UFC 139 Results: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua and the Best UFC Fights Ever

For anyone who missed UFC 139, a modern classic took place in the main event between Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

In a true war of attrition, both veteran fighters displayed previously unthinkable levels of heart, determination and desire in order to pull out a victory. 

At the end of the day, Hendo pulled out a razor-thin unanimous decision victory, with many seeing a showdown with either UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones or UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva as the former Olympian's next bout. 

UFC Dana White has already called this epic battle between two top-10 light heavyweights "without a doubt one of the top three best fights ever in MMA." 

Let's take a look at some of the best battles to ever take place inside the Octagon.

UFC 139: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua

The two former Pride stars put on a ridiculous display of violence in the Octagon in UFC 139, with both fighters taking an unheard of level of punishment for 25 minutes.  

Both fighters refused to quit though, taking some of the heaviest shots their opponent had to offer: no easy task given the serious knockout ability both men possess. 

Some argue that the fight was a draw.  Some say an immediate rematch is the only thing that makes sense, while others insist that these two will never be able to duplicate such an amazing performance again. 

Whatever the case may be, Henderson vs. Rua is a must-watch as these two basically managed to bring a Rocky Balboa movie to life in this instant classic.

The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale: Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar

The 2005 Fight of the Year featured a brutal, bloody scrap between the two finalists of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin. 

In a whirlwind of Muay Thai and boxing, both fighters unleashed everything they had in their stand-up game in this one.  

Griffin was sporting quite a crimson mask at the fight's end, but he managed to notch a close unanimous decision win.  

This fight was so epic because Dana White decided to offer "The American Psycho" a UFC contract, and Bonnar has basically built a career off of this outstanding performance.  

Griffin managed to achieve greater things, eventually winning the UFC Light Heavyweight Title from Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 86. 

The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale: Clay Guida vs. Diego Sanchez

Two fighters known for great cardio and constant aggression in the Octagon are bound to make for an exceptional battle.

Then known as "The Nightmare," Sanchez started off with some nice combinations and looked like he may finish early when he had Guida hurt against the fence. 

However, "The Carpenter's" granite chin allowed him to persevere and his wrestling, along with his instinctive brawling style, kept him in the fight.  

In the end, Sanchez won a split decision that really could've went either way.  The result was not a complete wash for Guida though, as his efforts helped to earn the bout 2009 Fight of the Year honors. 

UFC 58: Georges St-Pierre vs. BJ Penn

March 4, 2006 is the last time welterweight king Georges St-Pierre truly got tested in the Octagon.  

BJ Penn was the man to do so, utilizing his crisp boxing and stout takedown defense. 

While standing and trading in the first round, "The Prodigy" clipped GSP's nose, causing the French-Canadian to bleed like a faucet.  

While St-Pierre landed his shots as well, Penn unquestionably won the first round.  

"Rush" utilized his wrestling advantage in the final two rounds with takedowns and top control to win a very close split decision.  

The tightly contested bout had a part two at UFC 94, where GSP won in far more convincing fashion.  

Many, including Penn himself, believe that the reigning welterweight champion greased for that fight, though.

UFC 79: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva

After months of speculation, Dana White announced in October of 2007 that the long-awaited showdown between Pride legend Wanderlei Silva and UFC icon Chuck Liddell would take place at UFC 79 (December '07). 

The bout turned out to be everything the fans had hoped for: a bloody stand-up war between two of the most iconic light heavyweights of the modern era of MMA.  

"The Iceman" earned the unanimous decision after effectively landing the harder, more effective strikes, and also securing a couple takedowns later in the fight.  

While this fight took place during the decline of both men's careers, it was still worth watching every second. 

Silva and Liddell were awarded the 2007 Fight of the Year for their efforts. 

UFC 43: Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell

This June 2003 showdown was Couture's debut at light heavyweight, and despite his success at heavyweight up to this point, many felt he would be picked apart by a superior striker in Chuck Liddell.

The perennial underdog shocked the world again though when he outstruck The Iceman on the feet for three rounds, before bringing the fight to the ground and finishing the interim champion with ground-and-pound from the mount position.  

This marked the first time a fighter had ever won titles in two weight classes, earning Couture his now infamous "Captain America" nickname. 

UFC 125: Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard II

Gray "The Bully" Maynard, the only man to defeat UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in his professional fight career, looked well on his way to being crowned the new title holder after rattling "The Answer" seconds into their UFC 125 bout. 

Maynard knocked Edgar down a UFC-record three times in the first round, but he was unable to but his tenacious adversary away.  

Despite taking massive amounts of punishment in the opening stanza, Edgar somehow managed to recover in between rounds and decisively win round 2 by out striking his much larger foe and locking in a guillotine at the end of the round. 

After three more action packed rounds, the fight ended in a split draw.  Inevitably, this led to a part III at UFC 136.  

Edgar earned the only finish in the trilogy, knocking out Maynard with a barrage of punches with just over a minute left in the fourth round.