5 greatest UFC fights to take place in Australia

#4. Robert Whittaker vs. Derek Brunson – UFC Fight Night 101

Robert Whittaker's clash with Derek Brunson featured some wild action while it lasted

When the UFC announced that their November 2016 event in Melbourne would be headlined by a middleweight clash between Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson, most fans expected fireworks to ensue.

After all, Whittaker was coming into the fight on the back of a five-fight win streak that including two brutal knockouts. Brunson, meanwhile, was on a run of four straight knockout finishes in his own right.

What ensued was one of the wildest one-round fights in UFC history, with non-stop action for a total of four minutes before the bout ended abruptly and violently in favor of Whittaker.

Early on it looked like Brunson was going to come out on top. Clearly seeking a fifth knockout in a row, he decided to rush ‘The Reaper’ from the off, looking to either take him down or stop him with a brutal flurry.

He appeared to have Whittaker stunned with a combination, but then got far too anxious in his pursuit of a finish. He swung wild haymakers at ‘The Reaper’ while literally chasing him around the octagon.

Whittaker, for his part, remained calm under fire. As Brunson continued to attempt to rush him, he countered with a heavy combination that had the wrestler hurt. Brunson shot for a takedown, only for ‘The Reaper’ to stuff it before nailing him with a head kick.

Clearly hurt, Brunson stumbled to the ground. From there, Whittaker pounced with a series of punches to finish him off.

Nobody would give this fight a lot of points for its technical action, although Whittaker’s fight-ending combination was a thing of beauty. For sheer crazy action inside one round, it remains pretty hard to top.

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#3. Hector Lombard vs. Neil Magny – UFC Fight Night 85

Neil Magny's comeback against Hector Lombard was one for the ages

When former Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard joined the UFC in 2012, big things were expected of the Cuban judoka. However, after losing two of his first three bouts with the promotion, it looked like he would turn out to be a big-money bust.

A move to 170 pounds in 2013 appeared to have reignited his career. He won three bouts in a row, only to find himself suspended for a positive drug test after the third.

Just over a year later, ‘Lightning’ returned to the octagon in his adopted country of Australia. He hoped to jump right back into title contention with a win over Neil Magny, who was on a strong run in his own right, winning nine of his last 10 bouts.

On paper, this looked like a tough fight to pick, but early on at least, it looked like Lombard was going to smash right through the former TUF star.

He leveled Magny with an uppercut in the opening seconds of the fight, and then spent the majority of the first round hammering him with brutal punches to the head. Quite how ‘The Haitian Sensation’ survived the barrage was anyone’s guess, but when the buzzer sounded to end the round, things suddenly looked very different.

Magny appeared to be fine, but Lombard looked exhausted and seemingly couldn’t catch his breath in his corner. Sure enough, it was Magny who came out on the attack, rattling the Cuban with strikes early on. Surprisingly, ‘Lightning’ still had his punching power and a left hand landed to send Magny back to the ground.

This time, though, ‘The Haitian Sensation’ recovered instantly and as Lombard attempted to follow up, he found himself reversed. From there, Magny took full mount and began to return the favor, battering Lombard with dozens of unanswered punches that really should’ve led to the fight being stopped.

Incredibly, referee Steve Perceval let things continue into the third round. However, with Lombard still hurt and exhausted, Magny wasted no time in taking him down and finally sealing the deal with some more ground strikes.

This fight has been largely forgotten in the near-six years that have followed it. However, it remains a stone-cold classic, with one of the best comebacks in recent memory. It definitely stands as one of the best UFC fights to take place in Australia.