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#2. Anthony Pettis vs. Benson Henderson – WEC 53
Okay, so Anthony Pettis’ fight with Benson Henderson didn’t technically take place in the UFC, instead going down in its sister promotion WEC. However, there are few better examples of a fighter using offense from a video game in MMA, meaning it’s impossible not to mention it here.
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Pettis, a flashy striker known as ‘Showtime’, had gone back-and-forth with WEC lightweight champion Henderson for the best part of five rounds. With neither man really looking ahead on the scorecards, it was still anyone’s fight as the final frame ticked away.
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Incredibly, Pettis edged the win with a move that not only looked like it’d come from a video game, but has never been completely repeated in MMA since. This was a move so crazy that it probably inspired video games, in fact.
Essentially, ‘Showtime’ charged at Henderson and when ‘Smooth’ looked to dodge him, he ran up the side of the octagon fence before springing off it to deliver a flying kick to the champion’s face.
Henderson went crashing down and while he did recover, lasting until the final buzzer, it was clear that Pettis had earned the win due to the strike.
The move was immediately christened as the ‘Showtime kick’. Pettis became a viral superstar overnight and the WEC signed off on its final show with the ultimate video game highlight reel moment.
#1. Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone vs. Rick Story – UFC 202
Donald Cerrone is one of the few UFC fighters whose whole persona could’ve come directly from a video game. In fact, the ‘Cowboy’ character has been a staple in fighting games for years.
Much to the delight of his fans, Cerrone has proven himself capable of fighting in the octagon like he’s stepped right out of a video game, too. His highlight reel is up there with the UFC’s all-time greats. He holds the records for the most wins in UFC history (23) and the most post-fight bonus awards (18), too.
However, it’s Cerrone’s 2016 finish of Rick Story that really stands out when it comes to a UFC fight ending in video game fashion. ‘Cowboy’ had already used his striking skills to win the first round of the fight, but nobod, Story in particular, expected what he’d pull off in the second round.
With ‘The Horror’ looking to push forward, Cerrone caught him with a left hand and then chained together a truly insane combination, landing a body shot, another left, a head kick and finally a wild flurry to put Story away for good.
The combination was instantly labeled the best in UFC history and immediately went viral. Clips of Cerrone’s win were spliced together with footage from the famous video game Dragonball Z, essentially suggesting ‘Cowboy’ had gone ‘Super Saiyan’ to put his opponent away.
