The Rear Naked Column 06.24.09: The Best UFC Fights of 2009

Posted by Samer Kadi on 06.24.2009

We’re midway through the year and the UFC has blessed the MMA world with no fewer than ten events, with PPV's, fight nights and an Ultimate finale providing us with some great action. In this week’s edition of “The Rear Naked Column”, 411's Samer Kadi looks back at the top five fights to have taken place inside the Octagon so far in 2009.

UFC 100 is coming up soon in what should be the biggest event in North American MMA history. It also couldn't have come at a better time as the Ultimate Fighting Championship is riding a huge wave of momentum, with 2009 already being one of its most successful years ever. The past 6 months saw Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn battle in one of the biggest fights in the company's history, Lyoto Machida's rise to the top of the Light Heavyweight division, and the possible retirement of one of the sport's all time greats as Chuck Liddell was stopped at the hands of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in Montreal.

Arguably the two biggest fights of the year up to this point have been blowouts, as George St. Pierre dominated BJ Penn for four rounds and Lyoto Machida turned on the most brilliant performance of his career (and frankly one of the best I've ever seen) as he knocked out Rashad Evans in the second round.

But what fights really stood out this year in terms of quality? Everyone loves a top 5 list and this week, "The Rear Naked Column" will deliver just that.

5) Quinton Jackson Vs Keith Jardine (UFC 96: Jackson Vs Jardine, 03.07.09):

The UFC were struggling to put together a main event for UFC 96. The original plan was for then light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans to defend his newly won title against number one contender Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Evans wasn't ready to fight so his teammate Keith Jardine stepped up to the plate.

Many believed it to be a risky move on Jackson's part as he was risking his status as the number one contender and his chance to regain the title he lost the previous summer to Forrest Griffin. However, coming off a big knockout victory over longtime rival Wanderlei Silva, most expected Rampage to topple Jardine with relative ease and cement his status as the top challenger for Evans' title.

The fight turned out to be far more competitive than many had anticipated as Jackson looked to be slightly out of sorts in the opening round and was struggling to find his range. Jardine did a good job of preventing Rampage from getting any kind of rhythm early on, using some leg kicks to good effect and circling around his opponent and forcing him to chase.

Rampage came out more aggressive in the second round and dropped Jardine with a left hook but the "Dean of Mean" managed to survive. Keith then landed an inadvertent low blow that ended up playing to his favor, as Jackson didn't take enough time to recover. Seconds later, a Jardine uppercut had Rampage on his heels as he followed with a flurry against the fence that looked to have balanced things out in the second round.



The third round followed the same pattern of the fight as neither fighter looked to be in total control. But with seconds remaining, a Jackson right hook dropped Jardine again and sealed the decision win for the charismatic former champion.

4) Wanderlei Silva Vs Rich Franklin (UFC 99: The Comeback, 06.13.09):

"Knockout, Knockout, War" - Wanderlei Silva.

Say what you want about Silva, but the guy always delivers. The fight was taking place at a catchweight of 195, as Wanderlei looked to use it as a tune up to a future drop to the 185 pound division, while Franklin was looking to fight in the 205 lbs division full time. Both fighters needed a win badly to gain momentum in their respective divisions and remain relevant.

After a long feeling out process in the first round, Franklin was the first to engage. He looked to keep his distance and use his superior footwork, reach and technical striking to keep Silva at bay. After a few exchanges, Silva caught a Franklin body kick and took the fight to the ground. As Franklin regained his feet, Wanderlei made the mistake of dropping down for a guillotine which Franklin easily avoided and landed some decent shots from the top to finish the round.

"Ace" stuck to the same gameplan in the second round as he looked to outpoint Silva from distance with jabs, straight lefts and body kicks. But midway through the round, Wanderlei landed a trademark wild right hook that had Franklin rocked and sent him backing up against the fence. Silva went for the kill and unleashed a big flurry, connecting cleanly with a couple of punches. Rich managed to survive as the round drew to a close.



