411’s Countdown to UFC 100: Favorite UFC Moments

Posted by Larry Csonka on 07.06.2009

From Brock Lesnar winning the UFC Heavyweight Title and Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz to Randy Couture shocking the world against Tim Sylvia and of course the first Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin bout, the 411 staff ranks some of their favorite UFC moments! Start the countdown to UFC 100 by reliving some of your favorite UFC moments with part one of 411’s Countdown to UFC 100!



Welcome:
Welcome to 411's Countdown to UFC 100! With UFC 100 this weekend, the 411 MMA staff thought that we should prepare for the event with a special countdown to the show. Today we come together and debut the "Top 5" format that is popular in other zones to do that. What we are going to is take a topic each week and all the writers here on 411 MMA will have the ability to give us their Top 5 on said topic, plus up to three honorable mentions. At the end, based on where all these matches rank on people's list, we will create an overall Top 5 list.

Topic number one for the week is…





Scott Kuczkowski

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Wanderlei Silva destroys Keith Jardine - Jardine was riding high off a decision victory over Chuck Liddell when Wandy sent him crashing back to the canvas with a vicious knockout.

Matt Serra defeats George St. Pierre for the Welterweight Title - I love a good upset and this was about as shocking as you get in MMA.

5. Frank Mir breaks Tim Sylvia's Arm - I've always been a big mark for Frank Mir. His cockiness aside, he seems content to get in the cage and handle business just like he's heading off to work in some office. I hoped he would mangle Sylvia, whom I'd always thought was overrated. Mir didn't disappoint and everyone was treated to one of the greatest arm-breaking highlights in UFC history.

4. Forrest Griffin defeats "Rampage" Jackson for the Light Heavyweight Title - This falls in the "I love a good upset" category, but I thought it was even better than normal due to the fact that the fight between Rampage and Forrest was so incredibly close. The internet was (and probably still is) evenly divided as to who won this fight, and the fans watching it at Buffalo Wild Wings were equally divided, all of which added to the drama surrounding the event. In my opinion Forrest executed the perfect game plan to walk away with the decision victory.

3. Griffin vs. Bonnar - I watched the first few UFCs on VHS and became a pretty big fan almost immediately, though I can't say I seriously followed MMA or the UFC on a regular basis. Fast forward several years and I watched the first season of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV and I started to realize this was a sport I needed to follow more closely. Then came the season finale, and it closed the deal for me. You know how Dana White brags that people watching this fight called their friends mid-fight to tell them to turn it on? Yeah, I was one of those people.

2. Chuck vs. Tito II -I watch most PPVs at Buffalo Wild Wings. I find it more enjoyable to spend my $50.00 on wings and Shiner Bach than send the money directly Dish Network. Those readers who have frequented such an establishment can appreciate the size of the typical BWW; the place was packed two hours before the PPV even started. During the lead up to the fight, chants for Chuck and Tito erupted as fans voiced their support for their favorite combatant. At one point during the fight, I happened to look at the front windows of the restaurant and saw crowds of people watching the big screens from outside because there wasn't any more room to stand inside. It was probably one of the coolest UFC moments I'd ever experienced.

1. Randy Couture defeats Tim Sylvia for Heavyweight Title - When Randy announced he was coming out of retirement to make a run for the Heavyweight Title, I remembered his run as a Light Heavyweight and Joe Rogan talking about how big guys in the heavyweight division had given Randy so much trouble. While I hoped Randy would be successful, I knew Tim Sylvia was not going to give him the title without a fight. I sat in Buffalo Wild Wings watching this fight and listening to the naysayers (including Joe Rogan) proclaim the task was nearly impossible and that Randy would get murdered. The bout stated with Randy knocking Tim on his ass and 25 minutes later we had a new Heavyweight Champion. I left the restaurant feeling almost anything was possible in the sport of MMA.

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Jonathan Solomon

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Randy Couture wins heavyweight gold in 2008 - The fact he beat a giant to win the belt in twenty-five minutes, the legend of The Natural continued.

Gabriel Gonzaga kicking Cro Cop's head off - Cro Cop was the bad ass and nobody knew how bad he had lost it, what a shocking turn of events. I'll admit, I jumped off my couch when this happened.

