In his first UFC appearance of 2010, Condit met rising talent Rory MacDonald at UFC 115. 25 years, 13 days. Perennial fight of the night winner Chris Lytle had arguably the best year of his long career in 2010, winning three times and putting himself in the discussion of future contenders for the welterweight title. The WEC appointed Joseph Benavidez, who was coming off of a second-round submission over former kingpin Miguel Torres, as the top contender for his belt. "The Diamond," who boasts some of the heaviest hands in the Lightweight division, bounced brutal combinations off of Gaethje's head and body as "The Highlight" tore into his lead leg and looked for. Munoz got the nod this time, via unanimous decision, but I wouldnt mind seeing another one in the future. Lytle started the year against dangerous brawler Brian Foster at UFC 110. Penn's dominance at lightweight as Frankie Edgar was crowned the new lightweight champion. Man sentenced to 16 years in prison for murder of Tieli Alves, attempted murder of UFC fighter Raulian Paiva. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. And in the process, Leben, fighting for the second time in two weeks, completed his transformation from MMAs problem child to legit middleweight contender. Condit was then matched up with former title challenger Dan Hardy at UFC 120 in the co-main event. 12. denzinio1988's rankings: 2010 MMA Fights of the Year. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. From the start of the bell, Edgar dominated every minute of the fight, taking Penn down repeatedly in the first round and out-boxing him throughout the five rounds. In 2010 we witnessed the return of Brock Lesnar, the miraculous come-from-behind triangle choke Anderson Silva was able to land on Chael Sonnen, and the end of B.J. 4 spot, including the "A-Team" movie, Rampage's short-lived retirement, and of course the trash talk that ensued between Evans and Rampage. Team Koscheck Finale, The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. However you feel about the decision, the fact remains Edgar scored a huge upset and is a part of one of the most searched for fights on Google. After an absolute war that lead into the third and final round, Leben slapped on a triangle choke, forcing Akiyama to submit in one of the years most entertaining bouts. 9 Diego Sanchez W3 Paulo ThiagoDiego Sanchez was running out of options. For 2010 KOs of the Year, the 150 most-recently updated member lists will be included. After being choked completely unconscious in his lone fight of 2009, Chris Leben looked on the brink of unemployment going into 2010. I Cruz can win there, he will have won the WEC title and the new UFC title in the same year. UFC President Dana White agreed, giving $160,000 bonus to both fighters. 5 is the UFC welterweight title fight between Georges St. Pierre against Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy back in March for UFC 111. Georges St. Pierre is also not included on the list because at this point he has only won a single decision that didn't exactly garner him any new esteem. From then on, Velasquez had his way with the champ, rocking him with punches and a massive knee, while opening a large gash across his cheek. So without further ado, here are this years Highly Unofficial best. At UFC 110 in the UFC's first trip to Australia, Sotiropoulos faced his toughest opponent yet in former title challenger Joe Stevenson, winning every round en route to a unanimous decision. Featuring fierce toe-to-toe action, changes in momentum, and a shocking and exciting finish, this bout had it all. If he keeps winning, a title shot is only a matter of time. Stephen Wonderboy Thompson reveals what Kevin Holland said to him during UFC Orlando main event. . I give him all the credit for that amazing comeback win and his prior defense, but his stock surely didn't rise as a result of either. Former UFC light heavyweight champions and Ultimate Fighter season 10 coaches Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and "Sugar" Rashad Evans after much trash talk, finally collided at UFC 114 back in May. After surviving a very tight guillotine int he first round, Lytle secured an inverted triangle on top of Brown, then locking in a fight ending straight armbar. And in the other, he took a beating for over four rounds before latching on a triangle choke. With so much blood, sweat, tears, and money at stake, let's look at some of the most intense fights of 2022 (so far). 