At this point it became clear that the weight cut had taken its toll on Wanderlei, as he was visibly tired and breathing heavily at the start of the third. Rich was coming out on top in most of the exchanges early in the round until landing an accidental kick to Silva's groin that seemed to have awaken The Axe Murderer. From that moment on, he chased Franklin across the Octagon, waving his hands in the air to urge the crowd to get behind him and seemed to put everything behind each punch he threw. Rich sensed the danger and took Silva down in the final minute. Wanderlei quickly regained his feet and the two engaged in a full blooded punches/back elbows exchange to put a fantastic end to a great fight.


3) Dan Hardy Vs Marcus Davis (UFC 99: The Comeback, 06.13.09):

After months of trash talk and hype, Marcus Davis and Dan Hardy were set to square off in Germany. Hardy took exception to Davis calling himself an Irishman, and Davis retaliated by calling Hardy a "douchebag".



An overly intense Davis took control of the opening round as he took Hardy to the ground early and managed to transition into full mount. Hardy quickly regained half guard and spent most of the round fighting off his back until finally regaining his feet. He then staggered Davis with a vicious elbow to finish the round.

In the second round, Davis looked to strike early but was quickly caught with a big knee which left him flattened on the mat. Hardy went for the finish but Davis showed great recovery and regained his composure. Hardy spent the rest of the round working inside Davis' guard with the latter working submissions off his back and almost managed to lock in an armbar.

The third round was the closest round yet, and it arguably decided the outcome of the fight. Davis again was able to take Hardy to the mat and had him in a deep leg lock but was unable to finish. It ended up being a costly mistake as Hardy gained top position and landed a razor sharp elbow that sliced Davis' forehead wide open.

In the end, Hardy got the split decision win in what was an extremely close fight. I personally feel this fight hasn't gotten the praise it deserves as it was easily one of the better fights in recent memory.


2) Martin Kampmann Vs Carlos Condit (UFC Fight Night 18, 04.01.09):

After Zuffa's dissolution of the WEC 170 pound division, WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit was brought up to the UFC roster. His first fight saw him take on promising Danish talent Martin Kampmann who was looking to fight his way to the top of the division after dropping from middleweight. The pair headlined UFC Fight Night 18, and what followed was a grappling masterclass. The fight was too close to call, as both fighters traded dominant positions with neither gaining a distinct advantage. They traded scrambles, sweeps, and dominant positions. Kampmann was the superior wrestler throughout, but Condit was very active from the bottom. Every round was very tough to score and in the end Kampmann got the split decision, mainly for his ability to control the final stage of the third round which might have influenced the judges' decision. although the fight ended with him locked in a tight guillotine.


1) Diego Sanchez Vs Clay Guida (Ultimate Fighter 9 finale, 06.20.09):

What is there left to say about this fight? From the awesome staredown at the weight in's, to the super intense entrances by both fighters, to the even more intense pre fight staredown, this one promised to be a classic.



The opening round was one of the best I've ever seen as they both came out SWINGING. Diego rocked Guida early, had him against the fence, and threw everything but the kitchen sink at him and Clay wouldn't go down. From uppercuts to flying knees, Guida was eating a barrage of strikes and still kept coming. He eventually got the takedown to weather the storm. Diego scrambled, regained his feet and dropped Guida with a huge leg kick which looked to have finished the fight. But Guida displayed a granite chin and an amazing recovery.

The second round was less explosive, with Guida getting the takedown and looking to control "The Nightmare". Sanchez proceeded to land some elbows from the bottom that would have made Kenny Florian proud as he cut Guida's forehead wide open.

The third round was a close one, with both fighters landing some good combinations before Guida took the fight to the ground but was almost caught with a Kimura from Diego. In the end Guida managed to avoid it and finished the fight with a decent flurry.

Fellow 411mania writer Dan Plunkett put it best:: "It was probably the closest one-sided fight in UFC history". I don't see how Guida could have won that fight, but I'll be damned if he didn't make a contest out of it.

That's it for this week, if you feel some fights were left out and deserved a spot on the list, feel free to mention it in the comments section. Starting next week, we'll be previewing the biggest show of the year as UFC 100 is right around the corner.