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Championship fights in the UFC have often reflected the enthralling nature of the sport of mixed martial arts. When two of the best fighters on the planet are locked inside the cage and willing to work their fingers to the bone for straight 25 minutes, things are likely to go berserk.
While there is no doubt that a competitive battle that goes down to the wire is visually enticing, barely anything can overshadow the mix of emotions that erupt after a fighter comes back from the brink of a defeat.
There have been plenty of title fights in UFC that appeared to be a one-sided contest at first, but in the end, the fighter who was being dominated turned the tide in his/her favor. The most recent of such fights occurred at UFC 262.
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That said, we take a look at five title fights in the UFC that swung wildly after a period of a lopsided affair.
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#1 Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade 1 (UFC 237)
Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade met inside the octagon for the first time at UFC 237 in May 2019. Ahead of the fight, 'Thug Rose' had already established herself as one of the best strawweights in the world - a distinction that she achieved after cruising past someone like Joanna Jedrzejczyk on two occasions.
Defending her title for the second time, Namajunas was the clear favorite at UFC 237. In the first round of the fight, the Denver native put on a striking masterclass. Namajunas consistently caught Andrade with a string of incredibly quick jabs that the latter had no response to.
In less than a minute, Andrade's eye was cut open. However, she was able to weather the storm in the first round and survive Namajunas' crisp striking. In the second frame, both fighters momentarily engaged in a clinch before Andrade effortlessly lifted Namajunas and slammed her to the canvas.
The nasty collision left Namajunas unconscious, handing Andrade her first UFC title.
#4 Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler (UFC 262)
Charles Oliveira became the newly-crowned Lightweight champion at UFC 262. The Brazilian defeated Michael Chandler after he rocked the former Bellator star with a stinging left hook in the second round.
Considering how dominating Chandler appeared in the first round, no one expected Oliveira to come out in the second frame like he did. 'Do Bronx' was knocked down and also ate some heavy ground and pound before the first round bell was done.
Chandler was fast, explosive and powerful. Two of the judges scored the opening round 10-8 in favour of the American. Just when it looked like he was about to carry forward his momentum, Oliveira caught him with a brutal blow, good enough to force the referee to stop the fight.
It was Oliveira's ninth straight win in the UFC. He also broke the record of securing most finishes in the promotion's history.
#3 Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin (UFC 116)
Brock Lesnar fought Shane Carwin in a Heavyweight title unification bout at UFC 116 in 2010. On the back of three consecutive wins, Lesnar was undoubtedly the biggest superstar of the promotion. More importantly, though, no one had done what Carwin did to Lesnar that night.
The then-undefeated Carwin had a finishing rate of 100 percent, winning all 12 of his fights by way of KO/TKO or submission. In the first round, Lesnar tried testing his boxing skills against Carwin, which clearly didn't turn out to be a good idea. Carwin outstruck Lesnar and unloaded vicious ground and pound on the former WWE star.
Going into the second round, Lesnar realized he needed to change his strategy. This time, a wrestling-heavy approach helped him score a takedown and lock Carwin in an arm triangle choke. In a shocking turn of events, Lesnar walked out victorious at UFC 116.
#2 Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier 2
Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier competed in a rematch in August 2019. In his quest to reclaim the Heavyweight title at UFC 241, Miocic appeared to be trailing Cormier on the judges scorecard after three rounds.
DC dictated the fight at his will and was able to dominate Miocic on the ground. In the fourth round, however, Miocic's exemplary fight IQ helped him dethrone Cormier.
Miocic delivered 11 consecutive scathing hooks to Cormier's liver that weathered him down. Struggling to stand on his feet, DC ate a barrage of punches from Miocic that ultimately sent him to the canvas.
#1 Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 1 (UFC 117)
Chael Sonnen's historic battle against Anderson Silva at UFC 117 is often considered one of the greatest fights in the promotion's history. Although their clash wasn't nearly as competitive, it embraced a movie-like script that MMA fans still cherish.
'The American Gangster' dominated Silva for the entirety of the bout. Just when it looked like Silva's astonishing UFC run would come to an end, Spider caught Sonnen in a triangle armbar that forced the American to tap with less than two minutes left for the fight to end.
Both men fought once again in a rematch two years later, where Silva convincingly defeated Sonnen via TKO in the second round.
