Three Way Mma Fight
The evolution of women's mixed martial arts started right at the end of the previous decade, with Cris Cyborg vs. Gina Carano headlining a Strikeforce show on Showtime in front of almost 14,000 fans in San Jose, California. And it exploded in 2013 when Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche faced off in the very first UFC women's fight.
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Over the past 10 years, women's MMA has grown exponentially, from smaller promotions and mere novelty acts to being a key piece of every UFC card.
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It took three larger-than-life figures to help it thrive. Each of these three women left people no choice but to notice them for their technique, athleticism, killer instinct and dominance -- and that's why Cyborg, Amanda Nunes and Rousey are the best female fighters of the decade.
Amanda Nunes
Accolades:
15-3 record from 2010 to 2019
10-fight win streak 2015-19, longest among female fighters in UFC history (9 of 15 wins by KO/TKO)
10 first-round finishes
7 UFC title fight wins (tied for most among female fighters)
Defeated every former women's bantamweight champion
12 UFC wins (tied for most among female fighters)
7 UFC knockouts (most among female fighters)
Key fights:
3 Way Mma Fight
Def. Miesha Tate to win UFC women's bantamweight title (UFC 200, July 9, 2016)
Def. Ronda Rousey to retain UFC women's bantamweight title (UFC 207, Dec. 30, 2016)
Def. Valentina Shevchenko to retain UFC women's bantamweight title (UFC 215, Sept. 9, 2017)
Def. Cris Cyborg to win UFC women's featherweight title (UFC 232, Dec. 29, 2018)
Nunes' first fight in America came on Jan. 7, 2011; it was her Strikeforce debut.
She entered that fight against Julia Budd (another future featherweight champion -- in Bellator) with a 5-1 record. Nunes' lone loss at the time came in 2008 in her pro MMA debut. The Budd fight couldn't have gone better. She won in 14 seconds via TKO and, afterward, the announcing team on the broadcast wondered out loud whether Nunes would be the one to someday beat the great Cris Cyborg.
'Cyborg's probably sitting at home watching this, going, 'Uh-oh,' Showtime broadcaster Pat Miletich said seconds after the victory.
Well, it took 13 more fights and almost eight years, but she ended up beating Cyborg at UFC 232 ... in just 51 seconds. It was that win over Cyborg that cemented Nunes' spot as the female fighter of the decade.
If anyone says they saw this coming from the young woman from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, however, they are lying. She followed up her win over Budd with a second-round TKO loss to Alexis Davis. The Cyborg killer hype abruptly stopped after that fight. Nunes' record in the six fights following her spectacular Strikeforce debut was a mediocre 3-3.
And forget fighter-of-the-decade talk following her UFC 178 loss to Cat Zingano in 2014 -- Nunes wasn't even in the title picture.
But a funny thing happened after that loss to Zingano. Nunes hasn't lost since.
Since then, Nunes is a perfect 10-0. Seven of those wins were finishes, with her three decision victories coming against Valentina Shevchenko -- a fellow fighter of the decade contender -- and inaugural UFC women's featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie.
More impressive than the streak itself is whom the wins came against:
First was the win over women's MMA pioneer Shayna Baszler, then a submission of Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann, followed by Shevchenko, and then the bantamweight title victory over Miesha Tate at UFC 200.
That's when people really started noticing Nunes.
Next, she retired Rousey with a 48-second drubbing. At this point, the world was watching.
She followed the Rousey win with another Shevchenko victory. Then, it was the one-sided Raquel Pennington title defense, and then the Cyborg showdown at 145 pounds. Nunes wrapped up the decade by dispatching de Randamie.
Cyborg entered the Cyborg fight last December with a 20-1 (1 NC) record. Like Nunes, Cyborg lost her pro debut in 2005 but had not lost since. She had also never been knocked out. It took Nunes just 51 seconds to change all that. In doing so, Nunes also made history by becoming the first female fighter to hold belts in two different weight classes and just the third fighter ever to be a simultaneous double champion in the UFC.
She followed that performance by becoming the first person to ever knock out former champion Holly Holm in an MMA fight in July.
This one was easy. Nunes is the female fighter of the decade, and in the eyes of most people, the greatest female fighter of all time.
Those Strikeforce announcers were apparently onto something nine years ago.
