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Los Angeles - Blood streaming from his eye down across his face, his tooth already projected into the stunned audience, sumo wrestler Teila Tuli became the crimson canvas to which the brutality of the Ultimate Fighting Championship was first conveyed. On the devastating end of a vicious kick to the face via Gerard Gordeau, Tuli's misfortune concluded the first bout in the roller coaster that has been the UFC. Through all the ups and downs of brutal controversy, financial woes, epic showdowns and the maturation of the world's fastest growing sport, there has been one constant as it relates to the UFC - great fights. It certainly will not change, as mixed martial arts fans salivate at the promise of upcoming blockbusters such as the heavyweight title bout between UFC Hall of Famer and champion Randy Couture and challenger, Brock Lesnar, the man-beast who made his name in World Wrestling Entertainment or the impending super fight between Georges St. Pierre, the sport's top welterweight, and BJ Penn, the sport's best lightweight. In the grand scheme of all things sport, mixed martial arts in its current form and its undisputed top dog, the UFC, are still in their infancy, dating back roughly just two decades. Still, the aforementioned upcoming showdowns will have a lot to measure up to should they hope to one day be mentioned among the greatest fights. Of course there have been a plethora of engaging battles across the globe in different organizations, but as it relates to mixed martial arts, the UFC is the standard. What lies ahead are the 10 greatest fights in UFC lore - selected not just for their appeal as entertaining battles, but for their historic significance, the buzz created by the showdown and for the stars they featured and made. These fights have been chosen for their greatness, in every way in which that claim applies. 10. Chuck Liddell def. Randy Couture, UFC 52, April 16, 2005: The timing couldn't have been better, as "The Iceman" and "Captain America" - arguably the industry's brightest stars at the time of their much-hyped rematch - squared off on the heels of the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter's" conclusion. As a vehicle to build and advertise upcoming pay-per-view extravaganzas, "The Ultimate Fighter" couldn't have led to a higher-profile match-up. Opposing coaches on the first season of the reality show that introduced the UFC to the mainstream, the duo was in the midst of the sport's most storied trilogy. Couture had gone from surprising underdog to light-heavyweight champion and already owned a technical-knockout victory over Liddell, the mohawked striker with dynamite in his fists. It didn't even last a round, however, as Liddell did what no other fighter had ever done or has done since, knocking out Couture to become the champion of the UFC's most famed division. If nothing less, the fight served as the starting point for the age of the "Iceman," as Liddell's reign would last more than two years, ushering the company into its most profitable days and he would become the most recognizable fighter around. 9. Randy Couture def. Tim Sylvia, UFC 68, March, 3, 2007: As was the case so many times before, Randy Couture wasn't supposed to have a chance. Tim Sylvia was the heavyweight champ, he was heaver, he was taller, he was younger. And Couture had lost his previous bout - via knockout to Liddell in the light-heavyweight division - before retiring. But mere seconds into the bout, "The Natural" knocked Sylvia to the canvas and a monumental upset was in the making. "The whole place was electric," recalled Marc Ratner, the UFC's Vice Pre. Of Government and Regulatory Affairs of the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, which was jam-packed with a record-setting crowd of more than 20,000 frenzied fans. "It was surreal." For five rounds, Couture put on a clinic, as the underdog masterfully took the fight to Sylvia en route to getting his hand raised after a lopsided unanimous decision. "Not bad for an old man," replied the then-43-year-old UFC Hall of Famer. Not bad at all.
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