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MMA is an art, and those who master it go through the most difficult trials, paying for glory and fame with their blood, sweat, and tears. Given the overall spectacularity of this sport, some fights aren’t so memorable, while others leave you speechless. Our list includes the 5 most epic battles in the history of UFC, and these are not just fights but the stories of determination and courage which bring sheer excitement to MMA junkies.
- Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar (2005)
Let’s start with a spectacular fight, the most important one in UFC history. In 2005, the company didn’t have such a hegemonic power as it has now – they held 5 events per year and suffered huge losses. The Fertitta brothers were on the verge of abandoning their funding and even selling UFC. Thus, The Ultimate Fighter show was the last chance to save the situation.
Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar made it to the finals and showed a jaw-dropping performance. They fought brutally during the whole three rounds and none of them wanted to take a step back. They just stood in the middle of the cage and punched each other, taking endless heavy shots in return. When the final gong sounded, the audience rose in applause. Forrest Griffin was declared the winner, but it wasn’t so important. After all, these two made a splash and attracted a huge number of fans to the UFC fights. Thus, the league got on TV and acquired sponsors, which contributed to its subsequent success.
- Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler (2021)
This is the most sensational battle of 2021. The two knockouters met in the octagon to delight their fans, and their confrontation was called the best fight of the evening already after the first round. Both Gaethje and Chandler understood that they were there to fight and so got down to business from the first seconds. The two hardest-hitting lightweights landed more than 100 punches each, but no one seemed to give up. Justin Gaethje emerged victorious in this bloody scrap, although Chandler received a lot of respect from the fans as well. Ultimately, almost all specialized publications recognized this fight as the fight of the year.
- Jon Jones vs Alex Gustafsson (2013)
When the two best welterweight fighters met for the terrifying battle, everyone was waiting for another victory of the dominant champion – Jon Jones, who had not yet tarnished his reputation with doping intake and legal issues, but Alex was in a completely different mood. Things got wild already in the first round when the Swede landed a series of strikes and performed a takedown. The spectators could not believe their eyes as no one managed to do this before with the champion. Jones felt the approaching defeat, recovered, and used all his strength to finish the fight. He delivered the most powerful punches and brutalized Gustafsson with an incredible elbow strike that would have knocked out any opponent, but not Alex. However, the Swede still failed to win. Gustafsson put Jones on the edge of an abyss, but Jones didn’t let him make the final push. By the way, this tenacious fighter will show his skills again very soon – in November 2023, and the upcoming battle with Stipe Miocic promises to be a nail-biter. Do you know who will win? Make a prediction on gg.bet and win together with your favorite fighter!
- Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald (2015)
At the beginning of 2023, this fight was included in the UFC Hall of Fame as one of the most brutal and uncompromising in the history of the league. It was July 2015 when Robbie Lawler defended his belt for the first time, half a year after he took the title from Johny Hendricks and became a living legend of this sport. Rory MacDonald was the top contender and the most promising prospect in the division. The tough scuffle began from the very first seconds – Lawler had a split lip and MacDonald’s nose was broken in several places. Both were bleeding but continued to fight. Lawler managed to break his opponent’s defense only in the 5th round and took the victory by technical knockout. The battle was recognized as the fight of the year and then included in the UFC Hall of Fame.
- Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje (2018)
The careers of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje are literally filled with tough battles, no matter who their opponent is. They met in the cage in April 2018: Gaethje was a promising PFL champion with only one defeat and a collection of knockouts for every taste, while Poirier was a UFC graduate and entered the octagon after winning a battle with the former champion, Anthony Pettis. Gaethje took advantage of his main weapon – deadly low kicks, while Poirier relied on his boxing skills, honed to perfection. They punched each other as hard as possible but were ready to fight up to the last ditch. Dustin attacked in series and tried to stay within close range. Justin responded with single shots combined with his devastating low kicks and hit much more powerfully. Their faces were bleeding, but they didn’t even think about stopping. It was a battle of wills, and Poirier won it. In an interview after the fight, Dustin admitted that his opponent would have rather died than surrender if the referee hadn’t intervened. These two MMA monsters met again in 2023, and this time Gaethje took revenge.
