The 10 Greatest Fights In UFC History

When two competitors step inside the Octagon, one fight can have a lot of impact on their careers. It can determine who is superior, exploit strengths and/or weaknesses and more importantly, cement a legacy.

These next 10 fights have impacted the company and brought UFC a lot of success, ultimately attracting legions of MMA fans and media.

It has not only brought success for UFC but also for the UFC fighters, some of the most recognizable and talented professional athletes in the world, notably Georges St-Pierre, Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva and Brock Lesnar.

Here are the 10 Greatest Fights in UFC History.

No.10: UFC 1: Royce Gracie Vs. Ken Shamrock

UFC 1: The Beginning

Before prolific fighters like Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture entered the Octagon, there was Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock.

Both fighters were the top two stars in UFC at the time and an anticipated bout between them was bound to happen.

At UFC 1 tournament, Gracie and Shamrock met in a semi-finals match up.

Both fighters displayed some of the best submission skills in MMA and once they squared off, Gracie had the superior ground game. Once the bell sounded, Gracie pressed towards Shamrock and immediately brought the fight to the canvas, and both of them put on a grappling clinic.

Gracie pulled guard and attempted to submit Shamrock with a triangle choke, but he reversed and mounted him. From there, Gracie established good position and controlled Shamrock on the ground, meanwhile Shamrock was looking to generate some offense by grabbing Gracie's leg. However, Shamrock gave his back to Gracie, which allowed the Brazilian to apply a choke and get the win.

Shamrock and Gracie would meet two years later, in a bout that would culminate in a draw.

No.9: UFC 68: Randy Couture Vs. Tim Sylvia

UFC 68: Couture vs. Sylvia

Entering this bout, no one believed Randy Couture would beat Tim Sylvia, except for Randy Couture.

The then-43 year old came out of retirement to compete for the UFC heavyweight crown and from the opening bell, Couture controlled and dominated his opponent en route to an unanimous decision victory.

"Not bad for an old man," replied Couture in his post-fight interview.

The entire arena came unglued when 'The Natural' was awarded the UFC heavyweight title and he certainly savoured the moment, as he smiled from ear to ear, proving age is nothing but a number.

Couture's heart and determination never lets MMA fans down, and it definitely earns him a spot on this list. 

No.8: UFC 60: Matt Hughes Vs. Royce Gracie

Not only is this one of the greatest fights in UFC history, but it also was an implication that MMA was evolving, as Matt Hughes took on the pioneer of UFC, Royce Gracie.

Hughes and Grace contested in a competitive battle, that would have MMA pundits and fans guessing over which fighter was superior on the ground, the answer was the younger, dominant Matt Hughes.

At one point, Hughes attempted an armbar on Gracie and almost broke his arm but the Brazilian refused to tap and somehow escaped. However, the longer the bout stayed on the ground, the more Hughes would control and dictate the pace of the fight with his superior wrestling skills.

Once Hughes established top position he was able to mount Gracie, flatten him out and earn the TKO victory in the first round. 

No.7: UFC 47: Tito Ortiz Vs. Chuck Liddell

UFC 49: Liddell vs. Ortiz

Prior to their first bout, Tito Ortiz was avoiding Chuck Liddell for the longest time but once it made was official, it was time for Ortiz to step up and fight.

Liddell out pointed and out struck Ortiz, dominating him on the feet.

In the second round, Ortiz fared much better as he picked his shots and landed hard punches, but it angered Liddell, as he aggressively pressed forward and unloaded a barrage of punches on Ortiz.

Liddell picked up the victory via KO and earned his shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

No.6: UFC 66: Tito Ortiz Vs. Chuck Liddell 2

It was one of the most anticipated title fights in UFC history, as Chuck Liddell and rival Tito Ortiz squared off for a second time.

Both competitors endured different paths to get to this climatic rematch; the champion, Liddell, was  steamrolling through the Light Heavyweight division, beating opponents such as Randy Couture and Renato 'Babalu' Sobral.

Meanwhile, Ortiz was climbing back up the ladder, riding a five-fight win streak as he dominated opponents like Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, and Ken Shamrock.

