Robbie Lawler e Rory McDonald in a title fight (Photo: Reproduction/Twitter)
This Saturday (13), the historic UFC 300 provides fans with three title fights in an event that features 12 champions and former champions in action across the 13 confirmed fights.
Aiming to warm up the climate for the UFC 300, the team of SUPER FIGHTS came together and chose the ten biggest and most memorable title fights in the history of Ultimate. Let's go to the list:
10- Matt Hughes x Frank Trigg 2 – UFC 52
Matt hugs defeated Frank Trigg at UFC 52 (Photo: Reproduction/YouTube)
Opening the list, we go back almost 20 years in time to UFC 52, held in April 2005, in Las Vegas. In a rematch for the welterweight belt (up to 77,1 kg), Matt hugs and Frank Trigg starred in one of the biggest title fights in the category.
Hit by a low blow not seen by the referee at the beginning of the fight, Hughes survived the storm imposed by Trigg for almost two minutes. Recovered, the champion carried the challenger on his shoulders across the octagon in an iconic moment before throwing him to the ground and ending the fight with a rear naked choke.
9- Anderson Silva x Chael Sonnen 1 – UFC 117
Considered one of the greatest legends in the history of MMA, Anderson Silva is the record holder for consecutive victories and the second athlete with the most consecutive title defenses in the UFC, but things could have been very different if it weren't for the saving triangle against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, in August 2010.
Defending the middleweight title for the seventh time on that occasion, the 'Spider' found no answer to Sonnen's wrestling game. After four and a half rounds of extensive control from the challenger, the Brazilian 'pulled out a saving triangle' and forced his rival to give him three taps.
8- Robbie Lawler x Carlos Condit – UFC 195
Warning: this won't be the only time Robbie Lawler appears in the list. Responsible for the most violent period of the welterweight division (up to 77,1 kg), the champion defended his title for the second, and last, time at UFC 195, in January 2016, against Carlos Condit.
As usual for both, Lawler and Condit provided fans with a bloody five-round war, which ended in the champion's victory via a split decision from the judges.
7- Frankie Edgar x Gray Maynard 3 – UFC 136
F. Edgar surpassed G. Maynard at UFC 136 (Photo: Disclosure/UFC)
The most exciting and balanced trilogy in UFC history could not be left out of the list. Months after drawing in an apotheotic battle that has yet to appear on this list, Frankie Edgar e Gray Maynard They faced each other for the third time at UFC 136, in October 2011.
After surviving a blitz from Maynard in the first round, Frankie Edgar he turned things around, knocked out his rival in the third round, defended the lightweight belt (up to 70,3 kg) and ended the perfect trilogy, with a victory for each side and a draw.
6- José Aldo x Chad Mendes 2 – UFC 179
Aldo (left) and Mendes (right) waged war at UFC Rio 5. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
The biggest fight in featherweight history (up to 65,7 kg) appears in sixth place on our list. Years after knockout Chad Mendes with the remarkable knee at UFC 142, in Rio de Janeiro, José Aldo He returned to face his rival on Rio de Janeiro soil, at UFC 179, in October 2014.
Unlike the quick outcome of the first duel, the second confrontation was a true five-round war, marked by alternations of dominance and emotion from start to finish. In the end, the winner was the same. José Aldo defended the featherweight title for the last time in a unanimous decision by the judges.
5- Israel Adesanya x Kelvin Gastelum – UFC 236
Adesanya (right) beats Gastelum (left) in the UFC 236. Photo: Reproduction / Facebook @ufc
Our top 5 is opened by the only interim title fight on the list. In April 2019, Israel adesanya e Kelvin Gastelum faced each other in the main fight of the UFC 236, awarded the title of best fight of the year.
In a duel marked by violence and twists, Israel adesanya he came close to being knocked out in the fourth round, but resisted and secured victory in the judges' unanimous decision.
4- Frankie Edgar x Gray Maynard 2 – UFC 125
Frankie Edgar e Gray Maynard they tied at UFC 125 (Photo: Disclosure/UFC)
For fourth position, we return to the trilogy between Frankie Edgar e Gray Maynard, this time more specifically for the second fight between the two, at UFC 125.
Defeated by Maynard in 2008, Edgar met his rival again in his second lightweight belt defense. The champion suffered multiple knockdowns in the first round, but survived, came back on top and grew in the duel, which ended in a draw with a split decision from the judges.
3- Jon Jones x Alexander Gustafsson 1 – UFC 165
Jones (left) and Gustafsson (right) fought a fight named the best of 2013. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
We open the podium with the first big and real challenge faced by Jon Jones in his dominant reign at light heavyweight (up to 93 kg), against Alexander Gustafson, at UFC 165, in September 2013.
With five title defenses under his belt, Jones was facing for the first time an opponent with physical characteristics at least similar to his own. The two fought a bloody duel marked by balance. After five tough rounds, 'Bones' came away with the unanimous decision victory.
2- Weili Zhang x Joanna Jedrzejczyk – UFC 248
J. Jedrzejczyk (left) and W. Zhang (right) fought one of the best fights in MMA history. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @UFC
Anyone who thinks that the list would end without any female fights is mistaken. At the UFC 248, in March 2020, Weili Zhang, protagonist of the co-main fight of UFC 300, defended the belt for the first time against the former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Violence is the definition of what Weili and Joanna provided fans throughout the 25 minutes of the duel, which is considered by many to be the biggest women's fight in UFC history. In the end, the Chinese won with a unanimous decision from the judges.
1- Robbie Lawler x Rory MacDonald 2
Lawler and MacDonald had the biggest title fight in history (Photo: Reproduction/UFC)
Robbie Lawler He's not treated as 'King of Violence' for nothing. The former welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg) appears again on our list, this time in the highest position on the podium, for his first title defense, against Rory McDonald, at UFC 189, in July 2015.
Lawler and MacDonald, who had already had an extremely balanced duel two years earlier, gave fans the greatest show of violence and emotion in the organization's history. After several alternations of protagonism and a lot of blood in the octagon, the champion managed a knockout in the fifth round to defend his title.
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