There are two hallmark dates when you’re talking about the UFC calendar.
The first comes on July 4 weekend which, over the years, has featured fight cards including the first match-up between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman in 2013, the long-anticipated rematch between Anderson and Chael Sonnen in 2012 as well as the heavyweight clash for the ages when Brock Lesnar met Shane Carwin in 2010.
The other big date that all fight fans look out for is the New Year’s event which this year is headlined by one of the most promotion-heavy bouts in UFC history as pound-for-pound king Jon Jones puts his light heavyweight strap on the line against wresting stand-out Daniel Cormier.
The UFC often waits until the turn of the year to put on these top-notch, highly anticipated events as these previous five stand-out cards show.
UFC 168 – Weidman v Silva II
Only a year ago, we were granted the chance to see the biggest rematch in the history of mixed martial arts as middleweight legend and GOAT Anderson Silva looked to regain his 185lb crown against the man who had knocked him out just six months earlier at UFC 162. Silva was thought to have been untouchable in the sport before the undefeated Weidman dethroned him.
When the pair met on December 28 2014 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, most expected Silva to have rallied from his summer defeat and look the best he ever did. What happened next was predicted by absolutely nobody.
The Brazilian threw a kick to his American counterpart who checked the kick (something that is commonplace in most fights) and Silva’s leg snapped in the most horrific fashion.
The wails from “The Spider” were haunting and the fight was waved off to bring the event to an end in the most unfortunate of circumstances.
The co-main event of UFC 168 featured a grudge match between perpetual rivals Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight title which the champion Rousey predictably retained via armbar.
No huge fight card is complete without the obligatory heavyweight clash which we got when Travis Browne knocked out Josh Barnett after just a minute of action.
One of the UFC’s most exciting fighters of all time, Jim Miller, also put on a show by slapping on a first-round armbar and getting the tap from Fabricio Camoes in the lightweight division after Dustin Poirier had knocked out Diego Brandao earlier on the main card.
UFC 155 – Dos Santos v Velasquez II
The UFC is clearly rather fond of a title rematch to close the year as the promotion awarded Cain Velasquez the opportunity to win back his heavyweight title after he was knocked out by Junior dos Santos in November 2011.
It was always presumed that Velasquez had had an off day when an overhand right sent his world title off to Brazil but he most certainly brought his A-game in the December of 2012.
He absolutely dominated Dos Santos for five rounds and turned the Brazilian’s face into a purple mess before being awarded the most unanimous of unanimous decision victories.
In the co-main, we were treated to the fight of the year as fan favourites Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon met in the lightweight division. Lauzon was cut open badly in the first round but rallied and refused to stop scrapping. Miller took the decision but the heart that both fighters showed made the event an instant classic.
These fights were preceded by a triptych of middleweight bouts that saw Costas Philippou knock out the always tough Tim Boetsch after decision victories for Yushin Okami and Derek Brunson over Alan Belcher and Chris Leben respectively.
It was the two fights that topped the bill, though, that made UFC 155 arguably the most memorable event of the year.
UFC 141 – Lesnar v Overeem
It was a battle of the behemoths in the main event of this card that took place on December 30 2011 when former heavyweight kingpin Brock Lesnar looked to earn another title shot by taking on the knockout artist Alistair Overeem.
Overeem was a different beast back in 2011 from the 2014 fighter whose chin is consistently under scrutiny and it took him just 150 seconds to finish the freak athlete with a vicious body kick.
It would be the last that us fight fans have seen of Brock Lesnar in the octagon but the build-up to the fight that was billed with the slugline “it doesn’t get any bigger than this” was enough to make this a classic.
The co-main event featured two of the greatest personalities in mixed martial arts history when bad boy Nate Diaz took on “The Cowboy” Donald Cerrone in the 155lb division.
Diaz, who is one of the true characters on the UFC’s books, was given the nod by the judges in the fight of the night and we’re always going to be massive fans of any fight event that features either Diaz brother.
One of the knockouts of the year came at UFC 141 when former weltwerweight champion Johny Hendricks delivered a left hook from all hell to fold up perpetual contender Jon Fitch in just twelve seconds of their bout.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vz5LmbVKJM
One of the greatest light heavyweights on the planet also featured on this card when Alexander Gustafsson sealed his fourth consecutive UFC victory by TKOing the division’s gatekeeper Vladimir Matyushenko after a dominant featherweight performance by Jimy Hetes in his decision victory over TUF vet Nam Phan.
UFC 125 – Edgar v Maynard
UFC 125 was entitled Resolution based on the fact that Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were competing in a rematch from their 2008 meeting at UFC: Fight Night 13.
The January 1 encounter was for Edgar’s lightweight championship and finished in a draw after five rounds of back and forth action.
Maynard had the New Jersey native rocked in the first round but the champion recovered well and went on to retain his belt due to the fight being declared a split draw.
The bout was so entertaining that it was not only voted fight of the night but went on to be named the fight of the year.
Jamie Penick of MMA Torch was quoted as saying: “It wasn’t just a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate. The five-round battle between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard was one of the UFC’s best ever fights.”
The main card also featured a who’s who of fan favourites with Brian Stann finishing the ever-popular Chris Leben, Dong Hyun Kim getting a decision victory over Nate Diaz and tireless Clay Guida submitting PRIDE legend Takanori Gomi in the second round.
UFC 92 – Evans v Griffin
December 2008’s UFC 92 was a knockout-fest with all five fights on the main card being finished by strikes and only the main event reaching the third round.
That main event was a light heavyweight title fight between two TUF winners with champion Forrest Griffin taking on challenger Rashad Evans.
The championship belt switched hands after Evans landed some vicious ground and pound from Griffin’s guard which forced the referee to wave the fight off.
Prior to that, Frank Mir surprised everyone by outstriking and finishing one of the heavyweight divisions best ever boxers, Antônio Rodrigo, Nogueira for the interim heavyweight title midway through the second round.
There were fewer more anticipated bouts in 2008 than the meeting of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva in the UFC rematch of their legendary PRIDE bouts, during both of which Silva came out on top. “Rampage” got revenge here though and knocked out the Brazilian in the third minute of the first round.
Similarly C.B.Dollaway got the TKO over Mike Massenzio after three minutes after the main card was opened in the heavyweight division with a Cheick Kongo victory over Mostapha Al Turk late in the first round.
So it’s safe to say that the UFC’s New Year’s events seldom disappoint and we’re going to get the chance to see another classic when Jon Jones takes on Daniel Cormier on January 3. We’re fairly bloody excited!!
