Fight of the Year Watch: October 2013 Edition

Each month, the UFC puts out dynamically explosive cards that have the potential to produce some of the best fights of the year.

Well, in classic form, the UFC manifested yet another unheralded Octagon clash this October, which many now consider the best MMA contest of all time.

How does it stack up against the other barn burners of 2013? Does a three-round lightweight bloodbath take precedence over a Light Heavyweight Championship showdown?

Find out in this month's Fight of the Year watch.

5. Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice

Event: UFC 157

Result: Dennis Bermudez defeats Matt Grice by split decision

In a year that has produced some of the best fights in recent memory, this back-and-forth brawl continues to hold on to a top-five spot.

The fact of the matter is that Bermudez vs. Grice was one of the most entertaining featherweight bouts the UFC has ever seen. 

For three straight rounds, Grice absorbed everything Bermudez had to offer—and more. He staggered alongside the cage, aimlessly winged hopeful punches and made "The Menace" work for every point.

Bermudez ended up taking the split decision in an effort that truly showcased his divisional evolution, but Grice's heart was not to be forgotten on a night capped off by the first ever UFC women's fight. 

4. Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit

Event: UFC 158

Result: Johny Hendricks defeats Carlos Condit by unanimous decision

For a fight that was presumably going to be overshadowed by a long-awaited welterweight title fight between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz, Condit vs. Hendricks delivered on all levels.

It was so good that many fans wouldn't have complained if it counted as UFC 158's main event.

In any case, Hendricks and "The Natural Born Killer" went toe-to-toe for 15 minutes to determine who was next in line to challenge GSP's throne.

Power punches, devastating clinch work and 12 total takedowns filled the Octagon as each fighter played their part in a fight that many consider the best welterweight showdown of 2013.

Unfortunately, it wasn't scheduled for two more rounds, and Hendricks' precise wrestling and iron chin ultimately captured a decision. 

3. Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann

(Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Event: UFC on Fuel TV 8

Result: Wanderlei Silva defeats Brian Stann via second-round KO

Fireworks were bound to fly as Silva and Stann met each other inside the Octagon on Fuel TV this past March.

Not only because Silva was making his return to Japan for the first time since 2006, but because two of the hardest hitting middleweights of all time were more than willing to test each other's chins.

They did not disappoint.

Stann stunned "The Axe Murderer" on multiple occasions in the first round, instilling doubt into the minds of onlooking life-long Silva fans.

However, in classic devastating fashion, the Brazilian turned it up in the second round when he clobbered "The All-American" with a brutal combination of hooks and ground-and-pound.

It's the only finish on this list and one that garners serious recognition. 

2. Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson

Event: UFC 165

Result: Jon Jones defeats Alexander Gustafsson via unanimous decision

Quite possibly the most entertaining and exciting light heavyweight bout in UFC history encompassed two elite fighters who for one September night surpassed their own skill with heart.

What Jones and Gustafsson displayed at UFC 165 last month was not simply a five-round battle of precise strikes and hard-nosed chins, but instead a scintillating tango of attrition and will.

Back-and-forth they waged war in front of a hungry Canadian crowd as the presumably untouchable Jones was peppered by an equally intimidating physical force.

The pound-for-pound king shook off consistent takedown defenses and crisp jabs from the Swede to retain the title and prove he's capable of winning a dog fight.

If it wasn't for the next fight on this slide, Jones vs. Gustafsson would already be crowned Fight of the Year. 

1. Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez

Event: UFC 166

Result: Gilbert Melendez defeats Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision

The very essence of two men leaving it all in the cage and bypassing all tactical tendencies in favor of brawling bloody was clearly displayed when Melendez and Sanchez battled earlier this month.

Their three-round lightweight war was truly something to admire.  For 10 straight minutes, the more precise and calculated Melendez kept the always aggressive Sanchez at bay with crisp boxing and sly angling.

However, after absorbing an unbelievable amount of damage—which left his eyebrow practically hanging off his face—Sanchez's continued pressure and pursuit finally paid off as he dropped Melendez with a vicious uppercut with less than two minutes remaining in the third.

Exhausted and out of sorts, Sanchez opted for a guillotine choke instead of more punches. However, with bloody and tiresome arms, the submission attempt was something that even Royce Gracie himself couldn't pull off.

Instead, the quintessential Fight of the Century was decided by the always unwelcoming judges' scorecards. Three more rounds seems about right.

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