The Most Iconic UFC Championship Title Fights of All Time
All UFC fans know the rage and rave when it’s time for a championship fight to happen. The suspense of who will take the title could make you start yelling at your television, especially if you have placed a sports bet.
Here are 5 of the most iconic UFC championship title fights of all time.
1. Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205
McGregor and Alvarez faced off in 2016 on a large stage at Madison Square Garden. It was the UFC’s first modern-day trip to New York. It was close to being one of the highest-grossing UFC events during that time.
Alvarez was the lightweight champion. His mission was to defend his new title for the first time. McGregor was the new featherweight champion, which made it more exciting they faced off against one another.
McGregor took down Alvarez with a TKO in the second round. He became the first UFC fighter to hold two titles one time: the featherweight champion title and the lightweight champion title.
2. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar at UFC TUF 1 Finale
Griffin and Bonnar went toe-to-toe in 2005, which drew many new fans of MMA to the fight. Their fight advanced the future of UFC and MMA itself.
This fight was the first season finale of “The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF). It took place in Las Vegas at the Cox Pavilion. Bonnar and Griffin fought for the light heavyweight title in the first TUF season.
Griffin put Bonnar in a Thai clinch. He landed knee blows to Bonnar. Then, the two exchanged punches. The decision went to Griffin as the winner.
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3. Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 at UFC 189
Lawler and MacDonald faced off for the second time in 2015. Their first match took place at UFC 167 in 2013. Lawler was victorious in the first battle, so MacDonald was back to try to redeem himself.
MacDonald and Lawler fought for the UFC welterweight championship title in their second fight at UFC 189. While MacDonald was on the offense, Lawler was more on the defense in the first round. Lawler effectively struck back to turn it into a brawl by round two. Rounds three and four were explosive as MacDonald split Lawler’s lip open in the fourth round.
The fight ended with Lawler punching with a powerful right to MacDonald’s nose during round five.
4. Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn at UFC 6
When UFC was still relatively new in America, Shamrock and Severn faced off at the Clash of the Titans event at UFC 6 in 1995. The fight took place at the Casper Event Center in Casper, Wyoming.
Severn and Shamrock were fighting to see who would become the super fight champion. Announcers said both fighters had about the same power level. Severn performed better at grappling while Shamrock excelled in punching.
Shamrock was able to get Severn to submit by locking him into a guillotine position within just two minutes of the fight beginning. Shamrock noticed how Severn usually lowered his head to focus on attacking his leg.
5. Bas Rutten vs. Kevin Randleman at UFC 20
Randleman and Rutten went head to head in 1999 to fight for the world heavyweight championship title.
Rutten specialized in mixed martial arts and kickboxing. Randleman excelled in his NCAA career before his UFC career. He was also a martial artist like Rutten.
The fight lasted for 21 minutes. Randleman pinned Rutten down to the Octagon mat, delivering jabs to him. Rutten attempted to defend himself to get back up, but it was too much for him to handle. Hence, Randleman was declared the winner 3 minutes into the third round.
Final Thoughts on Iconic UFC Championship Title Fights
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