Top Ten MMA Fights Of All Time

With the recent release of a Top Ten UFC Fights Of All Time list from the folks over at Sports Illustrated, Jordan and I took it upon ourselves to develop our own lists and compare the fights.

Look below for the PRIDE list, which was done separately!


We adapted criteria from Extremeprosports.com in order to form our own criteria (below) for our Top Ten lists.

1. The fight itself had to have significant drama. In other words, each fighter, at one point or another, must have been in a position to win the fight.

2. The bigger stage, the better. Non-championship bouts didn't get as much love as those giving out belts. The Ultimate Fighter Finales were also looked as with high regard due to the stakes involved.

3. Only UFC bouts were considered (or PRIDE FC for the second set). To go beyond the foremost MMA organizations would add even more chaos to an already impossible task.

Ben Zeidler
10. Jon Koppenhaver vs. Jared Rollins (TUF 6)
9. Karo Parisyan vs. Diego Sanchez (UFN 6)
8. Nick Diaz vs. Karo Parisyan (UFC 49)
7. Clay Guida vs. Tyson Griffin (UFC 72)
6. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 43)
5. Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler (UFC 47)
4. Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn (UFC 63)
3. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II (UFC 52)
2. Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta (TUF 6)
1. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar (TUF 1)

Jordan Arnold
10. Clay Guida vs. Tyson Griffin (UFC 72)
9. Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta (TUF 6)
8. Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre (UFC 50)
7. Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia (UFC 68)
6. Sean Sherk vs. Kenny Florian (UFC 64)
5. Karo Parisyan vs. Diego Sanchez (UFN 6)
4. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 43)
3. Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn (UFC 63)
2. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar (TUF 1)
1. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II (UFC 52)

Danny Acosta
10. Karo Parisyan vs. Diego Sanchez (UFN 6)
9. Nick Diaz vs. Karo Parisyan (UFC 49)
8. Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta (TUF 6)
7. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II (UFC 52)
6. Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes II (UFC 65)
5. BJ Penn vs. Jens Pulver I (UFC 39)
4. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar (TUF 1)
3. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 43)
2. Frank Shamrock vs. Tito Ortiz (UFC 22)
1. Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson (UFC 75)

Brad McCray
10. Clay Guida vs. Roger Huerta (TUF 6)
9. Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia (UFC 68)
8. Matt Hughes vs. BJ Penn (UFC 63)
7. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell (UFC 43)
6. Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn (UFC 58)
5. Karo Parisyan vs. Diego Sanchez (UFN 6)
4. Roger Huerta vs. Leonard Garcia (UFC 69)
3. Jon Koppenhaver vs. Jared Rollins (TUF 6)
2. Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo (UFC 31)
1. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar (TUF 1)
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Masson Liang's Top Ten
10. Mauricio Rua vs. Quinton Jackson (PRIDE Total Elimination 2005)
9. Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)
8. Wanderlei Silva vs. Guy Mezger (PRIDE 10: Return of the Warriors)
7. Takanori Gomi vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida (PRIDE Shockwave 2006)
6. Takanori Gomi vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (Bushido 9)
5. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)
4. Takanori Gomi vs. Nick Diaz (PRIDE 33: Second Coming)
3. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira III (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
2. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
1. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)

Viktor VonDoom
10. Mirko Filipovic vs. Kevin Randleman (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
9. Wanderlei Silva vs. Dan Henderson II (PRIDE 33: The Second Coming)
8. Anderson Silva vs. Ryo Chonan (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
7. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
6. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)
5. Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004)
4. Dan Henderson vs. Ricardo Arona (PRIDE 20: Armed and Ready)
3. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira III (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
2. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
1. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)

Anthony S.
10. Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)
9. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira III (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
8. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
7. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
6. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Bob Sapp (PRIDE Shockwave 2002)
5. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Renzo Gracie (PRIDE 10: Return of the Warriors)
4. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)
3. Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Carlos Newton (PRIDE 3)
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2003)
1. Kazushi Sakuraba vs Royce Gracie (PRIDE Grand Prix 2000)

CroCopIsBack (only ballot with all six consensus fights below)
10. Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004)
9. Sergey Kharitonov vs. Semmy Schilt (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2004)
8. Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)
7. Mirko Filipovic vs. Igor Vovchanchyn (PRIDE Total Elimination 2003)
6. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira III (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)
5. Quinton Jackson vs. Mauricio Rua (PRIDE Total Elimination 2005)
4. Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)
3. Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)

2. Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)

Appeared on 4 out of 4 ballots
Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE 28: High Octane)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE Final Conflict 2005)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira II (PRIDE Shockwave 2004)

Appeared on 3 out 4 ballots
Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005)
Mirko Filipovic vs Wanderlei Silva II (PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute)
Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (PRIDE 21: Demolition)

Reappearing Fighters
Out of the 40 total contests listed here, Mirko Filipovic appeared in the most fights (10), followed closely by Wanderlei Silva (8), Quinton Jackson (8), Fedor Emelianenko (8), and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (6).