Mixed Martial Arts Essential Viewing

To watch these fights, simply choose a video and enter the URL into the internet.

Knockouts

Everybody loves a good KO. Whether it’s a perfectly-timed overhand right, a dextrous spinning back kick, or a simple overwhelming flurry of punches that the fighter couldn’t respond to, people hit the floor hard in these fights.

Gerard Gordeau vs. Teila Tuli, UFC 1 - http://tinyurl.com/hcubzch

Tank Abbott vs Steve Nelmark, UFC Ultimate Ultimate ‘96 - http://tinyurl.com/zfka5sl

Keith Hackney vs Emmanuel Yarborough - UFC 3 - http://tinyurl.com/jkf3n32

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs Igor Vovchanchyn - Pride TE 2003 -http://tinyurl.com/jszbqfw

Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping - UFC 100 - http://tinyurl.com/hgxx4fy [Warning: Greatest knockout ever]

“Ruthless” Robbie Lawler vs Melvin Manhoef - Strikeforce: Miami - http://tinyurl.com/hdufr96

Anderson Silva vs Vitor Belfort - UFC 126 - http://tinyurl.com/jtzrxf9 [Awesome]

Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos vs Cain Velasquez - UFC on FOX 1 - http://tinyurl.com/jpb9qyq

Edson Barboza vs Terry Etim - UFC 142 - http://tinyurl.com/hpcj4nh [Very Awesome]

Uriah Hall vs Gegard Mousasi - UFC Fight Night Japan - http://tinyurl.com/guh84hp\

Submissions

The fun thing about mixed martial arts that separates it from boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, judo, karate, etc. is that it has every aspect of unarmed fighting - sure, you can turn someone’s lights off, but you can also pull on their arm until it’s about to break or choke them until they have to either admit defeat or pass out. It’s nearly pacifistic, and almost always safer for both fighters than a concussion.

Royce Gracie vs Kimo Leopoldo - UFC 3 - http://tinyurl.com/grajbdl

Kazushi Sakuraba vs Carlos Newton - Pride 3 - http://tinyurl.com/jon5n8f

Fedor Emelianenko vs Kevin Randleman - Pride CC 2004 - http://tinyurl.com/gssjzhn

Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabricio Werdum - Strikeforce: Fedor vs Werdum - http://tinyurl.com/hvkp47d

Nick Diaz vs Takanori Gomi - Pride 33 - http://tinyurl.com/jgpm8j8

Frank Mir vs Brock Lesnar - UFC 81 - http://tinyurl.com/h9ep866

Jon Jones vs Lyoto Machida - UFC 140 - http://tinyurl.com/j2ny49r

“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung vs Leonard Garcia 2 - UFC FN 24 - http://tinyurl.com/hdqlwsc

Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin - UFC 116 - http://tinyurl.com/h7fzbqn

Frank Mir vs Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira - UFC 140 - http://tinyurl.com/75bbwz6 [Warning: Gross]

Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate (Strikeforce) - http://tinyurl.com/h3cpyqy [Warning: Gross]

Hatsu Hioki vs Charles Oliveira - UFC FN 43 - http://tinyurl.com/zhqdcjc

Incredible Performances (These fights are mostly one-sided and a little boring, but they show off what hard work will get you. They stand out as the pinnacle of skill and are all extremely impressive and fun to watch, even if there’s one fighter doing all the fighting.)

Georges St-Pierre vs Matt Serra 2 - http://tinyurl.com/zdgomae (Georges St-Pierre began the greatest championship reign in MMA history by a ridiculously impressive performance over the man who previously knocked him out in his first title defense.)

Lyoto Machida vs Rashad Evans - UFC 98 - http://tinyurl.com/j7kqx94 (Lyoto is a karate stylist who most UFC fighters had no clue how to handle around this time. He utterly tools the undefeated Rashad and gets hit maybe 3 times total to earn the Light Heavyweight (205lbs) championship. Karate is fun!)

Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin, UFC 101 - http://tinyurl.com/hpdadsb (Anderson Silva is one of the greatest to ever fight. He was the 185lbs. champion for 7 years, but *while* being champion in that weight class, he took a few fights in the 205lbs weight class for fun. Forrest Griffin had just lost the 205lbs championship in his previous fight; his very next opponent after losing the belt was Silva. Silva annihilates him like he’s in the matrix.)