First MMA Fight Airs on Cable TV - Who knew that Robbie Lawler and Steve Berger would make history. Well, they did in 2002 as their UFC 37.5 fight was the first MMA fight to air on cable television in the United States. The two-round fight aired on Fox Sports Nets' Best Damn show three years before the UFC got in bed with SpikeTV.

5. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz in 2006 - Up to that point, in my mind, two of the greatest fighters ever in the UFC were about to fight. Each had long winning streaks going into the fight after the UFC's most successful year (up to that point). While I was not totally aware of their storied past at the time, it was the perfect boil between larger than life athletes at the biggest show of the year. Part of me was pulling for Ortiz but Liddell was so unbeatable back then, I could not see him losing the belt. When he finally ended with Tito battered against the cage, just another reason in the line of many why The Iceman will forever be remembered as one of the best.

4. Matt Hughes beats Royce Gracie - One part of my fond memory of this fight stems from the fact it happened on my birthday. Despite the fact Royce Gracie was nearly 40-years old at that point and Matt Hughes was at his drawing peak, there was still a part of me, which believed Gracie would win the fight. After all, the famous Gracie myth had been part of the promotion of the fight with Royce talking smack about Hughes and the modern fighter. Well, Matt Hughes could have snapped Royce's arm but decided not to and defeated him by TKO. There was something about the fact the man the original UFC was built around returned to fight the new breed of MMA fighter. Without any debate, it was a clear showing of the far advancements of modern day athletes and the fact today's MMA fighter is a well-rounded fighter.

3. Former PRIDE FC Fighters Enter the UFC - For some this moment/memory may be a negative. But it was no secret PRIDE was running down the drain after the Yakuza scandal forced them off of television in Japan. Well, when news broke of Zuffa purchasing the famed promotion, everyone's minds ran wild with potential fights. Even the month before, Cro Cop and Quinton Jackson debuted at UFC 67. This period, even in the face of the unknown, was exciting. People wondered about potential fights including Fedor Emelianenko (still do), Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the return of Wanderlei Silva, Josh Barnett, Dan Henderson, Shogun Rua, Takanori Gomi, etc. While we may not have seen all these men, we have (or will have) seen Cro Cop, Rampage, Minotauro Nogueira, Wanderlei, Henderson, Shogun, Kang, Herring, Werdum, Sokoudjou, Akiyama and even Mark Coleman, among others. Some have failed, some succeeded but there have been some awesome fights due to these men becoming UFC fighters (in some cases, returning to the UFC).

2. Brock Lesnar, UFC Heavyweight Champion - Almost unbelievable. If you had told me back in 2004 after Brock Lesnar left pro wrestling behind that he would someday be at the top of the UFC, I would have laughed in your face. However, he backed up his talk and accomplished what many haters could only have nightmares about. Lesnar always said he went to pro wrestling strictly for the money after his collegiate career, that his first love was combat a la amateur wrestling. When he first stepped foot into the octagon, he was submitted in a way that made MMA purists/wrestling haters wet themselves. Nine months later, he defeated (of all people) Randy Couture to win the UFC Heavyweight Championship. I was pulling for Lesnar, but could not doubt Couture. When Lesnar knocked him out, I was shocked and thrilled at the same time. That was nothing against Couture, but there I was recalling when Lesnar was working dark matches for WWE in 2001-02 and nearly killing himself in 2004 and here he was, beating one of the best MMA fighters of all-time in the UFC. Amazing.

1. Griffin vs. Bonnar - While I was a luke warm MMA fan prior to 2005 (watching Ken Shamrock in the then-WWF, clips of early UFCs and Tito/Shamrock 1), it was this fight which turned me into a full-fledged MMA fanatic. While sometimes Dana White may overstate the importance of this fight (a second season of TUF was already planned), his sentiment cannot be overstated in that this fight was (for many people) their introduction into the sport of MMA. Imagine if instead of the back-and-forth slugfest, it was a Tim Sylvia/Andrei Arlovski caliber snore fest. Exactly. Forrest Griffin made his career that night and Stephan Bonnar didn't do too badly for himself, either. The heart both men showed in the face of all the damage they took was great. The atmosphere inside Las Vegas along with the combo of Goldberg & Rogan going bananas only added to the superb action.

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Jeffrey "The Vile One" Harris

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Henderson taps to the Spider - Even though I didn't think he would pull it out, I was very impressed with Henderson getting a round in over Henderson, but I was still devastated when Silva came back and tapped Henderson out.