-- Helwani
Ronda Rousey
Accolades:
12-2 record
12-fight win streak from 2011 to 2015
Headlined UFC 157 with first-ever women's fight on a UFC PPV
All 12 wins by stoppage (9 by submission)
11 first-round finishes
Holds the two fastest UFC finishes among female fighters (0:14 and 0:16)
Held Strikeforce and UFC women's bantamweight titles (7 successful defenses combined)
6 UFC title fight wins (tied for most among female fighters)
First woman inducted into UFC Hall of Fame
Key fights:
Def. Miesha Tate via first-round submission to win Strikeforce women's bantamweight title (Strikeforce Tate vs. Rousey, March 3, 2012)
Def. Liz Carmouche via first-round submission to retain UFC women's bantamweight title (UFC 157, Feb 23, 2013)
Def. Miesha Tate via third-round submission to retain UFC women's bantamweight title (UFC 168, Dec. 28, 2013)
Def. Bethe Correia via first-round KO to retain UFC women's bantamweight title (UFC 190, Aug. 1, 2015)
The manner in which Rousey exited the sport of MMA was abrupt, shocking and overwhelmingly one-sided -- but don't let that take away from what made Rousey who she was. And what defined Rousey was dominance. Eleven finishes inside the first round. Eight of those inside the first minute. Fourteen seconds. Sixteen seconds. Thirty-four seconds. Those were all UFC title fights. Rousey was so good that her challengers literally started experimenting different strategies as their only recourse. Cat Zingano went (uncharacteristically) flying at Rousey from the opening bell simply because -- why not? -- nothing else worked.
Even in her two defeats, which came against outstanding competition in Holm and Nunes, Rousey proved she did have resolve. She was willing to meet adversity head on, and was trying to win through the very end. Some might say that's a weak consolation, but it was a question Rousey answered on her way out. She did not fold at the first sign of a challenge.
For someone who had reached the level of celebrity that she had, who had become so accustomed to immediate success, that's worth noting. Rousey didn't quit. She forced others to pry the torch from her. She did not give it away willingly.
-- Okamoto
Cris Cyborg
Accolades:
Former UFC women's featherweight champion
Most wins in UFC women's featherweight history (4)
Had 13-fight unbeaten streak this decade
Finished 11 of 13 victories by KO or TKO
Former Strikeforce women's featherweight champion
Former Invicta FC women's featherweight champion
Key fights:
Def. Marloes Coenen to retain Strikeforce women's featherweight title (Strikeforce: Miami; Jan. 30, 2010)
Def. Marloes Coenen to win inaugural Invicta FC women's featherweight title (Invicta FC 6; July 13, 2013)
Def. Tonya Evinger to win UFC women's featherweight title (UFC 214; July 29, 2017)
Def. Holly Holm to retain UFC women's featherweight title (UFC 219; Dec. 30, 2017)
Def. by Amanda Nunes to lose UFC women's featherweight title (UFC 232; Dec. 29, 2018)
For the bulk of the decade, Cristiane Justino, aka Cris Cyborg, was the most feared fighter in mixed martial arts. Not the most feared female fighter. The most feared fighter, period. Cyborg didn't just go unbeaten in 13 straight fights to begin the decade -- she absolutely smashed her competition. In 13 victories over the past 10 years, she finished 11 by knockout or TKO. Six of those stoppages came in the first round.
Cyborg, 34, is the only fighter to win titles in the UFC, Strikeforce and Invicta FC. She took home gold in every promotion she fought for during the decade, and she'll go for a fourth promotional belt in January against Bellator MMA women's featherweight champion Julia Budd. Cyborg clashed with the UFC and its president, Dana White, ultimately leading to her contract not being renewed in August. But Cyborg's performances in the cage were unequivocal.
No one could even touch Cyborg until Nunes was able to beat her by first-round knockout at UFC 232. Nunes, also the UFC women's bantamweight champion, has taken the mantle from Cyborg as best female fighter in the world. But for the bulk of the decade, that distinction belonged to Cyborg, outside Rousey's initial period of dominance in the UFC.
Cyborg finished the previous decade with an extremely influential main event win over Gina Carano under the Strikeforce banner on Aug. 15, 2009. She closed this one out with a bounce-back win over Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 in July. All told, Cyborg's record over the past 10 years was 13-1 with one no contest. That no contest stemmed from a failed drug test in 2011, but Cyborg calmed talks of performance-enhancing drug use by being in the UFC's stringent program run by the USADA.
