UFC 128 Results: Top 25 Most Memorable MMA Fights of 2011

In less than three months, 2011 has already provided MMA fans with many excellent fights. At UFC 128, Jon Jones added a dominating performance over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to the long list of memorable fights that have happened this year.

In addition, UFC 128 produced Urijah Faber's first fight in the UFC, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's potential final MMA fight and much more. With the great fights of last night in mind, here are the 25 most memorable bouts that have happened so far in 2011.

25. Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera

Thiago Silva returned to the Octagon at UFC 125 after a hiatus of about one year. Silva's opponent, Brandon Vera, was on thin ice with the organization after losing his last two fights.

Once the opening bell rang, Silva completely dominated Vera for three rounds. Near the end of the third round, Silva acted in controversial fashion by embarrassing Vera with open-handed strikes and by pretending to play drums on Vera's back.

The controversy surrounding this fight did not end there, though. After being cut from the UFC after the loss, Vera was reinstated after Silva's pre-fight drug test allegedly came back positive. 

24. Tim Kennedy vs. Melvin Manhoef

At Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson in March 2011, Tim Kennedy was fighting for the first time since a narrow loss to Strikeforce Middleweight champion Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. Melvin Manhoef, Kennedy's opponent, was looking to get back on a winning track after losing his last two fights.

Manhoef got off to an excellent start by defending takedowns and getting the better of the exchanges with Kennedy. Eventually, Kennedy was able to take the fight to the ground and secure a rear-naked choke. 

23. Brian Bowles vs. Damacio Page

Fighting for the first time in about a year, Brian Bowles was making his UFC debut at UFC Live on Versus 3 in a rematch against Damacio Page. Bowles had defeated Page the last time they fought, but was coming off a loss to Dominick Cruz that saw him relinquish the WEC Bantamweight championship.

In the fight, Bowles was able to submit Page with a guillotine choke at 3:30 of the first round. Remarkably, Bowles defeated Page with the same method of victory and at the exact same time in the fight that he had in their first meeting.

22. Jeremy Stephens vs. Marcus Davis

After he probably had lost the first two rounds to Marcus Davis at their UFC 125 fight, Jeremy Stephens recorded an unlikely come-from-behind knockout to win the fight. The win was a big one for Stephens, who had lost a split decision to Melvin Guillard in his last fight. 

Because of the loss, Davis was released from the promotion following the event. The cut came after Davis had fought his last 14 fights in the Octagon.

21. Sergei Kharitonov vs. Andrei Arlovski

In the opening fight of the highly anticipated Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Sergei Kharitvonov met Andrei Arlovski. Arlovski had lost three straight heading into the fight and people were beginning to wonder if the former UFC Heavyweight champion could regain his stride.

In the end, Kharitonov finished Arlovski by testing his oft-questioned chin. Following the fight, fans and doctors alike called for the retirement of Arlovski, but the fighter made it clear that he wanted to make a quick return.

20. Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus

Jim Miller entered UFC 128 as a fighter who was just one of many lightweight title contenders in the UFC. Taking on the undefeated Kamal Shalorus, Miller was looking to separate himself from the pack.

Miller looked strong throughout the fight and was able to finish Shalorus with a technical knockout in the third round. After the fight, Joe Rogan asked the fans if they were ready for a long-awaited Miller title shot.

19. Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland

This UFC 128 fight was not so much memorable for what happened in the fight, but because it marked the UFC debut of Urijah Faber, the long-time face of the WEC.

Both Faber and his opponent, Eddie Wineland, were former WEC champions. Last night, Faber proved to be the better fighter in a unanimous decision. Faber will now likely get a chance to compete against Dominick Cruz for the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

18. Ronaldo Souza vs. Robbie Lawler

Attempting to defend his Strikeforce Middleweight championship for the first time, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza was taking on Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg in January 2011. Lawler was fighting for the title despite only having a record of 2-2 in his last four fights.

In the fight, Souza proved to be the more well-rounded fighter and submitted Lawler with a rear-naked choke in the third round.

17. Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista Santos

In his second attempted title defense as Strikeforce Welterweight champion, Nick Diaz fought Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos in January 2011. Entering the fight, Diaz had won eight consecutive fights.

With a submission victory over Santos, Diaz extended his streak to nine fights. Diaz's next opponent will now be UFC reject Paul Daley in April 2011.

16. Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi

At UFC 125, Clay Guida recorded his third straight victory by way of submission by finishing Takanori Gomi with a guillotine choke. 

With the loss, Gomi is now 1-2 in the UFC. Meanwhile, Guida will now fight Anthony Pettis in June 2011 in a fight that could determine the next top contender at lightweight.

15. Dustin Poirier vs. Josh Grispi

Prior to his fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 125, Josh Grispi had been scheduled to fight Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship. Unfortunately, Aldo was forced to withdraw from the fight due to injury.

Poirier took advantage of the opportunity he was given and completely dominated Grispi for three rounds. After the unanimous-decision victory, Poirier is now considered one of the next fighters in line for a title shot. First, he will have to defeat Rani Yahya at UFC 131.

14. Brendan Schaub vs. Mirko Filipovic

At UFC 128, the career of an MMA legend may have come to an end. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic suffered his second straight loss by brutal knockout when former NFL player Brendan Schaub hit him with a hard right hand.

Schaub has now won four straight fights after losing to Roy Nelson in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Season 10. After the fight, Dana White said that Filipovic was done fighting in the UFC.

