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Home arrow Contributing Writers arrow Sports arrow Greatest Fights in UFC History - Honorable Mention

Greatest Fights in UFC History - Honorable Mention

by Grant Gordon
HOFN.com Exclusive

 Another 10 UFC bouts for the ages that didn’t quite make the cut, but deserve some mention at the least.

Gerard Gordeau def. Teila Tuli, UFC 1, Nov. 12, 1993: The one that started it all - and brutally at that.

Royce Gracie def. Kimo, UFC 3, Sept. 9, 1994: Gracie, a two-time reigning UFC tournament champion at the time, won the fight, but the punishment dished out by Kimo was too much to allow Gracie to continue in the one-night tournament. For the first time, Gracie looked beatable.

Randy Couture def. Pedro Rizzo, UFC 31, May 4, 2001: Five-round heavyweight title tilt was a battle of attrition that saw both combatants keep coming until it ended like all good fights that go to decision - with controversy.

Chuck Liddell def. Tito Ortiz, UFC 47, April 2, 2004: After both were upset by Couture, the bout - filled with months of build-up and bad blood - finally happened and "The Iceman" finally silenced the brash "Huntington Beach Bad Boy" with a second-round knockout.

The five-round heavyweight title tilt when Randy Couture defeated Pedro Rizzo at UFC 31 was a battle of attrition.
The five-round heavyweight title tilt when Randy Couture defeated Pedro Rizzo at UFC 31 was a battle of attrition.

Georges St. Pierre def. BJ Penn, UFC 58, March 4, 2006: Decision win for "Rush" showcased two of the most well-rounded fighters at their best and is the reason so many are clamoring for the rematch.

Kendall Grove def. Ed Herman, Ultimate Fighter 3 Finale, June 24, 2006: "The Ultimate Fighter: Season Three" middleweight final was anybody's guess as to who would get the decision. Grove got it after both had exhibited a see-saw ground battle, but both were awarded contracts by UFC President Dana White.

Diego Sanchez def. Karo Parisyan, UFC Fight Night, Aug. 17, 2006: Back-and-forth "UFC Fight Night" main event was waged standing and on the ground, showcasing both welterweight's skill sets and ended with a debated decision.

Matt Hughes def. BJ Penn, UFC 63, Sept. 23, 2006: Rematch showed just how good BJ Penn can be and that a Matt Hughes fight is never over until it's over, as he pounded out a third-round stoppage.

Chuck Liddell def. Tito Ortiz, UFC 66, Dec. 30, 2006: A true blockbuster that had the mainstream buzzing and saw Liddell vanquish his rival with another knockout in front of a sold-out Las Vegas crowd that set a record with a gate of over $5 million. If the UFC hadn't arrived yet, it arrived on this night.

Forrest Griffin def. Rampage Jackson, UFC 86, July 5, 2008: Culminated Griffin's storied journey from "The Ultimate Fighter: Season One" winner to light-heavyweight champion with a dramatic five-round decision that everyone scored differently.

Grant Gordon is currently the Sports Editor for the Glendale News-Press, a subsidiary of the Los Angeles Times. You can contact him at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
 

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