-- Raimondi
Picking the ten greatest fights in MMA history is like looking through a bag of your favorite chocolates and picking only ten. A list like this wholly depends on the viewer's vantage, tastes, and the time of day.
Still, picking the ten greatest MMA fights of all time was exactly what had to be done here. Both a fun and challenging task that is guaranteed to bring both praise and disagreement. Regardless, criteria needed to be selected.
The three criteria.
1. The fight itself had to have significant drama (the most important criteria). In other words, each fighter, at one point or another, must have been in a position to win the fight. This is main reason why Chuck Liddell and Fedor Emelianenko's names are not on this list. They both tend to dominate.
For example, in Emelianenko's win over Mirko Cro Cop, Cro Cop never really looked as if he was going to be the victor. Hence, the fight didn't make this list.
2. The bigger the stage the better. In other words, what the fight meant was a major criteria. Non- championship bouts didn't get as much love as those giving out belts. TUF finales were also looked at with high regard due to the stakes involved, as were PRIDE Grand Prix style matches.
In addition, due in part to the mixed martial arts television blackout during the late 1990's and early 2000's, some good fights are absent from this list. The reason? The stage was lacking.
3. Only PRIDE and UFC bouts were considered. To go beyond the two major organizations would be to add even more chaos to a difficult task.
So, without further ado, here we go.
10. Wanderlei Silva vs. Hidehiko Yoshida I
The Stage - PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 on 11/9/03At this point in his career, PRIDE Middleweight Champion, Wanderlei Silva, had rattled off an impressive 13 straight bouts without a loss. He seemed unstoppable. Further, Judo Gold Medalist, Hidehiko Yoshida, had only three MMA fights under his belt.
Even so, it was a great fight.
Early on, Yoshida proved his takedown prowess, dropping Silva to the ground rather easily. While on the ground, Yoshida nearly won via neck crank; Silva almost pulled off a triangle choke.
Even better, throughout this two round fight, Yoshida proved his worth standing, taking punch after punch from Silva without falter (and returning some of that fire as well). In the end, Silva was the better man via unanimous decision.
But this was a fight that seemed as if it could've gone either way on several occasions.
9. Josh Barnett vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
The Stage - PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute on 9/10/06.What a ground war. Though there were some decent exchanges on their feet, these two went from submission attempt to submission attempt on one another while on the ground. It could've served as a clinic on flowing submissions and escapes. Further, each combatant took their turn being on top and bottom of the ground exchanges.
As time expired, Barnett had Nogueira in a knee bar. Might that have finished the fight: who knows? What we do know is that final submission attempt probably won him the fight via decision.
8. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Bob Sapp
The Stage - PRIDE Shockwave on 8/28/02.Sapp, a former professional football player weighing in at 350 pounds, had demolished the only two MMA opponents he'd faced coming into this bout. In short, he hit very hard, was inhumanly strong, and, was, well, huge. Nogueira on the other hand, was much smaller and less powerful, but was (and is) the Brazilian Jiu- Jitsu master.
In short, the bout started with Sapp throwing Nogueira around like a rag doll. He even slammed him on his head, making many onlookers, including this writer, grimace. However, despite Sapp's somewhat gruesome domination early on, Nogueira did what he always does.
He persevered.
Toward the end of the first round, evidence surfaced that Sapp was tiring. By the second round, there was no doubt. Soon after, Nogueira's submission game established itself in the form of an armbar. A great two round fight that cemented Nogueira's legendary status.
7. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II
The Stage - UFC 52 on 4/16/05Short and absolutely sweet. This was a fight where the unthinkable happened. Trigg struck Hughes in the groin; Hughes then turned to referee Mario Yamasaki to complain.
Poor move.
Yamasaki hadn't seen it, and Hughes got pelted with punches he wasn't ready for by Trigg. Next thing you know, Trigg has his back, and the choke is sunk in deep. Hughes begins to turn red, even purple. It seems as if his run as champion is about to end.
But this is Matt Hughes, remember.
First, he escapes the choke. Next, he picks Trigg up in the air and walks him to his own corner.
Three Way Mma Fighting
Then perhaps the greatest slam of all- time occurs. Next thing you know, Hughes has Trigg in a rear naked choke.