9 spot for Carwin's devastating knockout over the former UFC heavyweight champion Mir and the fact that he would meet Brock Lesnar to unify the UFC heavyweight titles. And it wasnt just that Sanchez got the job done, it was that he did it with the aggressive style and varied attack that made his name in the first place. The Ultimate Fighting Championships had an incredibly busy year, putting on 24 fight cards and having a grand total of 254 fights. After going toe-to-toe for the first four minutes of the fight, Diaz showed off his superior boxing ability and knocked Zaromskis out with a right hook in the first round. Let's just say this is the list of what has happened so far, and it has a good chance of remaining the same come the new year. 1 Anderson Silva Wsub5 Chael SonnenThe drama before this UFC 117 bout took place couldnt hold a candle to what happened on fight night, as Silva and Sonnen engaged in a championship fight for the ages. It was a historical performance on the part of Edgar and earned him the bonafide status of the best lightweight in the world. But, in the second round, Aldo took it up a notch and began connecting with some powerful uppercuts that eventually dropped Gamburyan. Sonnen vs. Silva is not only the most talked about fight regarding the news in MMA, Sonnen vs. Silva has dominated sports headlines all over, and will forever be surrounded in controversy due to Sonnen testing positive. This time there would be five rounds to get the job done, and both fighters used all the time available. This fight came together on three weeks' notice when UFC 256 imploded; both Figueiredo and Moreno had scored first-round finishes at UFC 255, the former by guillotine and the latter via. FIGHT PASS Fight of the Year: Paul Hughes vs Morgan Charrire | CW 128 329,196 views Dec 31, 2021 Check out the UFC FIGHT PASS fight of the year between Paul Hughes and Morgan. He falls just short of the top ten. Side note: I had a really good intro to this article that got lost upon pressing the publish button. The two waged a five-round striking match that many felt could have gone to Penn, but the fact that he fought such a close fight with the great lightweight had many shocked. The year 2010 is the 18th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 6 Carlos Condit TKO3 Rory MacDonaldGoing into their UFC 115 match in June, fight fans wondered whether 20-year old wunderkind Rory MacDonald had the experience to hang with former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit. As we all know by now if the pay-per-view has Lesnar involved, the odds are good that there will be a giant amount of fan interest. And then followed that up with a second-round submission over talented lightweight Joe Lauzon at UFC 123. Takanori Gomi wins via KO/TKO, Punch Aug . To start 2010, Strikeforce gave Diaz the opportunity to fight for their vacant welterweight title against Dream welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis. After starting the year with an easier than expected knockout of former great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110, Cain was promised a title shot, but would have to wait til later in the year. On average, Edgar earns around $200,000 per fight , though his highest-paid match brought him a sweet profit of $330,000 on November 22, 2014, against Cub Swanson. Then, like the truest of true champions, Silva pulled off a fifth round submission. Okami got back in the win column with an impressive TKO stoppage over unheralded Lucio Linhares on the unseen portion of UFC Fight Night: Florian Vs. Gomi. The judges disagreed, awarding the bout to Sherk, but there were no losers in this one in the eyes of the fans. Both Carwin and Lesnar fought to unify the UFC heavyweight and UFC interim heavyweight titles in a memorable match that left fans wanting more. UFC made history this year as they made their first trip to Abu Dhabi, however, Anderson Silva made headlines for putting on an incredibly lackluster performance when he defended his UFC middleweight title against Demian Maia. The fight itself has been named fight of the year by many online publications, as Silva was able to take a beating for four rounds and then make a miraculous comeback in the fifth round with a triangle choke. 24 years, 260 days. But, one was a snoozer against an over-matched opponent. Many viewed the fight as a formality, thinking it would be easy work for Penn before he moved on to a bigger fight. Filled with intense exchanges that could have ended the bout at any number of times, Bonnar and Soszynski earned their Fight of the Night bonus checks, but it was Bonnar who resurrected his career with the type of performance that will guarantee him a job for as long as he decides that he wants to put on the gloves, bite down on his mouthpiece and go punch for punch with all comers in the Octagon. His next bout was against Mark Munoz in the co-main event of UFC on Versus 2. Next for Cruz, he will take on Scott Jorgenson in the final WEC show before the promotion is absorbed by the UFC. It was in April of this year when Frankie Edgar managed to score one of the biggest upsets in UFC history after he defeated the legendary B.J. He was the little lightweight that could. Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson - UFC 274. Roy Nelson wins via KO/TKO, Punches Mar 2010. Please enter a valid email and try again. And this after going into the year coming off of a dominant loss at the hands of Chael Sonnen. But, through the course of the year has turned himself into an actual middleweight contender and a fighter with maybe the best job security in the UFC. More 2010 top 10 lists - Fighters Knockouts Submissions Upsets Newcomers The fights - they're why everyone tunes in when the UFC is on television or in a local arena, and when it comes to. 10 Jeremy Stephens W3 Sam Stout On paper, this UFC 113 bout had all the stylistic makings of a Fight of a Night, and neither Stephens or Stout disappointed, as the lightweights went at it tooth and nail for 15 minutes, with Lil Heathen emerging victorious via three round split decision. 2 is the blockbuster fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin from UFC 116. Here are MMA's best fights of the year. Many analysts suggested that Condit would have to take the fight to the ground if he was to have the advantage, and that standing up with Hardy would be a foolish idea. Love Nick Diaz or hate him, you can't take away the fact that the man has only lost once in his last 14 fights that being a semi-bogus cut stoppage that he has now avengedand is a veteran of the sport at only 27-years-old. Fight of the Year | UFC Best Of President's Choice - Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler In honor of President's Day, we take a look back at some of the latest and greatest UFC moments,. A daily roundup of all your fighting news from MMA Fighting, By submitting your email, you agree to our, T.J. Dillashaw notifies UFC of retirement following latest shoulder surgery. Silva's performance so bad that for the first time ever, UFC President Dana White left during a title fight, and told Ed Soares to hand Silva his belt. If he finished Koscheck impressively on Saturday, he will likely move into the top ten. However, upon looking at many of the searches, the number of searches for the fight was split between Sonnen testing positive for performance enhancing drugs and the possibility of a rematch between Silva and Sonnen. Muoz vs. Simpson UFC 123. On this night, St. Pierre continued his dominance in the welterweight division with an overwhelming display of grappling that Hardy had no answer for. Well, he found it in October, and with his back against the wall, the Nightmare returned to pound out an exciting three round decision win over ultra-tough Paulo Thiago. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. After dealing with a murderer's row of top 155-pound contenders, Poirier finally getting the gold was one of the year's most feel-good moments. Condit stared that notion down and rocked Hardy off his feet with a devastating left hook, before quickly finishing him on the ground. Coming into the year with a UFC record of 4-0, Sotiropoulos was ready to move up to the next level, and that's exactly what he did. Okami shut down Munoz for all three rounds and displayed some decent boxing and much improved takedown defense. They have all had breakout years and have beaten . More 2010 top 10 lists - FightersKnockoutsSubmissionsUpsetsNewcomers. newsletter, Kevin Holland fires back at Derek Brunson, responds to critics following tough loss to Wonderboy, Michael Bisping criticizes Kevin Hollands UFC Orlando performance: That was not high fight IQ, Tyson Fury vs. Derek Chisora 3 full fight video highlights. Calling it a spectacular comeback doesnt do it justice, but judging this fight to be the best UFC bout of 2010 certainly does. Noonsthe last man to beat Diazas the first challenger for Diaz's title. Say what you want about Yushin Okami's fighting style, but the guy is 10-2 in his UFC career and is now the top contender to challenge for the middleweight championship. The Mir/Carwin fight managed to secure the No. It was a star making performance and proved Velasquez to be the top dog at heavyweight. He upset all the naysayers. 1, is the UFC middleweight title bout between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen that took place at UFC 117 in August of this year. Not to say he was counted out by anyone going into either fightnot by a long-shotbut he was a slight dog according to the betting odds of each. But Velasquez was not going to be held down and immediately got back to his feet. One being accomplishment, of course. The bout will be for the newly created UFC bantamweight title. After being badly rocked by Dos Santos in the first round, the rotund Nelson proved his heart and survived 15 minutes of punishment from the Brazilian. UFC 119: Frank Mir vs. Mirko Cro Cop 1 of 10 Courtesy of Zuffa Google Searches: 628,000 Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir vs.. Just believe me that it was really good. In the end, Jones' charge over the course of the final 10 minutes proved to be the difference: Judges Richard Bertrand and Douglas Crosby scored it 48-47 for Jones, while Chris Lee submitted a. Register free on Tapology to build unique custom rankings of the greatest UFC & mixed martial arts fighters, bouts, knockouts & submissions. Not many gave Manny a chance in the fight, but he did look good in the first round, landing multiple overhand punches. The second being how much that fighter's stock has risen. Even though Noons is primarily known as a gifted boxer, Diaz out-boxed Noons, beating him at his own game. 8 Mark Munoz W3 Aaron SimpsonWhen I think of friends fighting friends, I always refer back to the 1991 welterweight title bout in boxing between Simon Brown and Maurice Blocker, the gold standard when it comes to two buddies putting their friendship aside and going to war. Trevor Wittman, who trains three top UFC fighters, won Coach of the Year at the WMMA Awards. After two exciting back and forth rounds, many had MacDonald ahead on the scorecards going into the final frame. Though "The Motown Phenom" offered the sort of wrestling. 5. We're winding down the 2010 Highly Unofficial awards season, and you know what that means - The Best Fights of The Year. Leben quickly accepted the fight on short notice and now found himself in the co-main event of one of the biggest pay-per-view shows of the year at UFC 116. Whenever that fight does happen, it will be a war. This UFC 125 bout between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and number one contender Gray Maynard nearly ended in the first round when "The Bully" rocked and dropped the champ and nearly. Dos Santos will get that shot at the title in 2011 against Cain Velasquez. Dec 21, 1997. Penn in 2010. Junior Dos Santos blazed through the first half of the year by adding two more first-round knockouts to his resume over veteran Gilbert Yvel and former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga. Morning Report: Paddy Pimblett fires back at Jake Paul: Hell never have it with someone on an even playing field, Paddy Pimblett criticizes Jake Paul over one-sided fight negotiations: Hell never have it with someone on an even playing field, Alex Morono replaces Robbie Lawler, faces Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 282. 5. With Robbie Lawler out, Alex Morono steps in on just six days notice to face Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 282 on Saturday. What is next..maybe Olympics. Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum (UFC 236). Certainly, it was a much needed experience before tackling the champion. Early on, Couture secured a low single leg takedown and would submit Toney via arm triangle choke in just over three minutes into the first round. Mark Muoz wins via Decision . Dominick Cruz is the one person on this list that still has a fight left this year, and with a loss it could certainly knock him off altogether. There are a lot of fighters that have popped up out of no where. In the main event of UFC 122, Okami outpointed Marquardt over a rather ho-hum three rounds, and secured his spot as the top contender at 185 pounds. 1. These are the top 10 most Googled UFC fights of 2010. The two had already fought once exactly a year before, fighting an entertaining three round battle that went to Cruz. For UFC Undisputed 2010 on the Xbox 360, a GameFAQs message board topic titled "KO/Submission/Fight of the year". OK, so I know there are still two major MMA events left in the year, but I couldn't help myself. 4 Brock Lesnar Wsub2 Shane CarwinIf you happened to doubt the punching power of Shane Carwin, it didnt take long for you to become a believer in July as he cracked Brock Lesnar in the first round and proceeded to lay down a hellacious beatdown on the then-heavyweight champion. Next for Cain will likely be an absolute barn-burner as he faces heavy handed striker Junior Dos Santos in 2011. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. ^ Jos Aldo was awarded the Featherweight Championship at UFC 123 but did not fight in his first UFC bout until UFC 129, at which point he was 24 years and 233 days of age. But in the third, Condits experience paid off as he got MacDonald to the mat and grounded and pounded his way to victory with seven seconds left. But Dunham, who already had a breakthrough in 2010 with wins over Tyson Griffin and Efrain Escudero, dug deep, put on his hard hat and went to work, apparently winning the next two frames. The fights theyre why everyone tunes in when the UFC is on television or in a local arena, and when it comes to classic bouts, 2010 has kept the organizations history of excellence intact. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Korean Zombie WEC 48 Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin UFC 116 Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen UFC 117 My. 1 - Robbie Lawler-Rory MacDonald | WATCH ON FIGHT PASS Most fight fans would have watched Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald stare each other down in the center of the Octagon after the fourth. That's pretty high in terms of UFC fighters' salaries. It was a tremendous and energetic display, putting Sotiropoulos on the lightweight map. Then, as the bell was about to ring for the second round, he smiled at Carwin as if to say you got yours; now Im about to get mine. And he did, taking an exhausted Carwin down and submitting him with an arm triangle. At the 2010 awards, MMA Fighting is nominated for Best Media Source, and MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani is up for MMA Journalist of the Year. And he didn't disappoint. Adesanya, in the midst of a career-defining year, took home a. With three UFC appearances and three Fight of the Night bonuses in his first trio of appearances, Frank Camacho rapidly became a must see fighter, and while he emerged from those three bouts. Some worried about such a long period of inactivity for the Mexican-American talent, but he never let it bother him. Dominick Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist.He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion.Cruz has also competed for World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), and was the promotions final WEC Bantamweight Champion.As of December 6, 2022, he is #7 in the UFC . Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson reveals all of the comments Kevin Holland made to him during their four-round battle at UFC Orlando. The two met in one of the most anticipated events of the year at UFC 121. Yes, he had two title defenses. Many fans, fighters and pundits either debated the decision or felt that Penn took Edgar lightly. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Create YOUR own ranking today. Michael Hiscoe Frank Hyden Dylan Thompson Robert Vallejos 2010 Leonard Garcia vs. But, over the course of five rounds, Aldo punished Faber with brutal leg kicks that made it hard for the former champ to even remain on his feet. Honorable Mention Kendall Grove-Mark Munoz, Jared Hamman-Rodney Wallace,Pascal Krauss-Mark Scanlon, Brian Stann-Mike Massenzio, Kyle Kingsbury-Jared Hamman, Michael Bisping-Yoshihiro Akiyama, Matt Mitrione-Joey Beltran, Leonard Garcia-Nam Phan, Nate Diaz-Marcus Davis, Ricardo Romero-Seth Petruzelli, Evan Dunham-Efrain Escudero, George Sotiropoulos-Joe Stevenson, Chris Lytle-Matt Serra II, Mirko Cro Cop-Pat Barry, Sam Stout-Joe Lauzon, Krzysztof Soszynski-Stephan Bonnar I, TJ Waldburger-David Mitchell, Marlon Vera discusses who he believes is next in line to challenge bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Contents 1 Title fights 2 The Ultimate Fighter 3 Debut UFC fighters 4 Events list 5 See also 6 References Title fights [ edit] So, if you're willing to put in the time and effort, I would love to here who you think is the breakout fighter of the year this year. Okami won via split decision, but most would agree it should have been a clear unanimous decision. close. The UFC Family Sends Its Sincerest Condolences To The Friends And Family Of Anthony Johnson. Penn for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. It was clearly the most impressive performance of Condit's career and he will now further prove his stature in the division against Chris Lytle next year at UFC 127. Leben was the underdog in that bout, but his punching power, as always, made the difference. Those people were even more surprised when the decision was unanimously awarded to Edgar. The following fighters fought their first UFC fight in 2010: Last edited on 18 September 2022, at 19:24, The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Leben started the year with a unanimous decision over Jay Silva on the untelevised portion of a Fight Night card. Taking place in Phoenix, Arizona (the first fight in the city since Francis Ngannou KO'd Cain Velasquez back in 2019), there was never any doubt that Chandler vs. Ferguson . Well, that answer came early and often against The Natural Born Killer, as MacDonald took the first two rounds of the bout thanks to a dynamic attack that kept the aggressive Condit off-balance. In 2010 the UFC held 24 events beginning with, UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva. Trevor Wittman was voted Coach of the Year at the ceremony. In a nutshell, its what all heavyweight title fights should be like. It may have been the fastest 15 minutes youve seen in a long time. At UFC 121, Velasquez put on a fairly one-sided beating on Lesnar to be crowned the new UFC heavyweight champion. Following Diaz's venture to Japan to submit the great Hayato Sakurai at Dream 14, Strikeforce named K.J. While many feel that Sotiropoulos should be next in line for a shot at the UFC lightweight title, he will have to wait in line a little longer and is already scheduled to face fringe contender Dennis Siver at UFC 127. And when the former college standouts werent going toe-to-toe, they were showing off high-level wrestling on the mat, making this a complete and visceral display of why this sport is so great. After escaping that bout basically unscathed, Leben was approached by the UFC, asking if he could fill in for an injured Wanderlei Silva in a fight against Yoshihiro Akiyama just two weeks after his win over Simpson. 2. It was only the second time Penn had ever lost at lightweight. It would be the WEC's first pay-per-view showand onlyand fans were torn on who would come out on top. For his next defense, the WEC gave recent Mike Brown conqueror Many Gamburyan a shot at Aldo. For the first time in almost six. After earning a controversial split decision over Hendricks at UFC 167 in Las Vegas, longtime welterweight ruler Georges St. Pierre stepped away from the sport. But, the new champ will get no rest as he defends his title against the one man to beat him in Gray Maynard at UFC 125 on January 1. Aldo finished with a ferocious attack on the ground that left his man unconscious. 6 . Diaz is now part of a select group of fighters that have fought a five round war. Lytle now has a February date with Carlos Condit. Early on, it was all Stephens thanks to his harder strikes, but Stouts resilience and fast hands kept him in the fight, and when he scored with a big body shot in the third, it looked like he was going to pull out the win. input. After Brock Lesnar defended his title against Shane Carwin, Cain was named as the next opponent for the former professional wrestler. Okami will challenge the winner of Anderson Silva's defense against Vitor Belfort sometime next year. He lost a lightweight title bout to BJ Penn in 2009, jumped back to welterweight in 2010 but lost his return to John Hathaway, and then he went back to his original trainer, Greg Jackson, in order to find his mojo again. Dec 8, 1972. It was Okami's first stoppage since his knockout of Evan Tanner, two years prior. Aldo successfully defended his title at UFC 129. Now, Chris Leben will have a chance to continue that momentum into next year when he takes on Brian Stann on January 1 at UFC 125. Oops. After all, this is B.J Penn we're talking about here! The two waged a gallant and vicious war for five rounds in San Jose, with Diaz winning a clear unanimous decision. At No. With a win, he should be near a top contender matchup. But even though he got rocked on a few occasions, Sonnen was resolute in his attack, and as the seconds ticked by, he was getting closer and closer to one of the sports great upsets and the realization of a dream. Once again, many expected Penn to walk right through Edgar and redeem his close loss. Courtesy of Jae C. Hong with Associated Press. /themes/custom/ufc/assets/img/default-hero.jpg. Leben followed that performance with a second-round TKO over fringe contender Aaron Simpson at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale. Former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir vs. former Pride open-weight grand prix champion Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic took place this past September at UFC 119. In April, Edgar met UFC lightweight champion and pound-for-pound great B.J. It was a dominant and severe display. The https://www.ufc.com/ editorial staff handed out some awards to close out 2021, including the fight of the year.Subscribe to get all the latest UFC conten. We've almost reached the end of the 2011 unofficial awards season, and after counting down the imports, newcomers, upsets, knockouts, and submissions, it's time to pick the fights that defined the past year and made you say 'this is why I'm a mixed martial arts fan.' 10 - Edson Barbosa-Anthony Njokuani After a five-round back and forth scrap that saw both fighters take some heavy shots, Cruz further cemented his place among the bantamweights by beating one of the best out there by a split-decision that almost everyone thought should have been unanimous. This match was rated as the best upset of the year by ESPN. Dustin Poirier went 2-0 (1 NC) this year, earned two "Fight of the Night" bonuses, and established himself as among the most entertaining fighters on UFC's roster. Former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw has made the decision to retire from MMA following shoulder surgery after his recent loss to Aljamain Sterling. Both fighters threw bombs for the duration of the bout, but frankly, that is a style more suited for Lytle. In his first fight of the year, Cruz was given a shot at the WEC bantamweight title against new champion Brian Bowles. First up would be a huge fight against the former featherweight kingpin Uriah Faber. Faber gained some respect for finishing the fight, but Aldo's star had risen. Mark Munoz and Aaron Simpson definitely did their part to add to this combat sports legacy in November with a three round scrap that had you wincing when it came to some of the blows landed by both wrestlers. The result was 25 minutes of war and an instant classic inside State Farm Arena on April 13 for the interim 185-pound title. LHW. However, due to Chael Sonnen's suspension for high testosterone levels, the middleweight matchups were shuffled around and Okami was instead matched with Nate Marquardt, with the winner still in line for a title shot. The fight between Mir and Cro Cop made headlines for being a very lackluster bout even with Mir scoring a late knockout. In 2010 the UFC held 24 events beginning with, UFC 108: Evans vs. Silva . Talk about a fight worth the price tag. Stacked cards, 2 new video games.MMA in NY getting closer, MMA on MSG, Bellator coming to prime time, KOTC airing every month, UFC on Versus! Fighters like Pettis, Jones, G-Sot, and Dunham. After commanding the first two rounds, Cruz forced Bowles to retire on his stool, making him the new champion. Sign up for the In the first round, Lesnar came out strong with a few landed punches and even a takedown. 2008 Wanderlei Silva KO 1 Keith Jardine [8] - UFC 84 2009 Dan Henderson KO 2 Michael Bisping [9] - UFC 100 2010 Maurcio Rua KO 1 Lyoto Machida [11] - UFC 113 2011 Anderson Silva KO 1 Vitor Belfort [12] - UFC 126 2012 Edson Barboza KO 3 Terry Etim [13] - UFC 142 2013 Vitor Belfort KO 1 Luke Rockhold [14] - UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Rockhold Though some criticized Dos Santos for not being able to put away Nelson, I was more convinced of his worth after seeing him go the distance for the first time in his careerhe has only been out of the first round twice. In the end, Condit got the victory, MacDonald got respect, and the fans got a helluva fight. Look for history to be made on December 16. Coming in at No. At UFC 111, back in March of this year, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir took on Shane Carwin for the UFC interim heavyweight title. His continued winning streak set Dos Santos up for a title eliminator match with TUF winner Roy Nelson at UFC 117. To finish the year, Lytle exacted revenge on former foe Matt Serra via a brutal unanimous decision. 2 Chris Leben Wsub3 Yoshihiro AkiyamaIt wasnt an enviable position to be in following the third and fourth entries on this list on the epic UFC 116 card in July, but Chris Leben and Yoshihiro Akiyama may have taken that as a challenge, as they went on to put on one of the best fights of the year. When judging the fighter of the year, two things seem most important to the criteria. And in both, he came out on the winning side a brutal and eye-catching stoppage. 7 George Sotiropoulos Wsub2 Joe LauzonEarly in their pivotal lightweight bout at UFC 123, it looked like Joe Lauzons striking was going to be the key to figuring out the riddle of George Sotiropoulos. The fight made headlines not only because it was Brock Lesnar's return to action after suffering from diverticulitis, but Brock was able to come back from an ugly first round and submit Carwin with an arm triangle in Round Two. UFC Fight Night 22. Nothing can be more important than actually getting in the cage and winning a major fight. sonnen destroyed silva the full fight and silva caught him in a very sneaky triangle choke , considering ho. His first defense would be no easy task. The win over Munoz set Okami up for a title eliminator against Vitor Belfort to determine who would be the next challenger for the middleweight title. Coming in at No. Fights of the Year 2010 2010 has featured some all-time classic fights, from veterans like Rich Franklin and Chuck Liddell, to less familiar names like "The Korean Zombie," Chan Sung Jung. Even before Henderson left the Octagon with the decision victory, it was clear that we had our 2011 Fight of the Year, and it may be safe to say that every year from here on out will have a tough act to follow. Charles Oliveira wins via Submission, Rear-Naked Choke Sep 2010. Frank Shamrock. After the two quickly traded punches to start the round, both found themselves on the ground with Lytle scrambling for a kneebar and forcing Foster to tap less than two minutes into the fight. But, Edgar is no opponent. It was on this night that "Rampage" looked like cage rust got the best of him, and that Evans would earn a unanimous decision. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. For example, you will notice that Anderson Silva is not included on this list. Sherk showed little in the way of ring rust after a 16 month injury-induced layoff, and after a couple big slams and some crisp standup that opened up a nasty cut over Dunhams eye, it looked like the Muscle Shark was going to run over the up and comer. These are the top 10 most Googled UFC fights of 2010. 5 Sean Sherk W3 Evan DunhamRegardless of what you think of the controversial split decision rendered in Sean Sherks favor, the fact remains that the former UFC lightweight champ and rising star Evan Dunham put on a three round classic back at UFC 119 in Indianapolis. Some fights just fell short of the list, while other fights had incredibly huge numbers. Never had I seen Penn look so discouraged and beat. It was two upset wins within two weeks of each other, and Leben was back in the conversation of middleweight contenders. Sotiropoulos next faced Kurt Pellegrino, who was on his own impressive UFC win streak, but once again won every round for another unanimous decision. Something went wrong. Cain Velasquez may not have logged in a tone of octagon time, but what he did in those few minutes sure made a lot of noise in the MMA. Entering the year on a six-fight, six-stoppage streak, Oliveira headlined a March 14th Fight night against the dangerous Kevin Lee. It was a stunning turn of events that was topped by Lesnars ability to weather the storm to make it out of a round he had no right surviving. Yes, Sonnen dominated the majority of the bout with his ground and pound attack, but each moment before he would take the previously untouchable title holder to the mat was filled with tension as Silva unleashed the strikes many believed would end the fight. Wittman, who manages Rose Namajunas, Kamaru . His most popular fight ever was against B.J. Jose Aldo went into 2010 with about as much hype as any fighter in the sport. Griffin vs. Gomi UFC on Versus 2. 59. UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship 13.6M subscribers Watch the full episode: https://bit.ly/3at05aM Former UFC Featherweight Champion, Max Holloway takes us through the most momentous year. For months building up to the fight, the UFC marketed the Cain Velasquez/Brock Lesnar fight, as Velasquez's big chance to be the first ever Mexican heavyweight champion. Aldo was scheduled to fight Josh Grispi at UFC 125, but recently pulled out of the fight with a neck injury. Their rematch at UFC 116 made the first one look like a three round lay and pray fest. It would take place at the UFC's first event held in Boston. But Condit took fate into his own hands and managed to get MacDonald down and beat his face into a swollen and bloody mess, forcing the ref to stop the fight with just seconds remaining on the clock. Many felt this should have won Submission of the Night, but the bonus was instead given to Brock Lesnar's arm-triangle submission over Shane Carwin. In both of Carlos Condit's bouts this year, he was the underdog. But the Aussie contender had no intention of giving up his unbeaten UFC record yet, and after a fast-paced first round that featured high-level action both standing and on the mat, he made the necessary adjustments in round two, got his own game back on track, and finished Lauzon with a tight kimura. The rest of the criteria will explain itself, so without further a due, here is the top ten fighters of 2010. The fight between Couture and Toney entered the top 10 list due to Toney's constant trash talking and that this fight was a crossover bout between boxing and mixed martial arts. 3 Stephan Bonnar TKO2 Krzysztof SoszynskiThe first fight between Stephan Bonnar and Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 110 in February was damn good. Though the fight lacked many exciting moments, or any, Marquardt is one of the most talented middleweights in the world and a win over him should never be under-appreciated. I get pretty excited with this end of the year stuff. What happened next was one of the most shocking sights of the year for me. This year's show is being hosted by UFC Hall of. The year 2010 is the 18th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Pick 'Em & Fantasy Games - All the biggest upcoming MMA & Boxing fights - Create a free Tapology . Penn. After starting the year with an easier than expected knockout of former great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110, Cain was promised a title shot, but would have to wait til later in the year. for me it would have to be either leben vs akiyama or silva vs sonnen simple fact leben and akiyama stood toe to toe and fought until leben caught akiyama in a great choke fantastic fight ! 2010 has featured some all-time classic fights, from veterans like Rich Franklin and Chuck Liddell, to less familiar names like "The Korean Zombie," Chan Sung Jung. The rematch was scheduled immediately for UFC 118 in August. Nobody had a breakout year in 2010 as much as Australia's George Sotiropoulos. UFC Fight Night 21. Elber Nunes Zacheu was sentenced to 16 years and four months in prison for murdering Tieli Alves in 2018. At UFC 118, back in August, former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy "The Natural" Couture embarrassed former multiple time boxing champion James "Lights Out" Toney. But, if we were to judge him solely on his accomplishments thus far in 2010, it's already been quite a run. Contributors | Create Your Own Rankings | Discuss Ranking Rankings 1 2 3 Next Last 1 Silva vs. Sonnen UFC 117 The bout was stopped just over four minutes into the first round and Velasquez was now the champion. Sure, Silva went on to get knocked out in six seconds by Hector Lombard in his next fight, but a win is a win and it got Leben on track. Not only were they spectacular wins, he made them both look like walks in the park. UFC Fight of the Year: Anthony Pettis vs. Ben Henderson By Ray Hui Dec 27, 2010, 7:00am EST In terms of great fights, 2010 saw at last three fights that fans will be talking about for. Lytle followed that up with a tremendous submission over Matt Brown at UFC 116. What more can you say about Frankie Edgar's 2010? Several factors lead this fight to reach the No. Team Ortiz Finale, "UFC 124 draws reported record attendance of 23,152 for $4.6 million gate", "The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale scores 1,903 attendance; $380k live gate", "UFC 123 draws 16,404 attendance and $2.1 million live gate", "UFC 122 attendance and live gate: 8,421 for estimated $600,000", "UFC 121 attendance and gate: 14,856 attendees, $2.2 million in ticket sales", "UFC 120 reportedly sets European attendance record", "UFC 119 officially draws 15,811 attendance for $1.6 million live gate", "UFC Fight Night 22 draws reported 7,724 attendance for $595,900 live gate", "MASC: UFC 118 draws 14,168 spectators for $2.8 million live gate", "UFC 117 draws reported 12,971 attendees for $1.56 million live gate", "UFC on Versus 2 draws reported attendance of 8,132 for $490k gate", "UFC 116 officially draws 12,740 attendess for $4.05 million live gate", "The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale draws reported attendance of 1,708 for a $430k live gate", "UFC 115 officially draws 17,669 attendance for $4.2 million live gate", "NSAC corrects UFC 114 attendance and gate, promotions estimates nearly spot on", "UFC 113 draws reported attendance of 17,647 for $3.27 million live gate", "UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi draws 11,008 attendance for estimated $3.5 million live gate", "UFC Fight Night 21 draws 7,700 attendance for $590,685 live gate", "New Jersey's UFC 111 event draws 17,000 attendance and $4 million live gate", "UFC on Versus 1 draws reported soldout crowd of 6,443 for $568K gate", "UFC 110's reported attendance qualifies as highest-ever for UFC outside of North America", "UFC Fight Night 20 a sellout with near-record $730,000 live gate", "UFC 108 draws official attendance of 13,529 for $1.97 million gate", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2010_in_UFC&oldid=1110997583, Decision (unanimous) (5043, 5044, 5045), Decision (unanimous) (5045, 4847, 4946), Decision (unanimous) (4947, 4847, 4946), Decision (unanimous) (5045, 5045, 5045), This page was last edited on 18 September 2022, at 19:24. 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