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The UFC Light Heavyweight division may not be the most stacked one in 2019, but there was a period of time when the division was arguably the most stacked ever. We would see a whole bunch of legends and future Hall Of Famers slug it out in all sorts of classics, whether the title was on the line or not.
However, a strong champion and even stronger contenders add to the prestige of the title, and there are few titles more prestigious than the Light Heavyweight Championship at 205 pounds.
The last few years have seen the Light Heavyweight title picture surrounded with quite a bit of controversy, thanks in part to Jon "Bones" Jones, the man who never lost his title, but got involved in multiple failed drug tests as well as other things that you're probably well aware of.
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It seems, however, that all the tide of controversy has settled and things are back in place. With that said, let's take a look at the legends who had wars in an attempt to walk out of their fights as Light Heavyweight Champion of the world.
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#5 Rashad Evans (c) vs Lyoto Machida - UFC 98
Imagine this. Both fighters walked into UFC 98 undefeated. Evans was 13-0 (with one draw), just having won the Light Heavyweight Championship from Forrest Griffin. Lyoto Machida was 14-0, and despite this, Evans seemed to be the clear favourite.
Machida put on an absolute masterclass of a performance, which can best be described as flawless. Evans was like a puzzle that had yet to be figured out, and Machida managed to do it within two rounds, finishing Evans by TKO and capturing the Light Heavyweight title.
It's easy to forget, but Machida in his prime was like no other fighter on earth. That's why he's one of the greatest ever.
#4 Randy Couture (c) vs Chuck Liddell - UFC 52
Chuck Liddell was on a 10-fight win streak by UFC 43, while Couture had no momentum, on the other hand, skidding in back-to-back defeats. Despite this, he had an interim title shot against Liddell, and outwrestled him and finished him, capturing the interim Light Heavyweight title.
Liddell had to wait for two years to get his revenge and would challenge Couture for the Light Heavyweight title at UFC 52. This time, The Iceman got his revenge, knocking Couture out clean in the very first round and becoming Light Heavyweight Champion. He also won the "Knockout of the Year" award.
He would get his vengeance by beating Couture again less than a year later, winning the trilogy.
#3 Daniel Cormier vs Alexander Gustafsson - UFC 165
Alexander Gustafsson will, unfortunately, have the reputation of always falling short on the big stage. He fell short to Jon Jones and the same fate happened against Jones' biggest rival Daniel Cormier.
Cormier's first title defence came up against Gustafsson, and they went the distance in an incredibly entertaining classic. DC actually did a better job than Jones in keeping Gustafsson at bay.
This makes it weird to think that DC won by split decision while Jones won by unanimous decision (a fight that many believe Gustafsson won).
#2 Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (c) vs Forrest Griffin - UFC 86
This fight is one of those cases where you can say that the fans were the biggest winners. Griffin challenged Rampage Jackson for the Light Heavyweight title, and no one expected that it would be the technical masterclass that it turned out to be.
There were near-knockouts, near-submissions and a whole lot of drama in the 5-round classic, that saw the crowd on their feet for most of the bout.
While Griffin edged Jackson into a unanimous decision victory, Jackson's performance was so good that he had nothing to be ashamed of. Griffin walked out the new Light Heavyweight king.
#1 Jon Jones (c) vs Alexander Gustafsson 1 - UFC 165
This was undoubtedly one of the greatest championship fights in UFC history. Jones was the favourite, and no one expected him to be tested the way he was against Alexander Gustafsson.
Gustafsson put on an absolute masterclass of a performance, constantly stuffing Jones' takedowns and landing far more offence on him. Jones did manage to secure a couple of rounds, but whether he actually won the fight is a decision that's questionable to this day.
They went the distance, with Gustafsson completely gassing out by the end. He ate a lot of kicks and punches to the had and was somehow standing by the time the buzzer hit. Jones picked up a unanimous decision victory, but many felt it was an injustice to Gustafsson.
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