The Rear Naked Column 12.31.09: Top Fights of the Decade

Posted by Samer Kadi on 12.31.2009

From Rogerio Nogueira vs. Shogun and Wanderlei Silva vs. Rampage Jackson to Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Cro Cop and Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva, 411’s Samer Kadi counts down his top 10 fights of the decade! See which fights made the list and why!

Last week saw "The Rear Naked Column" break down the top ten moments of the decade. Some of you disagreed with the choices but for the most part, the column was met with positive reviews. For the final column of 2009, I will name the top 10 fights of the decade. With so many fights throughout the years, there had to be some omissions but that is to be expected really. I will bore you no more with meaningless introductions so let's get down to business.

Note: For the most part, the fights chosen have SOME historical significance. While not exactly fair, I found it to be the best way to narrow the choices down. That is not the case for every fight mind you, as some of them were simply too good to ignore. So without further ado, here are "The Rear Naked Column's" top ten fights of the decade.

10) Tyson Griffin Vs Clay Guida, UFC 72: Victory



After suffering the first defeat of his career in a memorable bout with Frankie Edgar, Tyson Griffin looked to go back to his winning ways against the always-game Clay Guida at UFC 72. The result was one of the most action packed fights to ever take place inside the Octagon as both fighters went all out from the get-go. The pace was frantic and the action was too delirious to recap. The fight saw some good striking and insane scrambles where both fighters traded dominant positions and submission attempts as if they were rehearsed.

The choice might seem surprising to some and many may not be familiar with the fight to begin with, but if you're an MMA fan, do yourself a favor and watch it. It tops Griffin-Edgar, Guida-Huerta, Guida-Sanchez, or any of the widely praised bouts the pair has been involved in.

9) Takanori Gomi Vs Nick Diaz, PRIDE 33: Second Coming



Going into 2007, Takanori Gomi was widely considered the top lightweight in the world, having dominated the division in PRIDE for years, with 13 wins and a sole defeat to Marcus Aurelio, which he later avenged. Nick Diaz was considered a huge underdog, as Gomi's heavy hands and granite chin were likely going to be too much for the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt.

After a surprising early takedown by Gomi, both fighters regained their feet and turned the round into an all out slugfest. Gomi managed to drop the former UFC standout with a right hook but was unable to finish. In typical Nick Diaz fashion, he taunted "The Fire Ball Kid", daring him to throw more leather. As the round drew to a close, Gomi looked increasingly fatigued and an upset was starting to pan out.

As Gomi grew desperate in the second round, he dropped for a takedown only to be met with a GOGOPLATA (!) from Diaz for the tapout. It was a fittingly sublime finish to an amazing fight.

8) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs Josh Barnett, PRIDE: Final Conflict Absolute



The 2006 PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute is mainly remembered for Mirko Cro Cop's unforgettable OWGP run which saw him stop Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett in the same night. Criminally overlooked however, is Minotauro Nogueira's epic battle with Josh Barnett in the Grand Prix semi finals.

From a pure quality standpoint, this in my opinion, is the best heavyweight fight of all time. Never have I seen such a display of high-level grappling amongst the heavyweights. After being dropped with a Barnett left hook early in the fight, Minotauro managed to execute a trademark sweep from half guard. From there, it was a grappling masterclass from both fighters, as they traded leg lock attempts, armbars and kimuras. The fight ended with the memorable image of Minotauro SCREAMING in pain (pro wrestling style) as he was caught in a kneebar from "The Baby Faced Assassin". The final bell eventually sounded before the American could force the submission, although the attempt proved enough to earn him the (split) decision.

Had this fight been for a title, or had more significance in the grand scheme of things, it could have topped the list. As it stands, it still goes down as one of the all time great battles in PRIDE history.

7) Forrest Griffin Vs Stephan Bonnar, The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale:



Many people seem to think this fight is overrated and dismiss it as nothing more than a sloppy slugfest. To be fair, I somewhat agree. But this bout is not about technical proficiency, tactics, skill or championships. This fight is about two fighters putting on an extraordinary effort for the viewers' entertainment and the result was beyond anybody's expectations, as they helped transform the UFC into the money-making machine we all know and love today.

