...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Maynard Sweeney, MMATorch Contributor This article is the eleventh in a series of daily releases counting down the top thirty fights of 2008. We will release a new article each day starting from #30 all the way up until the end of the month.
Top 30 Fights of 2008: #19
Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin – 7/5/2008
Was this fight a battle for the ages or what? Anyone who missed this fight missed one hell of a show. We often hear fighters saying that they want to have a "war" with their opponents. Sometimes that promise is fulfilled, sometimes it isn't. One thing is certain, though: nothing beats a back-and-forth, up-and-down, all-or-nothing fight where everything is left in the cage. We as fight fans love slick submissions and crave for bone crushing knockouts, but there is just something about the level of physical prowess and aggression in these "wars" that hits a chord inside of us.
Quinton "Rampage Jackson" and Forrest Griffin hit that chord this past July. They hit it with a sledge hammer for twenty five minutes until each and every one of us were at each others' throats over who the decision belonged to. Regardless of the outcome, this fight is the very definition of "war."
While there have been countless three and five round technical battles before, I believe that the main event of UFC 86 held a special significance over those of the past. For the first time since the boom of MMA in 2005, two recognizable, high level stars were the actual combatants in one of these ageless, memorable fights. Sure, we've had our Tyson Griffins versus Clay Guidas and Rich Franklins versus David Loiseaus, which were inarguably highly exciting fights. But they didn't hold the star power that Griffin versus Rampage had. They weren't as important to the mainstream standing of mixed martial arts as the others.
This fight is in essence a major turning point for MMA, and should be considered a point of reference in the history of the sport. A night where two classy guys with heaping amounts of skill and a pension for their fans and the show they put on were cast into the spotlight, never failing to deliver for a single second.
The level of memory that this fight produced is like that of Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier, or Arturo Gatti versus Mickey Ward. Timeless, classic battles that leave a sentimental impression on all those who watched it. Boxing has had many of this ageless wonders, as has MMA. But mixed martial arts just hasn't generated the public recognition to make them appreciated for what they truly are, unlike boxing, who has had it's foothold in the States for over a hundred years.
Hopefully, Rampage versus Griffin will be the first in a long line of memorable wars, where the fights themselves become common conversation piece between any persons. Everyone knows the incredible feats of Rocky Marciano, and the impossible accomplishments of Muhammad Ali. Now it's our time, this is where we dig in right next to the sweet science.
Forrest Griffin and Quinton Jackson have hopefully opened the door for all those who follow. They created something memorable enough to make it possible for fighters and personalities to arise into the public awareness.
All we have to do now is kick back and wait for these ageless wonders to happen, with a level of determination and dirty, gritty scrapping that I'll be able to tell my grandkids about. That you'll be able to tell your own grandkids about.
Stay tuned for #18 of the MMATorch Top 30 Fights of 2008, which will be revealed with a full article tomorrow.
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
STAFF COLUMNISTS: Shawn Ennis - Jason Amadi
Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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