UFC Power Rankings: The 5 Best Fights of November

As mixed martial arts continues to grow as a global powerhouse, so too will the sport's expectations.

Specifically in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, fans across the globe want to see the most entertainment and excitement possible.

Therefore, every time fans and viewers tune in to a live event, their expectations are through the roof.

And it's fair to say that the UFC met these expectations over the course of November, as it presented fans with some of the greatest fights of all time.

So, the following slides display the five best fights from November, 2011.

Let's take a look.

5. UFC 138: Renan Barao vs. Brad Pickett

On November 5th, the UFC traveled to Birmingham, England for UFC 138, which was headlined around Chris Leben and Mark Munoz.

And while the main card was featured around Leben and Munoz, it was Renan Barao and Brad Pickett who stole the show in a bantamweight showdown.

Barao came out of the gate connecting on huge strikes that hurt Pickett early.

Following his vicious strikes, Barao landed vicious knees that sent his opponent to the ground.

At 4:09 in the very first round, Barao was declared victorious via rear-naked choke.

4. UFC 139: Urijah Faber vs. Brian Bowles

Urijah Faber entered the Octagon in San Jose, California on November 19th to take on Brian Bowles at UFC 139.

With the winner to receive a bantamweight title shot against the current champion Dominick Cruz, it was an all-out war from the get-go.

Unfortunately for Bowles, it was Faber who controlled the action early and often, landing a huge right that rocked his opponent.

Then, just a little over a minute into the second round, Bowles found himself in an unwanted position as Faber had him placed in a tight guillotine choke.

At 1:27 of Round 2, Faber submitted Bowles and earned himself "Submission of the Night."

3. UFC 139: Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le

In what many considered to be the last fight of his mixed martial arts career, Wanderlei Silva met Cung Le in a middleweight showdown at UFC 139.

However, Silva proved his critics wrong in one of the most exciting fights of 2011.

Le was the early aggressor as he began teeing off on Silva when he had him pinned up against the Octagon midway through the first frame.

But Round 2 sang a different song as Silva began throwing punches and knees as Le dropped.

Then, with just 11 seconds remaining before the third and final round, Silva was declared victorious via technical knockout.

2. UFC on FOX: Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson

On November 12th, the UFC made it's broadcasting television debut on the FOX Network, which was featured around heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos.

Also on the card (but not televised) was Clay Guida and Ben Henderson, with the winner receiving a title shot against current lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.

In an absolute slugfest, Guida and Henderson exchanged strikes throughout all three rounds.

At different points throughout the night, each opponent had the other in a submission attempt, as it appeared both were close to finishing the fight.

But after a historical bout, the final bell rang, which allowed Henderson's hand to be raised via unanimous decision.

1. UFC 139: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Dan Henderson

In the main event of the evening at UFC 139, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua stepped foot inside the Octagon to take on dangerous striker Dan Henderson.

In what would go down as arguably the greatest fight of all time, it was Henderson who demolished Rua early into the fight.

Many fans across the globe couldn't believe how badly Rua was being beaten, as he somehow managed to escape a brutal third round.

But the tides turned in the final two periods as it was "Shogun" who began to unload on Henderson.

After huge strikes, Rua took Henderson to the ground and pounded his opponent until the fifth and final round came to a close.

Henderson was declared the victor as the judge's scorecards read 48-47, 48-47 and 48-47.