Then Trigg taps. Perhaps the most exciting four minutes and five seconds in an MMA bout ever.
6. Don Frye vs. Ken Shamrock
The Stage - PRIDE 19 Bad Blood on 2/24/02.There's a reason why this one was called 'Bad Blood'. Before the fight, Shamrock was downright steamed, indicating that Frye had said things about his family. In fact, they nearly had a fight at the press conference.
With both fighters trying to recapture their former glory on the comeback trail (this was Shamrock's fourth fight after taking over three years off and Frye's third fight after nearly five years off), this one could've been ripe for disappointment.
In short, it wasn't.
These two guys fought a war. At one point, Shamrock nearly won the fight via leglock. However, despite the fact that Frye was clearly caught, he showed an immense degree of toughness and refused to tap (eventually Shamrock tired and he escaped).
This fight was great on the ground and standing. After a grueling three round fight, the judges rendered their scorecards.
A split decision victory for Don Frye.
5. Kendall Groves vs. Ed Herman
The stage - TUF 3 finale on 6/24/06.'It was a close fight,' said Herman. 'It could've gone either way.'
You're darned right, it could've.
What a war! These two that had spent eons in a house together during the TUF 3 show. You'd think that would make them want to take it easy on each other. After all, they were friends.
Three Way Mma Fighters
Not so.
For the most part, this fight took place on the ground, even though there were clearly some nice stand up exchanges (most of which Groves won).
When on the ground, it seemed as if they were putting on a clinic. In short, each fighter went from dangerous position on the mat to dangerous position, proving both their ability to both employ and escape submissions. Probably the thing that gave Groves the unanimous decision was the fact that the fight ended with Herman in a rear naked choke.
And this time it didn't look like he was going to get out of it.
Still, the way this fight was going, you never know.
4. Royce Gracie vs. Dan Severn
The Stage - UFC 4 championship bout on 12/16/94.This was the match that truly proved Brazilian Jiu- Jitsu's worth once and for all. For the first time, Royce Gracie came face to face with an elite athlete from a popular American sport. In the eyes of many, Dan Severn's Greco- Roman wrestling career put him at a different level than Royce's previous UFC opponents (he was a four time All American wrestler at Arizona State that formerly had held the American record for victories by pin).
Perhaps just as important, Severn outweighed Gracie by 90 pounds.
With no time limits or rounds, the fight pretty much started and ended in the same position. Severn immediately took Royce down, showing his wrestling advantage. From there, Royce got him in the guard. And that's pretty much where they stayed for over 15 minutes. Severn pounded on Gracie through most of the fight, while all Gracie could do was protect himself. In short, things didn't look good for the man from Rio de Janeiro.
That is, until just after the fifteen minute mark when Gracie pulled off a submission that many Americans had never seen. Something called a triangle choke; a submission engineered from the bottom position with one's legs.
At 15:49 of the fight, Severn tapped, and Royce Gracie's legend reached near epic proportions.
3. Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba
The Stage - PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals on 5/1/00.Today, Pride championship bouts total twenty minutes (one 10 minute round followed by two five minute rounds). Fighters have to be in great shape to make it through such an event.
Now imagine fighting for over an hour and a half. That's exactly what Royce Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba did in this bout.
After Kazushi Sakuraba ( a catch wrestler ) defeated Royler Gracie by submission ( the first loss by a Gracie on the world stage in quite some time ), the stage was set. Royce Gracie came back to set the record straight, joining Sakuraba in PRIDE's first ever Grand Prix tournament. They met in the second round under special rules that included no time limits (though there were rounds).
Early in the fight, Sakuraba nearly finished Gracie by knee bar. Later on, Gracie nearly caught Sakuraba in a guillotine choke. However, as the fight wore on, Gracie became unable to take Sakuraba down. Further, the Japanese fighter continually utilized Royce's gi, a piece of clothing that had done so well by him in the past, against him.
Sakuraba's leg kicks eventually became too much for the Brazilian. Royce's brother threw in the towel after an hour and a half of fighting, through which Gracie had suffered a broken foot.
And with that, some of the mysticism of Gracie Jiu- Jitsu was gone. A Gracie could be defeated, even Royce, and an elite Japanese mixed martial artist named, Kazushi Sakuraba, had proved it.
2. Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin
The Stage - TUF 1 finale on 4/9/05.These two guys will forever be stars because of this fight. They set the precedent for great TUF finale fights, for sure.
Was it pretty? No. Was it a display of elite kickboxing techniques? Not in total, though there were some moments (such as Bonnar's spinning back kick). However, this fight was a display of heart, courage, and determination.
In other words, it was a brawl; perhaps unlike any that had ever graced an MMA stage.
Afterward, via split decision, Griffin got the edge. Did he deserve it? Who knows? All we do know is that many people, including UFC commentator, Joe Rogan, thought it was one of the best, if not the best MMA fights they'd ever seen.
1. Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn II
The Stage - UFC 63 on 9/23/06.Last time these two met, Penn had submitted Hughes via rear naked choke in the first round. Coming in, both fighters had a lot on the line. A win for Hughes would cement him as perhaps the greatest pound for pound mixed martial artist in history (in the eyes of many), while a loss might actually do the same for Penn.
In short, legacies were on the line.
Penn dominated early on, doing something that no other fighter had ever been able to accomplish against Hughes; he stopped his takedowns. Somehow, Penn had managed stay balanced, often on one leg, as Hughes attempted a host of single leg takedowns against him.
Three Way Mma Fights
Due to the UFC Welterweight Champion's inability to take the fight to the ground, Penn got his chance to throw punches. He immediately proved he was the better man on his feet. The man from Hawaii won the first round rather easily.
In the second, Hughes finally got Penn to the ground. Good thing, right? Well, not initially, anyway. Penn caught Hughes in a triangle choke that nearly did him in. But somehow, through sheer guts and determination, Hughes persevered and got through that round without tapping or passing out.
During that round, unbeknownst to spectators, Penn injured a rib. In addition, he apparently spent all his energy trying to submit Hughes.
A bad thing against a man that trains with Miletich Fighting Systems. They never gas.
In the third, Penn was a different fighter; a tired fighter. Hughes, on the other hand, wasn't. He beat Penn to the punch on several occasions and then took him down. He got him in the crucifix position.
And then he pounded his way to a John McCarthy stoppage.
Afterwards, Matt Hughes answered Joe Rogan's questions with a sense of pride. 'I knew I had all my guys in my corner; they weren't with me, but they were in my heart. Just like the Lord Jesus Christ was with me, so I had no doubt.'
That sense of supreme confidence, that ability to handle adversity, is why Matt Hughes is who he is.
Why this one was number one.
First, the drama. Both Penn and Hughes had each other in terrible positions. Penn did not escape, while Hughes did.
Though this fight did not mean as much to the sport as the two Gracie encounters that made this list, it was a far more exciting fight than both of those.
Perhaps just as important was the stage. This one went beyond a championship bout; as was said earlier, legacies were at stake. Hughes needed to defeat the only person in recent memory to defeat him in order to perhaps solidify his spot as the most dominant fighter of his generation (he and Fedor seem to be the two vying for this quasi title).
And that's what he did.
Beyond all of this, Penn represented, perhaps, the most perfectly constructed opponent to Hughes's skills. Great on his feet, near flawless takedown defense, and unbelievable submission from the guard, all of which would seemingly contrast well with Hughes's style.
Last, MMA has never been bigger than it is now. Thus, the stage today is larger by sheer demand than any previous. Thus, the fact that this fight recently happened held some weight.
This one should go to a trilogy.
Three Way Mma Fight
Some Honorable Mentions (there were many others)
Royce Gracie vs. Kimo Leopoldo (on 9/9/94)Tito Ortiz vs. Frank Shamrock (on 9/24/99)
Randy Couture vs. Kevin Randleman (on 11/17/00)
Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama (on 6/23/02)
Phil Baroni vs. Matt Lindland II (on 2/28/03)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira I (on 3/16/03)
Quinton Jackson vs. Ricardo Arona (on 6/20/04)
Luiz Azeredo vs. Takanori Gomi I (5/22/05)
Phil Baroni vs. Ikuhiso Minowa (5/22/05)
Takanori Gomi vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (on 9/25/05)
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Mark Hunt (on 12/31/05)
Diego Sanchez vs. Karo Parisyan (on 8/17/06)
So and so vs. So and so (on pick a date)
You get the picture.