Silva destroys Rich Franklin and wins the middleweight title - Franklin was the top dog at middleweight, but that wasn't able to protect his face from the Spider's vicious knees.

Griffin vs. Bonnar I - What else can really be said?

5. Frank Mir beats Minotauro - Everyone, their grandmother, and even Frank Mir himself didn't believe that Mir would pull it out against Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira at UFC 92, but it happened. People can talk about Nog recovering from an illness as an excuse, but Frank Mir simply took advantage of one of Nogueira's biggest flaws, terrible lack of head movement. Nogueira, even back in the Fedor fight at Shockwave 2004 would take a lot of headshots. Mir simply came in with a good gameplan and strategy and exploited how Nog would eat headshots and not move. Keyboard warriors cried themselves to sleep that night. It was a thing of beauty.

4. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson ends the era of the Iceman - Chuck Liddell was looking like the strongest, most dominant light heavyweights ever going on a tear and cleaning out the division. Jackson came in and put a stop to that, effectively ending Liddell's years of dominance in the UFC. Jackson proved that even the Iceman Liddell could be broken, and Liddell was never the same again after this fight, even though Jackson had already beaten Liddell before in 2003 in Pride.

3. Lesnar beats Randy Couture - Undeniably huge. Lesnar cements his status in MMA history and with just a record of 2-1, faces off against the legend and UFC heavyweight champion, Randy Couture in Lesnar's 4th professional fight. Despite the size differences, no one wanted to bet against Randy, and justifiably so considering how Randy handled bigger guys like Tim Sylvia and Gabriel Gonzaga. But Lesnar got the job done, and he's got one more fight to truly prove that he's for real and here to stay.

2. Lyoto Machida - No matter what anyone says, this was a big deal. Its like Joe Rogan says, "The Machida Era has begun." No one else in the UFC in the UFC had utilized the karate style so effectively. Machida proved that anything is possible and shut up all the haters that would say he's boring or can't finish and he won over the fans as well.

1. Couture vs. Liddell Trilogy - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not really a single moment, but this trilogy of fights was massively significant for the UFC and helping get them to the level they are at today in building such superstar, must see fights.

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Dan Plunkett

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Penn beats Sherk - Penn dominated Sherk, and that set up what was supposed to be an epic rematch against GSP.

Wanderlei's Last Win...for now - Everybody loves Wanderlei, and seeing him obliterate Jardine was great.

5. St. Pierre vs. Penn II Introductions - Had the fight been better, or the least bit competitive, I would probably rank this higher. I had never been as excited for a fight as I was for this one. In hindsight, I should have seen that Penn was over matched, but my ignorance led to a feeling of great anticipation, which was much better than the fight was.

4. Penn Beats Hughes - Prior to this fight, Matt Hughes seemed unbeatable, he was arguably the best fighter in the world. Enter BJ Penn - a natural lightweight that exploded onto the scene and was touted as the most talented fighter to ever enter MMA. After failing to capture the lightweight title on 2 occasions, Penn moved up in weight to fight Matt Hughes. A big punch to Hughes weakened him, and a rear naked choke finished him off. It was incredible.

3. Liddell vs. Ortiz II - The feeling of this fight was unprecedented for a MMA fight. Everybody knew about this fight, it was a great build-up job by the UFC and Tito. I was pretty sure Liddell would beat Ortiz again, but just watching everything build-up to this fight was fun.

2. Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva is Announced at UFC 61 - Sure, the fight soon fell through, but just the announcement gave me goosebumps. It's kind of sad now that I think of it that we didn't get to see this fight when both were in their primes, which this announcement was supposed to bring us. From Wanderlei confusing the word "fight" with "fuck," to the stare down, this was an awesome moment on an awful event.

1. Randy Couture Beats Tim Sylvia to Win the Heavyweight Title - If Tim Sylvia's opponent was any other fighter that night, the entire crowd would have been asleep by the end of the first round. But his opponent was Randy Couture, and he was way over with the crowd. The atmosphere of the fight was incredible, most everybody wanted Couture to win that night. From the fighter introductions, to Couture dropping Sylvia in 7 seconds, to the end of the fight, I was in awe watching this fight. When the horn sounded signaling the end of the fight, everybody just exploded - 43-year-old Randy Couture had just won the UFC Heavyweight Title. It was incredible.