And for that reason no top ten fight list would be complete without mentioning this bout. "Purists" hate on it due to the aforementioned sloppy brawling and due to the fact that it featured two TUF participants. But really, were the Gomi-Diaz exchanges that much more technically sound?

The importance of the fight cannot be overstated, and make no mistake about it, this was still a highly entertaining affair and an absolute slugfest.

6) Chuck Liddell Vs Wanderlei Silva, UFC 79: Nemesis



For the longest time of the decade, Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell were considered the top 205'ers in the world. Wanderlei Silva had been terrorizing the PRIDE middleweight division with a highlight reel of brutal knees, stomps and soccer kick KO's while Chuck Liddell's right hand was turning the lights off contenders in the UFC.

And for years, Chuck Liddell Vs Wanderlei Silva was THE dream fight on every MMA fan's mind. In fact, UFC president Dana White was so eager to make the fight happen that he was willing to co-promote. Unfortunately, due to Chuck's loss at the 2003 middleweight Grand Prix and the subsequent politics, highlighted by PRIDE's refusal to send Silva over stateside, the bout never materialized with both fighters in their heyday.

But after the dissolution of PRIDE and the following buyout by the UFC, both fighters were finally under contract with the same organization. And while the fight had lost some of its luster due to the recent setbacks suffered by both Liddell and Silva, it was still one of the most anticipated contests in recent memory.

The fight lived up to the hype on every level, as both fighters engaged in an absolute war which saw Liddell and Silva trade heavy leather for fifteen minutes, with neither fighter succumbing to the barrage of punches. The second round in particular will go down as one of the better rounds of the decade.

5) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Vs Mirko Cro Cop, PRIDE: Final Conflict 2003



When PRIDE heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko had to be sidelined due to injury in 2003, PRIDE decided to create an interim title. Competing for that title were former champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and kickboxing sensation Mirko Cro Cop.

On paper, the match up seemed a tough one for Minotauro, as Cro Cop's elite level striking was accompanied by some phenomenal takedown defense.

After spending the better part of the first round absorbing body kicks and straight lefts, Minotauro was floored with a trademark high kick from the Croatian in the dying seconds of the round. Luckily for him, the bell intervened. Just when it seemed like a foregone conclusion, Nogueira was able to secure the crucial takedown. Seconds later, Cro Cop was tapping to an armbar.

While many cite his bout with Bop Sapp as the best of Nogueira's career, the quality of the opposition between the two fights differs immensely. Once again, Minotauro was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

4) Diego Sanchez Vs Karo Parisyan, UFC Fight Night 6:



While not as momentous as Liddell-Silva or even Griffin-Bonnar, Diego Sanchez and Karo Parisyan engaged in my personal favorite battle to ever take place in the UFC.

Believe it or not, there was a time when Karo Parisyan was one of the most promising and dare I say, exciting prospects in the welterweight division. Diego Sanchez had already served notice with his performances on The Ultimate Fighter as well as his classic battle with Nick Diaz. Headlining the sixth Fight Night card, Sanchez and Parisyan delivered a grappling clinic.

As two fighters who thrive on scrambles, the fight had everything, from lightning quick takedowns, mounts, sweeps and of course Karo's trademark Judo throws. The bout is also most remembered for Sanchez knocking out Karo's tooth with a sick knee from the clinch.

3) Mauricio "Shogun" Rua Vs Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, PRIDE: Critical Countdown 2005



Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's star making performance at the 2005 PRIDE middleweight Grand Prix may very well go down in history as the greatest ever tournament run, knocking out the likes of Quinton Jackson, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona.

The most memorable bout in that run however, was his hard-earned decision victory over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. For twenty minutes, the two Brazilians fought back and fourth relentlessly, with each fighter failing to put the other one away. Shogun ran into some trouble early as he was knocked down by a Nogueira left hook, but would later return the favor with a trademark looping right hand.

The true difference maker ended up being Shogun's ground control, as he was able to secure top position and repeatedly pass Minotoro's guard.

