5 biggest heavyweight fights in UFC history

#4. Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin - UFC 116

Lesnar defeated Carwin via second-round submission

This fight sold more pay-per-views than any UFC heavyweight championship bout in history. The matchup sold a ridiculous 1,160,000 pay-per-views in 2010, a figure that has very rarely been beaten since, despite the sport's increasing popularity.

Gold vs. gold fights are always a hit with UFC fans and this one was no different. UFC 116 pitted the interim champion Shane Carwin in a title unification bout against Brock Lesnar. 'The Beast Incarnate' had not fought in close to a year due to his battles with diverticulitis and Carwin had just beaten Frank Mir who held a win over Lesnar.

These factors added intrigue to the bout and Lesnar was such a draw that the fight was always going to garner plenty of attention regardless. Lesnar submitted Carwin in the second round in what would prove to be his last successful title defense.

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#3. Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez - UFC 121

Velasquez defeated Lesnar via first-round TKO

Brock Lesnar's status as one of the biggest draws in history can be demonstrated by the fact that this is his second entry to this list. While this bout sold slightly fewer PPVs than the Carwin fight with 1,050,000 buys, the matchup proved much more significant in the history of the promotion's heavyweight division.

Cain Velasquez came into this fight with a perfect 8-0 record. Despite that, he was the underdog heading into the bout given the impressive run Lesnar had been on. With this being a Lesnar fight, plenty of eyes were watching but few might have predicted the changing of the guard that took place on the night.

Velasquez knocked out Lesnar in the first round to snatch the title away. The result built him into a star in his own right and also paved the way for a new generation of heavyweight fighters. The loss also marked the beginning of the end for Lesnar. 'The Beast Incarnate' did not win another fight for the rest of his MMA career.