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Samer Kadi

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Randy Couture spanks Tito Ortiz… literally - After becoming the first man to win two titles in two different weight classes by stopping Chuck Liddell to capture the UFC interim light heavyweight title, Randy Couture took on Tito Ortiz for the undisputed light heavyweight championship at UFC 44. After weeks of trash talking by Ortiz who called Couture an "old man", Randy proceeded to lay a beating on "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" for five rounds and became the undisputed champ.

St. Pierre shuts up Penn - Yes the fight didn't exactly turn out to be "the epic battle of champions" we've all hoped for, but as a big GSP fan I had the privilege to witness one of the greatest performances to ever take place in The Octagon, as Georges St. Pierre dominated BJ Penn from start to finish, forcing his corner to stop the fight after the fourth round.

Liddell-Ortiz, It's On! - After a year and a half of drama and accusations, these two finally squared off inside the Octagon. The atmosphere was electric as the two former friends went to battle. After a slow start, Liddell turned it on towards the end of the first round, eventually stopping Ortiz with a brutal barrage of punches early in the second.

5. Minotauro introduces the American fans to MMA's Rocky Balboa - Minotauro Nogueira had made a career in PRIDE of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, with legendary comebacks against the likes of Bob Sapp and Mirko Cro Cop. After Randy Couture left the company, Big Nog squared off against Tim Sylvia for the interim heavyweight title. The match up looked a horrible one for Nogueira on paper. Nogueira was twice knocked down by Sylvia in the first two rounds, and things didn't look good for the Brazilian. But in typical Big Nog fashion, he pulled off a trademark comeback in the third. Nogueira pulled guard, swept the former UFC champ and submitted him with a guillotine choke in a matter of seconds.

4. Georges St. Pierre wins his first UFC welterweight title - Watching GSP tap to a Matt Hughes armbar with one second remaining in the round was one of my saddest experiences as an MMA fan. Fortunately, GSP got a chance to redeem himself two years later. This time St. Pierre turned up one of the best performances of his career with a beautiful display of versatile striking, dropping Hughes with a head kick midway through the second round to capture the welterweight title.

3. Six years in the making: Liddell Vs Silva - PRIDE and UFC fans have dreamt for years of this ultimate showdown between these two knockout machines. Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell dominated their respective divisions in brutal fashion, destroying challenger after challenger. After numerous hiccups and setbacks that prevented this fight from happening, fans had given up on the hope of seeing these two legends go toe to toe. After the UFC's buyout of PRIDE, this fight was finally made a reality and the two finally squared off in December 2007. The result was beyond anybody's expectations as they delivered a battle for the ages that will ultimately go down as one of the greatest in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

2. Matt Hughes tears the house down - I never was a Matt Hughes fan. For whatever reason, I just couldn't get behind him. But you will never hear me say a single negative thing about the guy, because he was responsible for one of my biggest "mark out" moments as an MMA fan. As a matter of fact, when anybody asks me what's so great about this sport, my answer is simple: Hughes Vs Trigg II. Matt Hughes survived a knee to the groin, a knockdown, the mount and a deep rear naked choke. When Hughes' face turned purple, it looked like the longtime welterweight champion's reign was coming to an end. What followed was what I consider the greatest finish in MMA history. Hughes somehow escaped the choke, turned towards Trigg, picked him up, carried him across the Octagon and slammed him down to one of the most deafening crowd reactions I've ever heard. He then quickly transitioned into mount, got his back and sunk in the choke for the win. This is one of two genuinely chilling moments I've experienced when watching the UFC. The second one being…

1. That guy is my hero - "44 year old men are not supposed to dominate in combat sport" – Joe Rogan.

When Randy Couture returned to fight UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia in 2007, people thought he was crazy. Many even hated on the UFC for this sort of matchmaking, and I was one of those. People genuinely feared for Couture's health. But the moment Randy walked in to the Octagon, I had this little feeling inside that maybe, just maybe Randy had another miracle in store. Little did I know the greatest moment in MMA history (according to me, sue me) would be taking place 8 seconds later. A Couture overhand right sent the Maine-iac crashing and the crowd ERUPTED. After that, it was just 25 minutes of pure electricity as the 44-year-old hall of famer dominated Sylvia on his way to his third heavyweight title win.