Much like their first encounter, Liddell outstruck and dominated the brash, controversial Ortiz. While he held on for a little longer, the superior striking and power of Liddell was too much for Ortiz and he ended up getting dropped in an exchange with the Light Heavyweight champion. Liddell won via TKO.

No.5: UFC 65: Matt Hughes Vs. Georges St-Pierre 2

In the previous bout between the two Welterweight competitors, Hughes made short work of St-Pierre as he applied an armbar at the end of the first round.

Their rematch was completely different.

St-Pierre controlled the bout and out wrestled the champion, as he maintained good position and took down Hughes at will. On the feet, St-Pierre was far superior compared to Hughes, as he mixed up his strikes with a combination of kicks and knees.

While standing with St-Pierre, Hughes faked a strike and shot in for a take down but St-Pierre telegraphed with a head kick that dropped the champion to the canvas. St-Pierre followed up with strikes and was crowned new UFC Welterweight champion.

The win for St-Pierre signified a new era in UFC Welterweight division.

No.4: UFC 52: Randy Couture Vs. Chuck Liddell 2

Following his destruction of Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell squared off against Randy Couture in a rematch for UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.

Since Couture put on a wrestling clinic against 'The Iceman' in their previous bout, Liddell needed to make some necessary adjustments if he wanted to capture the UFC's most coveted title. And he did just that, in devastating fashion.

Liddell was much more composed and landed more effective shots on Couture, before countering with a right hand that dropped the champion and knocked him out in the opening round.

Liddell captured the Light Heavyweight title and he would go on to dominate the division for nearly two years.

No.3: UFC 52: Matt Hughes Vs. Frank Trigg 2

Perhaps one of the most intense rivalries in UFC history culminated at UFC 52.

Matt Hughes squared off against rival Frank Trigg in an intense battle that saw it almost come to blows during the stare down, it was evident that both competitors shared a mutual disliking for each other.

Both men came out and started throwing early, before Hughes pressed forward and clinched with Trigg up against the cage. While clinching, Trigg landed a low blow on Hughes and followed up with strikes, looking to finish him.

Visibly hurt, Hughes was unable to defend himself and it allowed Trigg to mount and maintain top position, eventually taking his back and applying a rear naked choke.

However, while Trigg applied the submission, he didn't position his hands properly to sink in the choke which allowed Hughes to escape and pick up Trigg, carrying him across the Octagon and slam him.

Hughes mounted his opponent and landed hard shots, Trigg tried to escape but Hughes took his back and applied a rear naked choke for the win.

The win for Hughes was one of the most remarkable comebacks in UFC history.

No.2: UFC 79: Wanderlei Silva Vs. Chuck Liddell

Silva vs. Liddell Preview

At UFC 79, Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva would finally do battle in the most anticipated match up in UFC history.

For almost four years, fans wanted to know who was the most dominant 205-pound fighter on the planet, Liddell or Silva. While both men are now shells of their former selves, they still put on a competitive fight.

For three straight rounds, Silva and Liddell exchanged blows and brawled with each other, as the Las Vegas crowd roared in approval. While neither fighter got the knockout they had hoped for, the bout was still very entertaining and competitive.

In the end, Chuck Liddell emerged as the winner via unanimous decision and gave UFC fans, in what is arguably, the greatest performance of his career.

No.1: The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale: Forrest Griffin Vs. Stephan Bonnar

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar put on the greatest fight in UFC history and helped propel UFC into the organization that it is today.

For three rounds, both Griffin and Bonnar exchanged blows, much to the delight of UFC fans. It was an action-packed fight that saw every fan on their feet cheering in approval for both fighters, as they battled for a UFC contract.

As a result, Forrest Griffin was declared the winner and was offered a six-figure contract courtesy of UFC.

However the bout was so entertaining that President Dana White offered a contract to Stephan Bonnar as well.

Both Bonnar and Griffin have gone on to achieve success in UFC, but no one will ever forget the battle they had in 2005, a battle that has not only made them both popular figures among UFC fans but also secured them a place in the company for good.