2) Fedor Emelianenko Vs Mirko Cro Cop, PRIDE: Final Conflict 2005



Incidentally, this also occupied the second spot in last week's "top MMA moments of the decade" column. Here's what I had to say:

"There is nothing in combat sport that can rival a title fight. Be it boxing or MMA, nothing captures the atmosphere and the excitement of fans like a title fight does. The sense of occasion, the anticipation, the build up and hype make it all the more compelling. And it simply can't get better than the two top ranked fighters in the division competing for the ultimate prize.

Heavyweight phenom Fedor Emelianenko had looked all but unstoppable throughout his PRIDE tenure, defeating every challenger in sight. But a formidable challenge lied ahead, as head kicking sensation Mirko Cro Cop earned a shot at Emelianenko's title. Cro Cop, riding a seven fight winning streak, was considered The Last Emperor's biggest test and many gave the Croatian a serious shot at toppling the mighty Russian.

PRIDE did a phenomenal job in building up the bout as a legit superfight. Everything from the highlight videos, to the documentaries to the interviews added up to the sense of anticipation. The fight makes a strong case for the biggest fight in MMA history.

People widely regard this as the greatest fight of all time. If you look at it in terms of action only, then it's not even close. In fact, I can name five better fights from this past year alone. But this is not what this bout is all about. It is about the lead up, the drama, the excitement, the tension and the atmosphere. While you can find many lightweight or even heavyweight battles that far exceed this fight in terms of action, few – if any – could recapture the emotions at the Saitama Super Arena. From Cro Cop coming a mere inch away from knocking Fedor out with a trademark headkick that just grazed the Russian's head, to Fedor returning the favor later on in the fight, every second of the bout kept the audience on the edge of their seat.

After a very competitive first round that saw Fedor surprisingly stand and trade with the Croatian, Emelianenko took things to the ground in the last two rounds where he controlled Filipovic, who to his credit, sustained minimal damage off his back.

The victory is perhaps Emelianenko's greatest of his career, as he cemented his status as the greatest heavyweight in the sport, and he continues to sit comfortably atop the heavyweight throne going into the next decade."

1) Wanderlei Silva Vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, PRIDE 28: High Octane



Going into his title defense against arch rival Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Wanderlei Silva was riding a wave of dominance that had yet to be seen in PRIDE. Having three times defeated PRIDE poster boy Kazushi Sakuraba, as well as holding wins over the likes of Dan Henderson and Jackson himself, Silva had looked all but unstoppable in his reign as PRIDE's top middleweight.

Jackson on the other hand claimed to be a different fighter than the one who fell victim to The Axe Murderer's knees back in the Middleweight Grand Prix finals. And for the first few minutes, Jackson was indeed getting the better of his Brazilian foe, taking him down repeatedly and dominating him on the ground. And while Silva did have his moments in the stand up, particularly with his dreaded clinch, it was Jackson who would land the most significant blow of the round. With a minute or so to spare, Rampage floored Silva with a counter straight right. But Silva's recovery was legendary at that point, and he was able to regain his composure and survive until the end of the round.

Wanderlei came out with a different look on his face in the second, and after rocking Rampage with a brutal right hook, Silva ended Jackson's night with a brutal barrage of knees that left the American lying through the ropes with blood pouring out of his forehead.

So why does this bout get the nod ahead of Fedor/Cro Cop?

Like Emelianenko and Cro Cop, this fight featured two of the biggest and most popular names in PRIDE. Like Fedor and Cro Cop, the fight was contested for one of the world's most prestigious championships. But this fight was more competitive, more eventful, and more action packed. For the most part, Jackson was in control and looked like he might genuinely upset the great Axe Murderer, something Cro Cop never really came close to. To top it off, the bout ended with THE greatest knockout of the decade. While there may have been flashier KO's, few – if any – had the same level of brutality and drama. Who can forget Jackson's motionless body gashing blood through the ropes?


That is all for this week, I hope you guys are enjoying your holidays and would like to wish you all a happy new year. I'll be back next week for the first column of 2010, please leave your comments below and let me know your thoughts regarding the list.