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In light of this weekend’s Heavyweight title clash between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, I have been looking back at some of the other key heavyweight fights that have happened over the years.
Instantly I thought of fights such as Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko Crop Cop and Mark Coleman’s loss to Pete Williams and so I decided to put together a list of what I think are the five greatest heavyweight fights in UFC history.
After watching those fights again I concluded that both would sit better at the top of a heavyweight knockouts or even a heavyweight upsets list. This Saturday we may see one of the greatest fights ever, only time will tell, but as things stand here are my top five heavyweight fights in UFC history.
5. Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture, UFC 68 (2007)
This fight came at a time where the heavyweight division was in desperate need of some new life. Tim Sylvia had reclaimed the title by defeating Andre Arlovski. After an instant rematch with Belarusian, Sylvia then won a lack-lustre decision against Jeff Monson.
It was clear that the heavyweight division was a long way off the pace with champions such as Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre and Chuck Liddell running high in their respective divisions. Who could challenge Sylvia and emerge as the modern day star of the division as the UFC moved further into the mainstream? Cue former heavyweight and light-heavyweight champion Randy “the Natural” Couture, who at the ripe old age of 43 came out of retirement to take up that challenge.
Randy Couture and Tim Sylvia met at UFC 68 in Columbus, Ohio in March 2007. After only 8 seconds of the fight Randy Couture gave the heavyweight division more excitement than it had seen in years as he dropped the 6' 8" champion with the first punch of the fight. This set the tone and Couture used every tool in his skill set to overwhelm and dominate Tim Sylvia for the full five rounds.
The win saw Couture crowned the first ever three time UFC Heavyweight Champion as the three judges scored all five rounds in favour of “the Natural.”
This was a fantastic fight to watch as Couture turned the entire division on its head by taking out the less than fan popular champion. More importantly, this fight saw the return of a legend that, more than three years later, is still one of the elite fighters in the UFC today.
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4. Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II, UFC 100 (2009)
UFC 100 was the most anticipated event in the organisations history, and the main event more than lived up to its billing with PPV figures of over 1.5 million, making it the most watched event in UFC history.
After losing his UFC debut in 90 seconds to Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar bounced back by taking out veteran Heath Herring and then going on to stop the returning Randy Couture to be crowned the Heavyweight Champion.
In Couture’s absence from the UFC (for legal reasons) Frank Mir and Minotauro Nogueira agreed to coach on The Ultimate Fighter and then go on to fight one another for the Interim Heavyweight Championship. After Mir stopped Nogueira, Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir II, to crown the undisputed king of the division, was inevitable.
In July 2009 the two squared off, and a more methodical Lesnar paced his way through round one. A lot was said by Frank Mir in the build up to this one and Lesnar took his frustrations out on Mir, stopping him mid-way through the second round and leaving him a bleeding mess.
This fight signaled the beginning of a new era of heavyweight fighters, as Brock Lesnar became the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.
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3. Pedro Rizzo vs. Josh Barnett, UFC 30 (2001)
In a period where MMA was really beginning to evolve, the undefeated Josh Barnett went head to head with fan favourite Pedro Rizzo. Both fighters stood and delivered as they went at it toe-to-toe for the entire first round, taking everything that the other man could throw.
Both men hit the ground running for the second round, but it was Rizzo who landed the killer blow. A right hand to the temple saw Barnett out on his feet, a further right to the jaw finished things off as Barnett hit the canvass out cold.
Not only was this one of the best fights I have ever seen, it was also one of the most clinical knockouts as Barnett lost his undefeated record. Both fighters are still fighting today and, with 30 fights on his record, this fight with Rizzo still remains as the only knockout loss of Josh Barnett’s career.
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2. Minotauro Nogueira vs. Randy Couture, UFC 102 (2009)
Both Randy Couture and Minotauro Nogueira came into this fight off the back of stoppage losses to Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir respectively.
Many referred to this as a pointless fight between two veterans of the division whose best days were behind them. Another way of seeing this was the coming together of two legends, in a bout that was five years in the making, with the winner right back into the title mix.
This fight became an instant classic as both Couture and Nogueira left it all in the cage as they fought tooth and nail for the full three rounds. Nogueira took the unanimous decision in a bout that left one thought in everyone’s mind: imagine if this fight had taken place five years earlier! Perhaps it may have gone one step further and ended up top of the list?
Regardless this fight was an absolute joy to witness.
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1. Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo, UFC 31 (2001)
From the minute I decided to put this list together I was sure I would choose this fight as my number one, as it featured Randy Couture and Pedro Rizzo battling it out for five rounds for the Heavyweight Title.
Couture dominated Rizzo throughout the first round, and the fight looked very close to its finish on a number of occasions. Rizzo then came back to dominate the second round, hurting Couture with his leg, body and head-kick combinations.
Unbelievably this fight went the distance, and after a further three rounds of back and forth action Couture won a unanimous decision in one of the most action packed wars I have ever seen. A close decision, that would mean a rematch in the future, saw Couture retain his title in one of the greatest fights in MMA history.
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There you have it, my top five UFC heavyweight fights ever. The absence of any heavyweight inclusions between 2001 and 2007 says it all really, as this division is now on a totally different level to where it was five years ago in the UFC.
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Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!
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