5 incredible UFC fights that went exactly as advertised

#2. Mauricio Hua vs. Dan Henderson – UFC 139

Five fights into his UFC career, Mauricio 'Shogun' Hua won the light heavyweight championship with a knockout win over Lyoto Machida. He lost the belt in his very next bout, against a surging Jon Jones.

The former PRIDE titleholder bounced back with a statement-making triumph over Forrest Griffin. Likely one win away from fighting for the strap again, the legendary Brazilian was booked to fight former two-division PRIDE champion Dan Henderson.

The Hua-Henderson fight was inducted into the Hall of Fame [Image via @UFCFightPass on Twitter]

Dan Henderson previously competed in Strikeforce before the fight with Hua. He won the light heavyweight title in the promotion before it was absorbed by the UFC. Having picked up titles in both PRIDE and Strikeforce, the American was looking to add UFC gold to his incredible collection of world championships.

Henderson is known for his legendary 'H-Bomb', a powerful overhand right that has knocked out the likes of Wanderlei Silva, Michael Bisping and Fedor Emelianenko. Unlike his somewhat one-dimensional threat, 'Shogun' was renowned for his well-rounded skillset, making this matchup all the more interesting.

It turned out to be one of the greatest bouts in MMA history.

Dan Henderson's power proved to be too much for Mauricio Hua in the first three rounds. He dropped the Brazilian three times in the opening fifteen minutes, busting up his face in the process. Somehow, 'Shogun' bounced back in the fourth, showing tremendous heart in almost finishing his American counterpart, who managed to survive.

In the final round, 'Shogun' put an absolute beating on 'Hendo', dominating him throughout. However, it proved to be too little too late as Henderson was awarded a unanimous decision win. Their sensational back-and-forth five-round war was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Watch the full fight below:

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#1. Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler – UFC 268

There have only been a handful of fights throughout the history of MMA that were regarded as surefire 'Fight of the Year' contenders before they happened. Quite often, a promising matchup lays an egg, leaving fans underwhelmed after seeing their expectations come crashing down.

When the promotion announced that Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler were set to lock horns at UFC 268, there was a ubiquitous feeling that we were going to witness something special.

Justin Gaethje is among the most entertaining fighters in the world, with Joe Rogan famously labeling him "the most violent man in the most violent sport." Gaethje is a knockout machine, with 19 of his 23 career wins coming via KO/TKO.

Michael Chandler, over the course of his decade-long career in Bellator, built a reputation for being an all-action lightweight with thundeorus knockout power. 'Iron' has always been incredibly explosive, athletic and durable. His two-fight series with former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez stands out as proof of Chandler's fan-friendly approach.

Any doubts as to whether this bout would deliver vanished almost as soon as it started, as both Gaethje and Chandler completely bypassed the feel-out process. After a crazy first round, 'The Highlight' seemingly found his range in the second and even dropped his counterpart with a clean uppercut, before edging out a unanimous decision win with a solid performance in the final frame.

UFC 268's Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler slugfest won the promotion's 'Fight of the Year' award for 2021. Gaethje earned a title shot with the win, while Chandler received a ton of plaudits for his impressive display of toughness.

With both fighters currently in the upper echelons of the division, a rematch down the line could be on the cards, perhaps in a championship or main event bout. One can only imagine how a five-round fight between Gaethje and Chandler would play out.

Watch the full fight below: