No. 12: Leben vs. Akiyama — UFC 116

Chris Leben has always been at his most dangerous when he is hurt or he is trailing. Basically, whenever the odds seemed most stacked against him, it never seemed too wise to bet him against him. And so it was that in July 2010, just two weeks after defeating Aaron Simpson, Leben found himself back in a UFC Octagon against Yoshihiro Akiyama. Never before had any UFC fighter attempted to turn around so quickly, let alone in a high-profile matchup.
As the fight began, it seemed that Leben had bit off more than he could chew, as Akiyama scored three takedowns and won the round. But as both men began to tire, “Zombie” Leben took over, the one who won’t seem to die, even when he seems to be running on nothing. As the fight went on, he began landing the sharper blows.
In the third, with the fight likely tied one round apiece and hanging in the balance, Akiyama caught a Leben kick and put him on his back. As Akiyama worked him over with strikes and minded his position, It seemed like the nail in Leben’s coffin. But suddenly, he transitioned into a triangle, and with 20 seconds left, got Akiyama to tap. Against the odds, in a span of two weeks, Leben had won twice.
No. 11: Sanchez vs. Guida — TUF 9 Finale

Diego Sanchez has had so many wars that they tend to blend together, but the June 2009 fight with Clay Guida sticks out among his early days. This was during a time when Guida fought more recklessly than he does now, leading to a barnburner that lit up The Pearl at the Palms venue in Las Vegas.
At first, it seemed as though the fight wouldn’t last long. Sanchez came out in a rush, bloodying Sanchez in the opening seconds with a hellacious barrage. He continued pouring it on, dropping Guida with a head kick. Incredibly, Guida survived and of course, he turned the tables in the second, scoring a takedown and then ground strikes from the top. After two, they were tied, and it all hung on the third.
Neither would surrender. While Guida was more active, it was Sanchez landing the more impactful strikes, and by the time the final bell rang, it wasn’t quite clear who had won. In the end, the judges gave a split decision to Sanchez.
No. 10: Jung vs. Poirier — UFC on FUEL TV 3

Nearly every time Chan Sung Jung marches to the Octagon, something remarkable happens. He’s had two consensus Fights of the Year. He once authored a seven-second knockout. He has the only Twister submission in UFC history.
Against Dustin Poirier in May 2012, there was no single feat that stood out, just a brilliant match between two gutsy contenders. At the outset, Jung was a lopsided underdog, with the prevailing thought being that Poirier was too technical for the usually wild Jung.
It didn’t turn out that way. The fights was equal parts blood-and-guts and technical brilliance, with striking and wrestling, submission attempts and escapes. While Jung always seemed on step ahead, Poirier always managed to escape. At one point, realizing what he’d gotten himself into, Poirier winked at the “Zombie,” acknowledging the instant classic they were creating.
Finally, after catching Poirier with a flying knee against the cage, Jung caught his opponent with a D’arce choke, which to that date, had been Poirier’s signature submission. As befitting of such a regal match, Poirier refused to surrender, choosing to go out.
No. 9: Melendez vs. Sanchez — UFC 166

Every once in a while, a pairing is announced that just feels like a natural, whether their styles match, or their is some pre-existing rivalry, or some other reason. When Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez were paired off at UFC 166, the immediate reaction was excitement. The two are both action fighters, forward-movers who as a rule, bite down on their mouthpiece and exchange in times of trouble.
Prior to the match, they promised just the same thing, and when they finally competed, no one left disappointed. The match was marked by some of the wildest exchanges in recent history, where each would stand his ground and fire off his best weapon.
After two rounds, Melendez seemed to have the lead, showing the superior accuracy and bloodying Sanchez. Given Sanchez’s history, there would be no cruising to a decision.
Showing the heart that’s made him a fan favorite, Sanchez gritted his teeth, kept moving forward and eventually dropped Melendez with a right uppercut. Sanchez couldn’t finish, and Melendez went on to take the decision, but it was just another pulse-pounding moment in a fight that had many of them.
No. 8: Hughes vs. Trigg II — UFC 52

Rarely is a short story so compelling and so complete as it was on the night of April 16, 2005 when Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg met for the second time.
By that point, the two were bitter rivals, having already fought in 2003. The result of that match was a Hughes’ submission, but conventional wisdom suggested that Trigg had improved greatly in the interim and that his wrestling pedigree would offer Hughes fits this time around. Trigged upped the ante by publicly insinuating that Hughes was scared to fight him a second time.
When they met inside the Octagon, the fireworks started even before the fight, as the two went nose-to-nose at the rules instructions and Trigg feigned a kiss, leading Hughes to shove him. When the action started, Hughes was hit with a low blow, but the referee didn’t see it, allowing the fight to continue. Sensing opportunity, Trigg pounced, hurting Hughes with strikes and looking to lock in a rear naked choke. From there, you probably know what happened. In a highlight that has been played infinite times on UFC reels, Hughes escaped, hoisted Trigg over his shoulder, ran him halfway across the cage, slammed him to the mat before turning the tables with a rear naked choke of his own. He, however, was able to get Trigg to tap, ending it.
The whole thing lasted just 4:05, but the storyline, rivalry and comeback had observers charged for weeks afterward.


Continued