10 Memorable MMA Moments from the Month of May

The UFC brought two major MMA events to your television screens in the month of May, which were capped-off with the successful defense of the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

The UFC got underway in May with UFC on FX 8. Middleweight contenders Vitor Belfort and Luke Rockhold were the main event, and Belfort defeated Rockhold to keep his No. 2 ranking intact.

There were plenty of finishes and surprising developments over the course of the month. One not making the list is Josh Barnett's re-signing to the UFC. After a long time away from the Octagon, and a rocky relationship with UFC President Dana White, Barnett is back.

May delivered on all fronts.

Here are 10 of the most memorable moments from the past four weeks.

Miesha Tate Replaces Cat Zingano as TUF Coach

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Big news in TUF world - @catzingano suffers an injury, @mieshatate steps in to coach TUF 18 against @rondarousey ufc.com/news/tuf-18-ro…

"

"— UFC (@ufc) May 28, 2013"

The news came out of nowhere, and the highly anticipated rematch we didn't think we would see is now officially on.

Cat Zingano defeated Miesha Tate in their encounter earlier this year to win her spot against Ronda Rousey. Zingano was down on the judge's scorecards heading in to the third frame, and stopped the former Strikeforce champion.

With the animosity between Tate and Rousey, and with Tate's valiant effort against Zingano, she was the logical choice to replace the injured Zingano.

The breaking news was certainly a memorable moment for fans of this rivalry.

Glover Teixeira's Love of Mike Tyson

Glover Teixeira took care of business at UFC 160, where he easily defeated James Te Huna by way of submission.

The finish itself is not memorable, but Teixeira's post-fight celebration was.

Teixeira is a big fan of Mike Tyson. He watches videos of Tyson's past fights before each of his fights. Tyson being in attendance for UFC 160 was a big deal for Teixeira, where he got to meet his idol and act like a kid in a candy store.

Teixeira's jubilation at meeting Tyson sticks out as one of the best moments from the month.

John Lineker TKO's Azamat Gashimov

Flyweight's are not supposed to have the kind of power that John Lineker does.

Lineker puts full force behind his punches, and they all have bad intent. Azamat Gashimov learned this at UFC on FX 8, when Lineker finished him off in the second round.

The lighter weight classes are known for their technical proficiency more than for their brute strength. Lineker breaks the mold with his power punching. It is a sight to see, and we got to witness it in May.

Fans of the UFC are finally being treated to Lineker's fun fighting style and brutal power.

Jacare's UFC Debut

Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza's UFC debut could not have gone any better.

Jacare was scheduled to meet Costa Philippou before a cut forced him off the card. Chris Camozzi replaced Philippou and gave Jacare a good opponent to showcase his skills against.

His debut was highly anticipated, and fans got to see why.

What was most memorable about his finish was how quickly he put Camozzi to sleep. Jacare is a whole different level on the ground than most, and the quickness in which Camozzi started to count sheep shows this perfectly.

Jeremy Stephens Bloodies Estevan Payan

Few fights, if any, were as nasty as Jeremy Stephens vs. Estevan Payan.

Stephens cut Payan in the first round, and Payan immediately started to leak all over the canvas. It was gruesome.

Credit must be given to Payan for toughing it out and surviving for all three rounds, though. He never gave up, and tried to battle back, but Stephens was simply too much at UFC 160. The elbows that cut him were devastating, and the visual of the blood pooling on the canvas were cringe-worthy.

The images of that pool of blood won't be easy to forget.

Nurmagomedov's Takedown Record

Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated his match against Abel Trujillo at UFC 160.

What was most impressive, though, was his UFC-record 21 takedowns.

Trujillo had no answer for Nurmagomedov's takedowns, and he was only just able to survive on the ground against him. Trujillo worked his way back to his feet, only to be taken right back down.

Nurmagomedov looked every bit the part of an elite lightweight in the fight; only time will tell if he truly is, though. He will need to face better competition to truly prove that. His grappling skills will definitely be the focus for his future opponents.

TJ Grant Earns Lightweight Title Shot

TJ Grant was still a widely unknown lightweight entering UFC 160 with a title shot on the line. He consistently flew under the radar while winning four-straight in the division.

Gray Maynard was his toughest task to date, and Grant took him out in under half-a-round.

Grant is known for his submission styling, but his striking has been on full display in his recent outings. That trend continued against Maynard, where Grant was precise with his stand-up and put away Maynard in spectacular fashion.

Grant earned himself a shot at Benson Henderson and the UFC's lightweight crown.

Velasquez Destroys Bigfoot

Cain Velasquez had already defeated Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in 2012, but Bigfoot got a title shot anyway.

Velasquez finished him again in just 81 seconds of action.

The heavyweight champion had his takedowns stuffed early on, but he knocked Bigfoot down with crisp, excellent striking. He continues to impress each time he hits the Octagon.

Velasquez's domination was very memorable—perhaps not as memorable as his first go-round with Bigfoot—but the champion added to his highlight reel at UFC 160.

JDS' Spinning Back Kick

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos took on vaunted striker Mark Hunt at UFC 160, and he was content on standing and trading with the former K-1 champion.

Dos Santos showed that he is an elite striker. His boxing was fast, precise and damaging. However, it was an unseen arsenal that captivated everyone.

Late in the third round, Dos Santos threw a spinning back kick that caught Hunt on top of the head. Hunt fell, and Dos Santos followed up with a massive punch right on the button. It was curtains for Hunt.

The spinning back kick was not expected from Dos Santos, but it will definitely be hard to forget. It will be added to future UFC DVD packages.

Vitor Belfort's Spinning Heel Kick

The top moment from this month, and perhaps the year, was from Vitor Belfort.

Belfort is known for his blistering fast hands, and Luke Rockhold was going to try and weather the storm early. He failed.

Belfort waited for the right moment, and then he threw a second spinning back kick that found its mark.

The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion caught Rockhold with his heel, and Rockhold went down. Belfort swarmed and had to be pulled off by the referee. No one foresaw Belfort landing a spinning heel kick in the fight, but that's exactly what he did.

The old lion of the UFC continues to improve and add more to his arsenal. The knockout shot up the list for potential Knockout of the Year, and was definitely the most memorable moment of the month.