In the 10th edition of UFC in Rio, remember 10 memorable moments from the event in the 'Marvelous City'

Remember 10 memorable moments from the UFC in Rio. Photo: Montagem SL / MMA Press

O UFC 237, an event that takes place this Saturday (11), marks the 10th time that the largest MMA organization in the world arrives in the capital of Rio de Janeiro. Since the first time, in August 2011, knockouts, submissions, comebacks, title fights and memorable moments have entered the history of the sport. To get you into the spirit of the show, our team prepared it.

10 – Anderson’s rematch against Yushin Okami at UFC 134

The year was 2011, Anderson Silva he still reigned in the middleweight division (up to 83,9kg) of Ultimate. As a big name in the company, there is nothing better than holding a fight for the then title holder in one of the best-known Brazilian cities in the world. Considered unbeatable, 'Spider' had been defeated by the Japanese Yushin Okami after being disqualified for throwing an illegal kick at an opponent in 2006.

Five years later, already in the UFC, the board decided to grant Anderson a rematch against Okami in what would represent UFC 134. The duel would represent the fight for the middleweight belt. More mature and completely confident in his abilities, Anderson, once again, put on a show and scored a beautiful knockout in the second round, sending the crowd into a frenzy and making yet another title defense.

9 – Edson Barbosa and the famous round kick

One of the most beautiful knockouts in the history of the UFC took place at the HSBC Arena, in Rio. In 2012, Edson Barbosa fought the first fight on the main card of UFC 142. The Rio de Janeiro native from Nova Friburgo, famous for his aggressiveness, achieved a victory that entered the history of the organization against English Terry emo.

At the time, the duel was heading towards the judges' decision, until, at 2m02s of the last round, Edson pulled a rabbit out of his hat and landed a beautiful round kick that hit his opponent's face, who immediately collapsed to the ground, forcing the referee to stop the fight. The blow has since become a trademark of the fighter, who always looks for an opportunity to land it in his fights.

8 – Finals of 'The Ultimate Fighter 4'

In 2015, Ultimate held its fourth edition of the series 'The Ultimate Fighter' (TUF), in which the coaches selected were the legends Mauritius Shogun e Rogério Minotouro. On that occasion, the two athletes would face each other in the co-main fight of the night, which preceded the title fight between Bethe Correia e Ronda Rousey.

The fighters who aspired to a place in Ultimate and reached the finals were: Glaico France, who defeated Fernando Bruno via submission in the third round; It is Reginaldo Vieira, winner can unanimous decision of the judges in the duel against Dileno Lopes. This edition of TUF was, in fact, the last held with Brazilian fighters.

7 – Rematch between Minotouro and Shogun

Those who have been following MMA for the longest time certainly speak with a certain nostalgia about the extinct 'PRIDE'. At the Japanese event in 2005, Mauricio Shogun e Rogério Minotouro they fought a historic clash for 15 minutes. The dispute is considered by many to be the greatest fight in history.

After years of waiting, Ultimate scheduled a rematch for the capital of Rio de Janeiro. At UFC 190, in 2015, 10 years later, the first war. More experienced and away from the spotlight of years ago, the fighters shared the octagon in another fight that took fans' breath away. The result was exactly the same. In a unanimous decision, Minotouro was defeated by Shogun in the fight that received the 'Fight of the Night' award.

6 – Amanda Nunes defeats Shayna Baszler and begins her climb towards the belts

Nunes beats Baszler. Photo: Reproduction

Rio de Janeiro was also a milestone in the career of Amanda nunes. The UFC bantamweight and featherweight champion began her streak of eight victories in the capital of Rio de Janeiro until reaching the top of two divisions of the franchise. In 2015, the Lioness had only had three wins for the UFC. On two occasions, she emerged victorious, however, in 2014, she suffered a knockout defeat to Zingano cat. Needing to recover, Nunes was called up to perform at UFC Rio against American Shayna Baszler.

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With the public in favor, the 'Leoa' needed just one round to confirm her return to good form in her career. The victory marked the beginning of the 'Leoa's' climb towards the top of the division. Three fights after the duel against Shayna, Amanda would finally have her chance to fight for and win the bantamweight belt against the then title holder, Miesha Tate, in 2016. Nunes, since then, has defended her belt three times and even won the belt in the featherweight category, when she shocked the world and knocked out Chris CyborgIn 2018.

5 – Retirement of Rodrigo Minotauro after defeat against Stefan Struve

Rio de Janeiro was also the scene of emotion and farewell. When talking about MMA legends, one name must certainly come to mind: Rodrigo Minotauro. The Brazilian became famous, not only in Brazilian lands, but also in the world, for being a clear representation of race and determination in the face of his opponents.

In 2015, at the age of 39, the Bahian, former UFC heavyweight champion, fought a duel against the Dutch giant, Stefan struve. Far from his peak, the Brazilian was unable to impose his game against his opponent and ended up being defeated at UFC 190. After the fight, Minotauro confirmed his retirement from MMA and started working as an ambassador for Ultimate in Brazil.

4 – Max Holloway beats José Aldo in Brazil and silences the fans

The Brazilian public experienced not only joy during the UFC editions in Rio de Janeiro, but also painful defeats. José Aldo, who adopted the capital of Rio de Janeiro as his home, lost his reign in front of his fans. After losing and regaining the featherweight belt at UFC 200, Aldo found a great opponent in front of him: Max Holloway. In an event scheduled for Rio de Janeiro, in 2017, at UFC 212, the 'People's Champion' succumbed to his opponent's skills and ended up defeated by knockout in the third round. In the ad, the Brazilian athlete is visibly moved by the setback

3 – Lyoto Machida puts on a show and beats Vitor Belfort by knockout

Lyoto hits Belfort. Photo: Reproduction

In a veteran classic, Lyoto Machida e Vitor belfort met in the octagon set up in Rio de Janeiro, at UFC 224. The end of the clash brought one of the most memorable knockouts in the history of the sport. Machida connected with a frontal stomp on his compatriot and took Vitor to the canvas. The blow reminded us of the way in which Anderson Silva he had beaten the athlete from Rio de Janeiro in the middleweight belt dispute in 2012.

2 – Ronda Rousey silences Bethe Correia and defends title in Brazil

Ronda Rousey He was the UFC's main star for many years. The blonde arrived in Rio de Janeiro, in 2015, to defend the women's bantamweight belt against the Brazilian Beth Pitbull. Even away from home, the North American divided the fans in the capital of Rio de Janeiro. She needed just 34 seconds to knock out the Brazilian athlete and defend her reign once again.

1 – José Aldo wins and goes to the crowd

In 2012, few featherweights were capable of fighting on equal terms against the then champion José Aldo. Ultimate then put in a complete athlete to try to unseat the manauara: Chad Mends.

At UFC 179, Mendes was focused on ending the Brazilian's reign. Trying to make use of his main weapon, wrestling, the American managed to hold on to Aldo in the first round, pressing the athlete against the bars. With seconds left to finish the round, the 'People's Champion', in a moment of pure happiness, managed to turn his body and land a solid knee on his opponent's face, knocking him out. In a moment of ecstasy, the Brazilian opened the door that leads to the octagon and threw himself into the crowd to celebrate, promoting a moment of great emotion in the place.