13. Brian Ebersole vs. Chris Lytle

Making his UFC debut as a late replacement at UFC 127, not many people were giving Brian Ebersole much of a chance against Chris Lytle. Ebersole responded to his critics in brilliant fashion by pulling off one of the biggest upsets of 2011.

Lytle, who had been scheduled to fight Carlos Condit at the event, is now running out of time to fight for a title at the age of 36.

12. Dennis Siver Vs. George Sotiropoulos

Like Brian Ebersole, Dennis Siver was also considered a significant underdog at UFC 127. Fighting George Sotiropoulos, Siver also pulled off an outstanding upset and is now considered a lightweight contender in the UFC.

The loss was Sotiropoulos' first in the UFC after winning his first seven with the organization.

11. Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera

The trash talk that preceded this fight alone was enough to make it one of the more memorable fights of 2011. Jorge Rivera and his camp made multiple videos mocking Michael Bisping and the British fighter took exception.

Once the fight began, Bisping acted in a way that will be remembered for quite some time, but not for reasons that Bisping would want to be remembered. After landing an illegal knee that many believed to be intentional, Bisping proceed to defeat Rivera and spit at his cornermen.

As a result of his behavior, Dana White did not award Bisping his win bonus for the fight.  

10. Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader

Two young and bright light heavyweights, Jon Jones and Ryan Bader, met at UFC 126. Undefeated in 12 professional fights, Bader was ready to give Jones his first tough test in the Octagon.

Things didn't quite work out that way as Jones completely dismantled Bader on his way to earning a title shot against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. 

9. Melvin Guillard vs. Evan Dunham

At UFC Fight for the Troops 2, Melvin Guillard met Evan Dunham. Guillard had won three straight fights and was looking to enter the mix of lightweight contenders. Meanwhile, Dunham had just dropped a controversial split decision against Sean Sherk.

Although Dunham was the favorite, Guillard used his speed and athleticism to stun everyone with a first-round technical knockout. Guillard will now fight Shane Roller at UFC 132. 

8. Brian Stann vs. Chris Leben

After back-to-back wins over Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama, many believed that Chris Leben deserved a better opponent than Brian Stann at UFC 125. 

In his second fight at middleweight, Stann proved otherwise by finishing Leben in the first round. Stann will now face Jorge Santiago at UFC 130, while Leben's next opponent has still not been determined.

7. Jon Fitch vs. B.J. Penn

With a welterweight title shot on the line, Jon Fitch and B.J. Penn fought to a draw at UFC 127. The fight began rumors of a Penn retirement and prompted questions about Fitch's inability to ever get another chance at a title.

Instead, Penn and Fitch are now scheduled to meet again at UFC 132 and the fight could potentially still determine a number-one contender. 

6. Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann

At UFC Live on Versus 3, Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez fought to a decision in a three-round war. 

Although, Sanchez's face was a complete mess, he was awarded the controversial decision victory. This was Kampmann's second straight loss in a narrow decision after having lost to Jake Shields in his last fight.

Sanchez has now won two in a row after losing to John Hathway in his return to the welterweight division.

5. Dan Henderson vs. Rafael Cavalcante

At 40 years old, Dan Henderson was fighting for another title against Rafael Cavalcante earlier this month. After getting rocked by Cavalcante early, Henderson recovered to knock out the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion and take his belt in the process.

The win came just two fights after Henderson's disappointing loss to Jake Shields in his Strikeforce debut. A possible fight against Fedor Emelianenko has been rumored for Henderson's next fight, but no announcement has been made regarding his next opponent.

4. Frankie Edgar Vs. Gray Maynard II

In the UFC's first main event of the year, Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar put on a show that will still be considered for Fight of the Year by the end of 2011.

Top contender Maynard had UFC Lightweight champion Edgar on the ropes for the entire first round, but Edgar was able to recover and compose himself enough to earn a draw on the scorecards.

The two will fight again at UFC 130 to determine once-and-for-all the best 155-pound fighter in the world. 

3. Antonio Silva vs. Fedor Emelianenko

Considering he had Fabricio Werdum hurt before being submitted by the Brazilian in the first round of their fight in June 2010, fans remained hopeful that Fedor Emelianenko would rebound and regain his spot as the world's best heavyweight fighter.

However, Antonio Silva had other plans and dominated Emelianenko for the entire second round of their fight in the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. The lopsided round left Emelianenko's eye swollen shut and the doctor determined that the fight should be stopped.

Following the fight, Emelianenko pondered retirement, but Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has said that he believes that Emelianenko will return and finish out his contract. 

2. Mauricio Rua vs. Jon Jones

At UFC 128, 23-year-old Jon Jones got his chance to validate the hype that had been surrounding him with a win over UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua. 

From the opening bell, Jones completely dominated Rua and finished the fight in the third round. With Rua's loss, the last five UFC Light Heavyweight champions have been unable to defend the belt more than once consecutively.

If Jones realizes his potential and the expectations that many have for him, this could be the beginning of the first long-reigning championship run that the light heavyweight division has seen since Chuck Liddell.

1. Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort

After nearly losing to Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, fans began to wonder if Anderson Silva had lost a step. 

So much for that.

At UFC 126, Silva knocked Vitor Belfort out with a front kick that will be remembered as one of the greatest knockouts in MMA history. The win also heated up the possibility of a superfight between Silva and Georges St. Pierre.

UFC 128: Shogun Rua vs. Jon Jones: Results, News and More

Sean Smith is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, you can follow Sean on Twitter @BR_Sean_Smith