Issue 039

July 2008

Few things get fans and fighters alike as excited as a title fight. Those big, shiny straps indicate a fighter has reached the very highest level, at least in their own promotion, and can bring out the very best in any competitor. This month, we look at five of the most important, memorable title matches in the sport’s history.

01 UFC light heavyweight & Pride middleweight titles

Quinton Jackson vs Dan Henderson (UFC 75, 8 September, 2007)

Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson’s second crack at the Pride FC 205lb belt (Wanderlei Silva had kneed him senseless in 2004) was also the first defence of the UFC 205lb title he hammered out of Chuck Liddell. Billed, and widely accepted, as a major ‘unification match’ (though a pedant might ask if it truly is a unification match when one company and its title is already dead and buried) this was an evenly fought, fast-paced fight that went a gruelling five rounds, and with Rampage emerging the winner by unanimous decision. Unusually for a major UFC event, this was shown for free on Spike TV in the US and thanks to that, it remains one of the most watched MMA fights ever outside Japan, pulling in a stunning 5.6 million viewers.

02 Pride heavyweight title

Fedor Emelianenko vs Mirko Cro Cop (Pride Final Conflict, 28 August, 2005)

For much of 2004 and 2005, Emelianenko was widely believed to be ducking Cro Cop, by far his most dangerous potential challenger. When they finally met, in front of a jam-packed Saitama Super Arena, their dream match more than lived up to expectations, running away with plenty of ‘Fight of the Year’ plaudits. Surprisingly, Fedor out-struck Cro Cop on their feet, while the Croatian did a far better job than more experienced grapplers in defending against the champion’s fearsome ground n’ pound game in a hard-fought battle. Emelianenko took the decision win, holding onto his cherished title and sealing his reputation as the greatest heavyweight in the history of the sport.

03 UFC heavyweight title

Tim Sylvia vs Randy Couture (UFC 68, 3 March, 2007)

Couture’s improbable comeback triumph could have been crafted by a misty-eyed, somewhat delusional screenwriter. Returning from a year-long retirement to a weight class he hadn’t competed in since 2002, he was facing a huge, awkward opponent on a six-fight winning streak. The record-setting crowd were firmly behind the challenger and roared their approval at everything he did. It all started just seconds into the fight when Couture stunningly decked the champion, and continued for a full five rounds as he utterly dominated the title holder. Some 17,000 fans counted down the dying seconds before exploding with sheer joy at the final bell of a truly unforgettable fight.

04 Cage Rage world light heavyweight title

Melvin Manhoef vs Evangelista ‘Cyborg’ Santos (Cage Rage 15, 4 February, 2006)

The first defence of Manhoef’s Cage Rage belt, this was eight minutes and fifty-one seconds of unbridled mayhem. Widely hailed as one of the most exciting fights to ever take place on British soil, Manhoef and Santos traded punches and kicks with a total disregard for such strange concepts as strategy, patience, defence and stamina. Neither man has ever been accused of having great conditioning and both continued brawling to, and well beyond, the point of sheer exhaustion. This was visceral, primal, breathless stuff, and at the end Manhoef stood triumphant, his Brazilian opponent finished by a barrage of punches.

05 King of Pancrase

Ken Shamrock vs Manabu Yamada (King of Pancrase tournament, 17 December,1994)

The first ever King of Pancrase was determined by a two day, sixteen-man tournament that featured more refined skill and artistic grappling than a whole fistful of UFC events from that time. Overwhelming favourite Shamrock went to the finals with submission wins over Maurice Smith and Masakatsu Funaki, while surprising underdog Yamada had tapped out Minoru Suzuki and Shamrock’s adopted brother Frank. In the final, they fought for a full, fast-paced 30 minutes, highlighted by some superb groundwork. The elder Shamrock took the well-earned decision, claiming the title that was, for a while anyway, one of the sport’s most prestigious.