There are fights, and then there are wars!The will to dominate and the propensity to fight has been an ever-present fixture in basic human nature throughout history. The hallowed battleground may have evolved from the sands of the Coloseum to the mat of the Octagon, but the inherent magnetism that draws us towards two warriors in battle has not diminished one bit.Despite the media responsibilities and marketing gimmicks that pervade themselves in the routine of an MMA fighter these days, it is the killer instinct lurking beneathall the formal niceties that really captures the fancy of the audience. Once that cage door shuts, that burgeoning warrior spirit takes centre stage.As mortals of a less aggressive and adventurous nature, we gawk in awe as these gladiators dispense all notion of their own well-being and put their body and mind through the grind, so as to entertain us. In riposte, we live each left jab, takedown and roundhouse kick vicariously through them - a symbiotic relationship that has catapulted MMA into the ever-expanding sphere of global appeal.This article summarizes 5 such fights that justify our fixation on the sport. These are fights that pushed us to the edge of our seats, seized with disbelief at the intensity and action on display. Here are 5 fights, after watching, that will make a MMA fan out of you, if you aren’t one already.
#1 Chuck Lidell vs Wanderlei Silva (UFC 79)
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Unlike Mayweather vs Pacquiao, one fight that did deliver on its pre-match hype and then some, was the absolute all-out war that The Iceman and The Axe Murderer waged on one another. What had been considered a dream match-up given the two men’s domineering careers in their respective promotions, finally came to pass in 2007 when Pride was absorbed by the UFC.
Wanderlei Silva who was known for his relentless aggression and heavy-handed striking was pitted against Chuck Lidell, the consummate counter-puncher. The fight itself had the audience gasping at the ferocity with which these two legends fuelled each punch of theirs with unholy intentions.
After 5 rounds of full-blown exchanges between the men, Chuck Lidell eventually picked up the decision victory, but who are we kidding? The audience was always going to be the true winner in this one.
#2 Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165)
The spinning back elbow, those snappy head kicks, that standing guillotine, the cocaine problem and eventually, the hit and run. However you choose to remember him, you can’t deny that Jon Bones Jones was one of UFC’s must-watch fighters and possibly even the pound-for-pound best fighter during his tenure.
Will he ever fight again? As a fan, I certainly hope so. Even if the legalities take their toll on the man, he does have time on his side to make a comeback and rectify his legacy. As it stands though, Jon Jones is most remembered for the fight that put on with Alexander Gustafsson in UFC 165.
Despite Jones picking up the unanimous victory, there was public outcry at the veracity of the scoring, amidst heated disputes featuring the notion that Gustafsson had out-struck Jones throughout the first three rounds. After the 5 round war, both fighters were rushed to the hospital, but not before Jon Jones professed that “this was the dog-fight” that he always yearned for.
Yes Jon, you can certainly say that again. It was the fight that we’ve always wanted too.
#3 Andrei Arlovski vs Travis Browne (UFC 187)
If ever an effective advertisement for MMA could be drafted in a nutshell, the battle of the beards between heavyweights Andrei Arlovski and Travis Browne would surely be in the reckoning. It was one of those fights that narrated a 5 round story in less than 5 minutes.
Despite the backdrop of their genuine friendship and brotherhood, this fight betrayed none of its emotional edge as both warriors threw caution to the wind right from the get-go. The fight had the audience charged up and Joe Rogan at even his effervescent best for the entirety of its duration, before Arlovski claimed the TKO stoppage at little under the time limit for the first round.
An emotional Arlovski later confessed how hitting Travis Browne felt like he was hurting his own kin, but the underlying professionalism and dedication that these two great fighters displayed in putting on an all-out slugfest, without restraint, is worth as much mention as their fight.
#4 Ronda Rousey vs ...Pick\'em!
Dana “The Spotlight” White, the UFC’s president, has always been forthcoming with his views on fighters, fights, referees and frankly, anything MMA. One such bold statement regarding women competing in the UFC was answered bullishly by White, who categorically played down the chances of that ever happening.
Despite having to eat his own words unceremoniously, I’m sure he won’t feel hard done by being proven wrong, especially by a force of nature like Ronda Rousey. There are just some fighters whose aura and intensity sets them apart from the bottle, and Rousey firmly falls within that bracket.
Out of the 11 MMA fights she has been in, she has contrived to win 9 of them using the armbar. Even being consistently relevant and competitive at the highest level of MMA is a challenge to many other competitors, putting into perspective just how otherworldly Ronda Rousey’s talents are.
Some things like that just have to be seen, to be believed.
#5 Mark Hunt vs Antonio Silva (UFC Fight Night 33)
This heavyweight encounter between Mark ‘The Super Samoan’ Hunt and Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva had Dana White gushing in satisfaction, barely able to disguise his excitement as he hilariously promised to buy each fighter “an island” for their performance.
In what was an amped up, back and forth encounter that spanned the whole 5 rounds, it was the sheer volume of punches, kicks and elbows thrown by both competitors that had everyone in an uproar. Both warriors displayed a will borne out of iron, in that neither was willing to take a back-step on the face of massive onslaught from the other.
It was truly toe-to-toe, hammer and anvil type of action that wouldn’t be out of place in a movie sequence. In the end, the contest was scored as a majority draw, with 2 out of the 3 judges unable to mark either fighter over the other.
Though their bodies were ravaged from the fight, neither man’s spirit was willing to lie down and take the loss that night. For all the controversy that close-fought decisions generate in the UFC, on that night, no one was willing to dispute that either man was better than the other, or worse.
