The Best In-Ring MMA Moments
MMA has seen some of the best moments in sport ever to be televised. Whether it is a crazy fight, a fast knockout, or a victory that leads a fighter to greatness, the MMA cage has been the setting for all of it.
Checking the UFC fight odds wouldn’t have helped you predict the outcome of some of these bouts. Here are some of the best MMA moments in the history of the sport.
Holly Holm Beats Ronda Rousey
2015 was a year where Ronda Rousey was one of the deadliest fighters the UFC had ever seen, not just in the women’s division either. UFC 193 saw Rousey put her belt on the line against the clear underdog, Holly Holm.
The fight was pretty even, with Rousey being the aggressor throughout the first round. However, the second round saw Holm rock Rousey before finishing her with a well-timed head kick. Rousey was out cold before she hit the mat, and Holm pulled off what was later named the upset of the year.
Conor McGregor beats Jose Aldo
UFC 194 was hyped as having the fight of the year on the card. Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor had been going back and forth for months, with Aldo putting his UFC Featherweight title on the line against Notorious.
The two fighters didn’t touch gloves before the fight. They just went to their corners and waited for the bell. As the bout started, a quick flourish ended with McGregor nailing Aldo with a fight-ending left hook. The fight of the year was over in less than 20 seconds.
Jorge Masvidal’s Flying Knee
Jorge Masvidal’s fight against Ben Askren was another one that was meant to be a fight of the year contender. While Askren was arguably the worse fighter, he spoke a big game, and Masvidal matched him time after time.
The fight started, Masvidal calmly took a few steps, and once he saw Askren charging with his head down, looking for the takedown, Masvidal launched the knee. It couldn’t have connected any better, and he now holds the record for the fastest knockout in the UFC at only 5 seconds.
Anderson Silva gets Knocked Out
Anderson Silva is famous for being arrogant and thinking he is the best fighter to have stepped foot in a cage. UFC 16 was no different, as he faced Chris Weidman in a middleweight main event for the evening.
Silva was being his usual tricky self, evading punches and kicks, and you could see he wasn’t taking it seriously compared to the very focussed Weidman. However, Silva got too cocky in the second, taunted Weidman a bit too close, and Weidman caught him. The fight was over moments later and went down as one of the best knockouts of the year.
Cro Cop vs. Silva Stare-Down
Mirko Cro Cop and Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva were two of the deadliest and scariest individuals ever to step foot in a ring. Wanderlei was an animal in the cage, and Cro Cop was a reserved and quiet man with cannons for legs.
The stare-down the two had before the fight at Pride is still widely regarded as the best ever. Both men were feared, both men scared whoever stood in front of them, and this stare-down was between two of the best. Nothing has matched it since.
Liddell Knocks Out Couture
Back in the day when the UFC was just starting to gain mass appeal, Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture were two of the biggest names in the business. Randy Couture was the bigger and arguably better fighter when they went into their matchup at UFC 52.
The Light Heavyweight title was on the line at one of the biggest PPVs the promotion had ever seen. After an eye poke that angered Couture, he rushed at Liddell with fists flying. Liddell quickly took a step back and landed a perfect shot to Couture’s jaw. The fight ended a few seconds later, and “The Iceman” Chuck Liddell was the new champion.