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Bill Wannop

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell - This fight was many years in the making, and Dana White wanted it so much he tried to cross promote with PRIDE in order to get it. While it may have come a year or two too late, it was still a sight and fight to remember.

Champion vs. Champion: Henderson vs. Rampage - The closest thing we ever got to PRIDE vs. UFC was when Dan Henderson met Rampage Jackson to unify the belts.

5. Anderson Silva destroys Rich Franklin - This fight was monumental as Anderson Silva surprised many when he destroyed Rich Franklin, who basically ran through everyone in the division before the spider. This fight gave birth to the domination that was known as Anderson Silva, and will be one of the best visuals seen for years to come, when Franklin took all those knees.

4. Tito Ortiz – Ken Shamrock Feud - Many people overlook this feud because it was so one sided. But this was the first real blood feud during the explosion era of the UFC. The build to these fights was great and before the bell you could sense the animosity. Now after the bell rang was another story with Tito destroying Ken every time, but the way the UFC built up these fights to draw fans in was phenomenal.

3. Brock Lesnar wins Heavyweight Title - I don't think that when Brock first started in MMA that anybody thought that he would knock-out Randy Couture, let alone win the UFC heavyweight title in only his fourth pro fight. But that is exactly what he did, and the memory of seeing Randy going down will always be a wtf memory.

2. Randy Couture defeats Tim Sylvia - Lots of people counted out Randy Couture in this fight, myself included. But once the bell rung and Randy knocked down Tim in the first 30 seconds everyone started to believe. Throughout the five rounds, the crowd was on its feet believing in Randy and it truly was a feel good moment.

1. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar - This was the fight that started it all. I can remember watching this fight in my basement and actually calling my friends at the end of round one and telling them to turn this on. A great fight that had both men going toe to toe and helped make the UFC turn the corner and become more mainstream.

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Patrick Mullin

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Vitor Belfort beats Tank Abbot - Simply put, live reenactment of David vs. Goliath.

Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz - The spanking seen round the world.

B.J. Penn licking his gloves clean of Joe Stevenson's blood - Both the most sickening and badass thing I've ever seen in the octagon.

5. Keith Hackney vs. Joe Son - This was my first UFC experience and while laughs aren't the objective, this provided them in spades and created a moment that entertains me to this day. We'd all heard of this "Ultimate Fighting" and wanted to see just how crazy it was. Watching Joe Son's balls used as a punching bag is simply hilarious,

4. Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes III - I hate Matt Hughes and feel he's arguably the most overrated fighter in history. I take nothing away from his victory over Georges and it's the high point of his career, but I never felt he took on a great fighter at thier best. With his constant preppy jock taunting towards Georges such as, "Want me to show you how to defend an armbar?", it was sweet ironic justice that George would defeat Hughes with that very hold in their rubber match.

3. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell - The term dream match is thrown around a lot, so when one actually happens the term doesn't carry as much weight. However if you ever want to see the definition of a dream match this was it. For years fans wanted it, and arguably the two most exciting fighters of all time and two of the greatest went at it and delivered a classic that was well worth the weight.

2. Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine - Its not that I dislike Keith, I'm actually a big fan of his. However if there's one fighter I support above all others its "The Axe Murderer." Wanderlei's fans were all disappointed in that he had lost to Chuck and was on a three fight-losing streak. To see him come out like a berserker and maul Keith Jardine in a half a minute was a feel good moment for all the Wanderlei fans out there.

1. Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia - Randy was too small to compete with Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez, at least that's how "experts" felt. So it was impossible that he would beat the biggest man to hold the UFC Heavyweight Championship, the 6'8 Tim Sylvia right? What transpired was a career defining victory as the 44-year-old Couture began by dropping his gigantic opponent with a right hand and controlling him on the ground for 5 rounds to reclaim the UFC Heavyweight Championship and do what he does best, prove "experts" wrong. As a Randy fan it was the ultimate feel good moment and honestly brought me to tears to see this great champion have yet another moment in the center of the octagon as champion.

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Todd Bergman

5. Ken Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz 1 - This was the first real grudge match in UFC history. The match up also brought a huge amount of press and exposure to the UFC being that Shamrock was a former UFC competitor and former WWF/E Champion. The hype leading into the fight, for the most part, surpassed the actual combat, but it's important to note that this fight was the first WWF/E crowd versus MMA crowd bout.

