Urijah Faber twice, Mike Brown, Aldo dominated.

It was Aldo's defense against Faber that would be the crowning achievement to Aldo's career thus far. Aldo utilized his leg kicks to neutralize Faber's wrestling and reduced the former featherweight champion to nothing more than a standing kicking bag. 

The win over Faber cemented Aldo's place among the featherweight elite.

Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Royler Gracie

Kazushi Sakuraba is known by many MMA fans as “The Gracie Hunter.” It was his bout against Royler Gracie that first gave Sakuraba his nickname and began the intense rivalry between he and the Gracies.

The bout was marred by controversy as the referee intervened before Royler would tap out. The loss was also the first of the Gracie family in years and was quite a shock across the MMA world.

Sakuraba's victory over Royler would set him on the path to legendary battles with Royce, Renzo and Ryan Gracie.

Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz

One of the greatest battles in MMA history took place in 1999 between Frank Shamrock and Tito Ortiz. Shamrock had won the UFC light-heavyweight title against Kevin Jackson in 1997.

Utilizing his superior skills and conditioning, Shamrock defeated the young star Ortiz. Shamrock used a brutal array of strikes to secure a tapout due to strikes near the end of Round 4.

Shamrock's victory made him one of the greatest champions in UFC history. His personal vendetta against Dana White has forced White to remove Shamrock's legacy from UFC record books, but he remains one of the best champions in the promotion's history.