5 incredible passing of the torch moments in UFC history

#2. Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva - UFC 234

UFC 234 was originally scheduled to be headlined by a middleweight championship bout between Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum. Unfortunately, Whittaker was forced to withdraw from the event after being hospitalized the night before.

The co-main event, which pitted rising star Israel Adesanya against MMA legend Anderson Silva, was subsequently bumped up to the main event. The two striking specialists put on a memorable fight that left fans in attendance in awe.

The fight was a treat to watch from start to finish as both fighters found themselves in a high-octane chess match. Adesanya came away with a unanimous decision victory on the night. Their bout won the 'Fight of the Night' honors as well.

Their showdown represented a lot more than a three-round middleweight clash. Upon joining the UFC in 2006, Silva went on an unprecedented 16-fight winning streak, comprising 14 finishes. His incredible run between 2006 and 2012 saw 'The Spider' cement his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

He came into his bout with Adesanya at the age of 43 and was clearly in the final stretch of his MMA career. Since their fight, 'The Last Stylebender' has dominated the middleweight division just like 'The Spider' once did. The Kiwi has already defended his belt four times and has emerged as one of the best fighters of the modern era.

Watch the highlights of the Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva fight below:

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#1. Georges St-Pierre vs. Matt Hughes 2 - UFC 65

The epic trilogy between Matt Hughes and Georges St-Pierre represented a lot more than just the rivalry between the two UFC welterweights.

Georges St-Pierre (left) and Matt Hughes (right)

Hughes, at the peak of his powers, was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He defeated Carlos Newton in 2001 to become the new champion at 170 lbs and subsequently defended his belt five times before losing to B.J. Penn. The American bounced back with a win over Renato Verissimo and earned a shot at the then-vacant title.

At UFC 50, Hughes took on Georges St-Pierre, a young fighter holding a record of 7-0. St-Pierre came in with a ton of hype and many believed the former champion would struggle against the young prospect. However, he silenced the doubters with a sensational armbar-submission to reclaim the title he lost to Penn.

The duo ran it back over two years later at UFC 65.

St-Pierre exacted his revenge in style, catching Hughes with a perfectly placed head-kick that saw the reigning champion crash to the canvas. After a few follow-up strikes on the ground, the referee called a halt to the fight and 'Rush' was crowned the new welterweight champion.

There was a lot more than a world title on the line going into their trilogy bout. The question as to who was the best welterweight of their era was still up for debate. St-Pierre's win over Hughes that night saw the dawn of a new age in the 170 lbs division.

St-Pierre went on to defeat Hughes once again in a trilogy bout. Today, he is considered by many to be the greatest fighter of all time. He went on to defend his title 9 times before opting to vacate it in 2013.

His rematch with Hughes in 2006 saw one of the greatest welterweights of all time hand over the baton to a young Canadian star, who went on to become arguably the greatest to ever do it in the octagon.