5 best heavyweight title fights in UFC history

#2. Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum – UFC 188

Cain Velasquez lost his heavyweight title to Fabricio Werdum in bloody fashion in 2015

When the UFC decided to travel to Mexico for an event in 2014, their plan was to headline with a heavyweight title bout between champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Fabricio Werdum.

Those plans went up in smoke when Velasquez picked up an injury, forcing Werdum to instead defeat Mark Hunt for an interim title. However, the promotion quickly returned to the well when the champion returned, re-booking his fight with ‘Vai Cavalo’ in a second event in Mexico City in 2015.

It was a good thing that they did, as Velasquez and Werdum produced an all-time classic war. The Brazilian came out on top in one of the bloodiest and most brutal fights in heavyweight history.

Naturally, the fight began with Velasquez looking to push a pace that was too hard for Werdum to handle. Renowned for his incredible cardio, the champion attacked Werdum with heavy strikes in and out of the clinch, looking to break the Brazilian down.

However, despite busting him up, two issues quickly began to rise for Velasquez. Firstly, every time he clinched with Werdum, usually one of his major strengths, ‘Vai Cavalo’ was actually getting off better strikes, abusing him with knees and elbows.

Secondly, and most importantly, for the first time in his UFC career, Velasquez appeared to be sucking wind. By the time the second round ended, it was painfully clear who was in control. Velasquez was bloodied and beaten, and walked to his corner on rubbery legs.

When the third round began, Werdum hit him with more knees. When Velasquez shot for a sloppy takedown, it was all the invitation the Brazilian needed to snatch up a tight guillotine. Seconds later, Velasquez was forced to tap out.

Not only was this one of the most action-packed heavyweight title bouts of all time, but it was also one of the biggest upsets, too, earning it an easy spot on this list.

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#1. Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo – UFC 31

Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo remains the UFC's best-ever heavyweight title fight

When former UFC announcer Mike Goldberg was asked about his favorite title bout, the one he would often bring up was Randy Couture’s heavyweight title clash with Pedro Rizzo at UFC 31. It’s hard to disagree with his sentiment.

The clash is now well over two decades old. On a rewatch, it has lost none of its drama, impact or entertainment value. It remains one of the few heavyweight title bouts to feature genuine back-and-forth action. When it ended, it was nearly impossible to pick a winner.

A classic battle of grappler vs. striker, in the early going it looked like the former would come out on top. Couture took Rizzo down early in an action-packed first round and basically beat the hell out of him from top position. He even came close to stopping him, only for the buzzer to save the Brazilian.

However, when ‘The Natural’ attempted to replicate that in the second round, Rizzo countered with a brutal body kick that had the champion badly hurt.

From there, ‘The Rock’ took over, using his vicious leg kicks and punching power to keep Couture at a distance. At the end of the round, a head kick and a right hand almost put the champion down for good.

The third round went to Rizzo again, as he busted Couture’s nose up with his strikes, forcing a doctor to check ‘The Natural’ over at one point, only for the champion to come roaring back with a takedown to end the stanza.

The fourth round went the other way, as Couture beat the Brazilian up in the clinch and then landed a huge takedown, only for ‘The Rock’ to turn the tables again in the fifth. He hurt Couture with more strikes before dropping him in the final moments.

The fight could easily have gone either way, but despite Rizzo arguably coming closer to a finish at points, Couture was awarded the nod.

Naturally, the UFC signed an immediate rematch that saw Couture leave nothing to doubt by finishing Rizzo, but it was unsurprising that the quality of the fight didn’t match the original.

Considering the incredible action it produced, it’s hardly a surprise that no other heavyweight title fight has matched it since, either.