9 Best Moments in MMA History

MMA is quickly overtaking boxing as the combat sport of choice worldwide.  Few contests compare to two guys in a cage or ring punching, kicking, bending, and twister their opponents into submission and unconsciousness.  Here is a collection of my favorites.  If you think I missed one, let me know in the comments.

Gonzaga vs Cro Cop: The Kick Heard ‘Round the World

We were all expecting a quick finish.  But not at all the way it happened.  When relatively unknown Brazilian Jiu Jujitsu artist Gabriel Gonzaga clobbered the heavy favorite, Mirko Cro Cop, the MMA world was shocked.  This was expected to be just another stop on the road as Cro Cop made his way to the seemingly inevitable title bout with Randy Couture.  But instead I jumped out of my seat and shouted “holy sh*% he’s dead!”  I seriously thought this kick had broken his neck and killed him.  Luckily, Cro Cop has a thick skull and strong neck and would make a full recovery.

Randleman Slams Fedor

Fedor Emelianenko is widely considered the best fighter in the world. Kevin Randleman is widely considered a bull in a china shop. When the phenomenal athlete, Randleman, cornered Fedor and got his waist it became the best slam in MMA history. Miraculously, Fedor was completely unfazed and with a quick reversal trapped Randleman in a Kimora and the fight was over.

Tank Abbott Knocks Out Matua: The Arms

Tank Abbott was little more than a bar brawler with a mean punch…a very mean punch. John Matua found out the hard way. With a hilarious however poor display of sportsmanship, Tank’s mocking of Matua’s frozen arms added insult to injury. Of course without the slightest ground game Abbott would go on to do just about nothing.

Hughes Slams Newton

Matt Hughes was a legend in his own time. His ground game was unmatched in the Welter Weight division. When Carlos Newton got Hughes into a Triangle Choke, it seemed to be all over. But Hughes just happens to be a freak of human strength and picked Newton right up while still stuck in a submission hold known for putting tough guys to sleep. To this day, many think Hughes was actually asleep when he dropped Newton on his head and knocked him out to win the match.

Fedor vs Lindland

Many say Fedor is the best in the world, I disagree. Don’t get me wrong, I am convinced he built of pure badassery, but he is yet to prove himself in UFC where the best fighters compete. This video shows his weakness. Matt Lindland, a mediocre light-heavy weight fighting up a weight class busts open Fedor’s face right off the bat and nearly slams him. Fedor cheats and grabs the ropes to save himself and the ref ignores it. Fedor would go on to win quickly, but there are no ropes in the Octagon and this might go differently in UFC.

How Not To Intimidate Your Opponent

No words of mine could describe this moment. But as a rule of thumb, one would do well to avoid mouth to mouth contact with the Mixed Martial Artist he or she is about to face in combat. I’m just sayin…

Parker vs Bryant: Win Lose or Draw

Not since Superman vs Doomsday has such a rare event unfolded. Try to see who goes down first.

Cro Cop Makes Sapp Cry

Big bad Bob Sapp was reduced to a crying child when Mirko Cro Cop unloaded with a leg kick that brought the giant to the ground. Fast forward to 2:45 for the good part.

Reyes Spinning Backfist

The sound alone is enough to make my neck hurt. Yahir Reyes took a chance when he threw a risky spinning backfist at Esteban Payan but it paid off big time. This is still considered one of the best knockouts of all time.

~Man Overboard

Image used in this post

UFC 74 Respect courtesy of Wikimedia Commons under the CC license.