4. Royce Gracie Winning UFC 1 - It all began here, so it must be on the list, right? It's not going to be #1, but it's on the list because the myth of MMA really took shape at this event. The question was answered whether it was power of technique when it came to a fight. No matter how big the guy, Gracie put them down and gave us keyboard warriors, some hope.

3. Dana and the Fertitta Brothers buy the UFC - Previous to this ground of men buying the UFC, the sport was dying a rampant death. The 2 million dollar purchase has become one of the best investments in recent financial history. The breath of fresh air that these men pumped into the sport has helped and improved a once dying sport.

2. The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 debut - While Zuffa buying the UFC is a strong candidate for the recent upswing in popularity when it comes to MMA, this show is the major reason that MMA has become popular. The in-depth look at the sport really showed fans that these fighters aren't savages and actually have a warm and kind background, for the most part. There was nothing better than hanging out at my buddy's house and watching the show which then aired on Mondays right after Monday Night RAW.

1. UFC buying PRIDE - Sure, this isn't going to be what everyone else has as their #1, but what else could possibly be here? This is the single most important thing that has happened in UFC history. PRIDE was always known as the company with the best fighters. However, they were also known as the company with the shadiest business dealings as well. It's been two years since the purchase of what some estimate to be in the range of $65 million dollars, and there is no looking back for the UFC.

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John Curry

5. UFC 1 - There was nothing better to me than watching the first UFC on VHS. No holds barred fighting TOPIC #1 Favorite UFC Moments or Memories
between some of the biggest mismatched guys I have ever imagined. All culminating with the crowning of the man who built MMA, Royce Gracie, as it's champion, introducing everyone to the world of BJJ.

4. Frank Mir breaks Tim Sylvia's Arm - The match is legendary for the split second where Tim Sylvia attempts to pick Mir up while Mir has an Arm bar locked in only to witness the pop of his forearm. There were two big things that I loved about this fight. First was Tim's refusal to tap and quit. He was even pissed because the ref stopped the fight after observing the breakage. Secondly, this fight brought back the hardcore fighters we were used to seeing in the early days of MMA when a fighter had no qualms about breaking your damn arm if you don't tap.

3. The Ultimate Fighter 1 - There is really nothing to say that hasn't been said about this. We had a group of guys who showed America that MMA was not a sport of bar fighters and thugs simply trying to hurt people but a competitive sport with great stories and heart. Millions saw the evidence in what is widely considered the best fight in UFC history---Griffin vs. Bonnar.

2. Griffin vs. Bonnar - I remember watching this with my wife and both of us rooting for Griffin. There was nothing short of anticipation throughout the entire battle as we wondered who would win. In the end, I was sad that both couldn't win that was until Dana showed us that just because you lose doesn't mean you don't have a place in the UFC.

1. Amir Sadollah wins TUF - 0-0 record. Weird name. Goofy sense of Humor. All of these describe Amir Sadollah. I had a feeling about him from the get go. He was even the first MMA fighter I ever interviewed and now I have the pleasure of calling Amir my friend. However, that is not the reason this is my favorite UFC moment. The reason is Amir overcame all of the skeptics rants by winning decisively in every match on his way to the title. Even better was the fact that he silenced all of them by beating what seemed to be the shows "chosen one" using the same exact move TWICE. Absolutely Amazing. In the end Amir proved what The Ultimate Fighter was created for, to find new unseen talent and give them their shot. He ended up being the Rocky to Dana White's Apollo Creed Challenge.

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Jeremy Lambert

5. Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie - The defining "passing the torch" fight in MMA history. I knew enough about Gracie to know that he was the first UFC legend, that he was unbeatable in the early years, and that he made a living out of beating bigger guys with superior technique. Matt Hughes proved just how much the sport evolved since the days of Royce Gracie by dominating Gracie for just under five minutes.

4. Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga - A lot of people forget this fight but as a huge Randy Couture fan, I will never forget this performance. Gonzaga was coming off the murder of Mirko "Cro Cop" and everyone still wondered if Couture still had "it" even after the destruction of Tim Sylvia. Never doubt Randy Couture. He beat up Gabriel Gonzaga for three round, broke his arm in the process, and caused Gonzaga to go blind.

3. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 2 - The build up to this fight was tremendous. The two biggest stars in MMA in the biggest fight in UFC history. The fight delivered as well with Liddell once again beating Ortiz to keep the Light Heavyweight title but not before Ortiz turned in a much better performance than he did at UFC 47.

2. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock 1 - It was the first UFC event I watched thanks in large part to my following of Ken Shamrock during his WWF career so I was extremely excited for this fight. Shamrock got trounced by the younger, faster, stronger Ortiz but I was hooked on the sport after this fight and pro wrestling build to it.

1. Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva - 6 years in the making. The greatest UFC Light Heavyweight vs. the greatest PRIDE Light Heavyweight. My all time favorite fighter vs. one of my favorite fighters. Two of the most exciting fighters in the sport. The build up alone would have made it an all time classic. Then they delivered a fight that I've watched a million times. A 15-minute war where Liddell won and Silva lost the fight but really everyone came out a winner. It was years in the making and neither fighter disappointed.

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Adam Tool

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Silva Breaks Franklin's Face (Twice) - Anderson Silva showed how wide the gap was between himself and everyone else at middleweight, and as a result Rich Franklin had to have facial reconstructive surgery after both encounters with "The Spider."

The Next Big Thing - Brock Lesnar's debut at UFC 81 was arguably the most anticipated arrival in company history, and the air was electric when his bout with Frank Mir began.

BJ Flattens Uno - One of the greatest highlights in company history, as the legend of BJ Penn truly begins with this blink-and-you'll-miss-it performance.

5. The Machida Era Begins - Obviously this is the most recent moment of my picks, but for good reason. I had become a pretty big fan of Machida's over some time, and as a result I found myself very emotionally invested in his first UFC title fight. His dominant performance over Rashad Evans made the entire world stand up and take notice, and people are finally realizing that nobody can defend his style. Nobody.

4. Chuck Shuts Tito Up For Good - This one has to be on the list, if for no other reason than because it's easily one of the biggest fights in the ten years of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz had a storied rivalry that culminated in the main event at UFC 66, and since they were two of the company's biggest stars the show did record business. Of course, if you're like me and can't stand Tito Ortiz, this moment takes on a whole other level of enjoyment.

3. The Head Kick Heard ‘Round The World - UFC 70 was supposed to be the show where Mirko Cro Cop became the #1 contender to Randy Couture's heavyweight championship. Instead it became the show where we got quite possibly the greatest highlight finish in UFC history. Gabriel Gonzaga landed a picture perfect head kick to knock Cro Cop completely out, with the added visual of Mirko's crumpled body and awkwardly positioned leg. It was a big upset, and a moment that will never be forgotten.

2. Serra Does The Unthinkable - You want to talk about upsets? In the history of the UFC (and possibly this sport) there's none greater than this one. A natural lightweight, Matt Serra won himself a title shot against new welterweight golden boy Georges St. Pierre. There's not a person on the planet that would've picked Serra to win by TKO in the first round, but that's exactly what happened. Matt Serra truly shocked the world, and reminded us all that yes, anything can happen.

1. Rampage Reaches The Top - This is my personal list and so I'll just come out and say that I love Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. I was thrilled that he was getting his title shot at UFC 71 and while most people were pulling for Liddell to retain, I was firmly on the side of "Rampage." When Chuck went down and "Big" John stepped in, I was on my feet cheering. After years of coming close "Rampage" had finally made it to the top, and that moment remains my favorite memory of the UFC.

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And 411's Top 5 Favorite UFC Moments Are…


5. Brock Lesnar: From WWE Champion to UFC Champion - Brock Lesnar has been a source of controversy since arriving on the scene, but you cannot argue with his success thus far.


4. Six Years In The Making: Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva - The fight people had been waiting for, and one that delivered to the casual MMA fan as well as the die hard fan.


3. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz II - The rematch people wanted for a while, and the buy rate proved that.


2. Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin I - For many this is the fight that got them into MMA. A true war and the highlight of the first season of the Ultimate Fighter.


1. Randy Couture Shocks The World To Win The UFC Heavyweight Title Against Tim Sylvia - Randy Couture came out of retirement with one goal, to win the UFC Heavyweight title. He shocked the world and proved that age was not a factor.

Come back tomorrow when the 411 staff counts down the BEST UFC FIGHTERS!


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