Georges St-Pierre vs Josh Koscheck, UFC 124 - http://tinyurl.com/jzeebmj (GSP is on this list a few times because he is the all-time greatest mixed martial artist ever. He and Koscheck were both really great wrestlers going into this fight; GSP decided to not worry about taking him down too much and just outclassed him with a simple jab. The first, quickest, and most-important punch in boxing, GSP demonstrated utter mastery of it and threw in a few karate kicks for good measure to easily win every single round.)

Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos 2 - UFC 155 - http://tinyurl.com/hd94ep3 (After getting knocked out by the single hardest punch I’ve ever seen in their first fight, Cain came back with a vengeance. He squishes Junior along the fence and beats him up for 5 rounds before regaining the heavyweight championship with an easy judges’ decision.)

Jon Jones vs Glover Texeira - UFC 172 - http://tinyurl.com/j4gn6kt (Jon Jones is the most talented fighter to ever step into the octagon. Glover Texeira was on a 20-fight winning streak going in, but Jones outclassed him every minute of the fight - watch for when Jones tears Texeira’s shoulder up Mike Tyson vs. Francois Botha-style and disables his very dangerous overhand right in the first round)

TJ Dillashaw vs Renan Barao - UFC 173 - http://tinyurl.com/zov3g2n (Dillashaw came into this fight a 7-to-1 underdog. Renan Barao had won 34 fights in a row with one loss in his first pro fight ever, 9 years before. Dillashaw simply learned how to be a great striker and wrecked him.)

Benson Henderson vs Brandon Thatch, UFC FN 60 - http://tinyurl.com/zbcmvqt (Benson Henderson is an excellent fighter at 155lbs, but he was a replacement opponent with three weeks’ notice against very-quickly-rising 170lbs (welterweight) prospect Brandon Thatch. Most people thought Thatch would be far too big and athletic for Henderson to handle, but he fought a very smart fight and exhausted Thatch before choking him out.)

Demetrious Johnson vs John Dodson - UFC 191 - http://tinyurl.com/hqv44jg (Johnson and Dodson had a back-and-forth war a few years back, where Johnson ultimately came out on top. The rematch was a lot more one-sided, as Johnson puts up a pace far too fast for Dodson to handle, doesn't give him time to set up combos, and exhausts him.)

Wars

These fights are what every fan of combat sports lives for. When things start failing and a fighter has to adjust, you get a very clear picture of what kind of person they truly are and if they have the endurance, skill, and most of all, heart to survive. Every one of these fights are incredible and if you can, watch all of them. With a few dumb-but-fun exceptions, they represent the epitome of martial arts.

Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira vs Bob Sapp - http://tinyurl.com/z3xkbxy (My favorite fight, in any combat sport)

Forrest Griffin vs Stephen Bonnar - The Ultimate Fighter 1 finale - http://tinyurl.com/jthdyrb (this fight almost single-handedly made the UFC popular and well-known)

Fedor Emelianenko vs Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic - http://tinyurl.com/zbodrbd

“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung vs Leonard Garcia 1 - WEC 48 - http://tinyurl.com/jczuzmu

Lyoto Machida vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua - UFC 104 - http://tinyurl.com/hc2qun7 (One of the most technical, intelligent stand-up battles in MMA history - and a clash of styles, Karate vs Muay Thai. I think the judges got the winner wrong, but it’s a very, very good fight.)

Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen - UFC 117 - http://tinyurl.com/gqpsdmj (My other favorite fight.)

Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 2 - UFC 125 - http://tinyurl.com/j9zkg8r [warning: awesome]

Dan Henderson vs Shogun Rua - UFC 139 - http://tinyurl.com/zu5vnax (warning: bloody)

Georges St-Pierre vs Carlos Condit - UFC 154 - http://tinyurl.com/h3zy6w8

Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson - UFC 165 - http://tinyurl.com/zefat5q [warning: awesome]

Mark Hunt vs Antonio ‘Bigfoot’ Silva - UFC Fight Night 33 - http://tinyurl.com/hmvdgjv [warning: BLOODY]

Johny Hendricks vs ‘Ruthless’ Robbie Lawler 1 - UFC 171 - http://tinyurl.com/gvxtgpx

Jose Aldo vs Chad Mendes 2 - UFC 179 - http://tinyurl.com/jfu9c3t (Quite Violent)