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The UFC is primarily known as a US-based company, with the promotion’s headquarters set in Las Vegas. Most of their biggest shows take place there too.
The UFC is also a global juggernaut, and over the years, the promotion has put on over 100 shows outside of the USA, visiting more than 20 different countries.
In this time period, there have been some tremendous shows held outside of the USA. These five stand out as the best ones to take place away from US soil.
#1 UFC 134: Silva vs. Okami (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
The UFC first visited Brazil at the height of its ‘Dark Ages’ period, way back in 1998. And despite the country being a major hotbed for MMA, it took the promotion well over a decade to return.
However, UFC 134 turned out to be well worth waiting for.
The UFC stacked its return to Brazil with 12 fights, most of them pitting a Brazilian favorite against a foreign fighter. It was this pattern that helped to popularize the “uh vai morrer” chant – a Portuguese phrase roughly translating as “you’re gonna die."
Brazilian favorites like Rousimar Palhares, Edson Barboza and Paulo Thiago picked up wins. A trio of superstars at the top of the card – Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mauricio Shogun Rua and then-UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva - all won too.
The crazy amount of action on the card, with six of the fights ending in violent knockouts, meant the event was an instant classic.
The UFC has returned to Brazil on numerous occasions since. However, none of the subsequent shows there have matched the sheer manic energy of UFC 134, which remains a high watermark for the promotion.
#2 UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida (Toronto, Canada)
The majority of the UFC’s big events in Canada featured the country’s greatest-ever fighter – legendary UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre – at the top of the card.
Surprisingly though, the best UFC event to take place in Canada was one of the handful that GSP didn’t main-event.
Instead, UFC 140 was headlined by a UFC light heavyweight title clash between champ Jon Jones and challenger Lyoto Machida. This turned out to be an instant classic that ended with Jones strangling Machida unconscious in the second round.
It was just one of the many highlight-reel finishes UFC 140 provided. The main card saw Frank Mir snap Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s arm with a kimura, while Nogueira’s twin, Antonio Rogerio, beat Tito Ortiz via TKO.
Elsewhere, the card saw a further five KO’s or TKO’s. These included a seven-second knockout from Chan Sung Jung on Mark Hominick and an incredible elbow-based knockout from newcomer Jake Hecht on Rich Attonito.
With just three of its 12 fights going the distance, UFC 140 was an instant classic and stands as one of the most violent UFC cards of all time.
#3 UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Brandao (Dublin, Ireland)
Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest superstar in UFC history. It was impossible to leave out the show that saw him return home to Dublin, although it came before the peak of his powers.
The Notorious One was the fastest-rising prospect the UFC had ever seen in the summer of 2014. The reaction he garnered upon his return to Ireland was truly eye-opening.
McGregor took out Diego Brandao in the main event of this show to affirm his status as a high-level prospect. His post-fight interview saw him utter his famous line, “we’re not here to take part, we’re here to take over!”
But McGregor’s win wasn’t the only great thing about the show. Seven of the 10 fights on offer ended before the final buzzer. Irish favorites like Paddy Holohan and Cathal Pendred pulled off wins that had the crowd going almost as crazy as they did for McGregor.
Sure, this show wasn’t a high-level pay-per-view with plenty at stake. However, it is still one of the most engaging non-US shows the UFC has ever put on. The show now stands as somewhat of a teaser. With what he’s done since, how crazy would an Irish crowd go for McGregor now?
#4 UFC 180: Werdum vs. Hunt (Mexico City, Mexico)
It seems hard to believe now, but going into the event, it felt like UFC 180 – the first UFC event in Mexico – was cursed.
The show lost UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez to injury, nixing his title fight with Fabricio Werdum and robbing the card of its biggest Mexican star.
However, in the end, it didn’t matter.
From the opening fight between Marco Beltran and Marlon Vera to the cobbled-together main event between Werdum and late replacement Mark Hunt, the show was absolutely rammed with insane action.
Literally every single fight – including the finals of the inaugural season of TUF: Latin America - delivered over and above expectations. The main card, in particular, was full of exciting finishes.
In fact, the five fights on offer went a combined total of just under 20 minutes. Only Werdum’s win over Hunt – via flying knee of all things – going beyond the first round.
UFC 180 turned out to be short on name value. But in terms of sheer action inside the octagon, it remains a pretty untouchable show overall.
#5 UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
After garnering an insane amount of hype, the UFC’s series of shows at Abu Dhabi’s Fight Island facility in 2020 were a little underwhelming.
Sure, they featured some fun fights, but overall, they felt like run-of-the-mill UFC shows.
However, UFC 254 was definitely the exception to the rule.
The show was main-evented by a titanic fight between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champion Justin Gaethje. It ended in earth-shattering fashion when Khabib decided to hang up his gloves after winning.
But the main event wasn’t the only fight that delivered at UFC 254.
The undercard saw a litany of exciting finishes – eight in total – including a pair of brutal knockouts from Phil Hawes and Magomed Ankalaev in particular.
And in all honesty, there wasn’t a dull fight on the show overall.
Like the rest of the Fight Island shows, UFC 254 didn’t feel as unique as White had promised it would be. But it didn’t stop it from becoming one of the best UFC shows to take place outside of the US.
