Ten Best - Top European Fights in UFC History

On April 14th, the UFC’s Octagon will travel overseas to Europe for the 15th time in its nearly 19 year history, setting down for an inaugural event in Stockholm, Sweden that is headlined by the light heavyweight battle between hometown hero Alexander Gustafsson and Brazil’s Thiago Silva.

Gustafsson-Silva promises to be an explosive matchup, and if it does live up to expectations, it may just earn a spot on this list of the ten best fights to appear on the UFC’s European cards.

10 – Rich Franklin W3 Wanderlei Silva – UFC 99 (2009, Cologne, Germany)
When it was announced that the main event of the UFC’s first foray into Germany was going to pit former middleweight champion Rich Franklin against former PRIDE champ Wanderlei Silva, you knew things were going to turn out okay at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, and neither “Ace” or “The Axe Murderer” disappointed during their three rounder. Filled with solid action throughout that was punctuated by periodic bursts of berserker attacks from Silva, Franklin pulled out a close, but unanimous, decision in which his more disciplined style paved the way to victory. “He caught me in the second round, but for the most part, I really kept myself out of those exchanges,” said Franklin. “I didn’t get caught, I was not greedy with my punches – I used two or three punch combinations, got in and out, used a lot of footwork, and tried to do my best to not stand there and trade punch for punch. I kept moving and stuck to the gameplan for the whole 15 minutes, and it wasn’t that bad.”

9 – Marcus Davis Wsub1 Paul Taylor – UFC 75 (2007, London, England)
We couldn’t have an all-Euro list without at least one fight from New England’s “Irish Hand Grenade,” Marcus Davis, who fought seven consecutive times in Europe at the height of his UFC career. And this one was a short, but memorable, bout, where Davis got dropped early by a head kick, only to show off his underrated submission skills and finish the fight moments later. After the bout, which earned Davis the Submission and Fight of the Night awards, he declared that he was willing to do just about anything to keep the fans satisfied. “If I’ve gotta take another neck kick to get people to jump out of their seats and have a good time, that’s what I’ll do,” said Davis. “If I have to learn how to do a flying gogoplata or something crazy, that’s what I’ll learn. I’ll do whatever I’ve got to do to become better and better and better.”

8 - Antoni Hardonk KO2 Eddie Sanchez – UFC 85 (2008, London, England)
This heavyweight battle between Antoni Hardonk and Eddie Sanchez didn’t get a lot of attention, either before or after the fight, and that’s a shame, because it was an entertaining scrap with plenty of haymakers thrown before the finish. And if anything, the bout did make an impression on the winner, as Hardonk told me that the victory was the one he would put in a time capsule to let people know what he was about as a fighter. “One fight that I think about a lot is when I fought back in London at UFC 85,” said Hardonk. “I fought Eddie Sanchez and I got really hurt in that fight. At one point he hit me right in the eye and it broke my orbital bone. I was dizzy, I fell to the floor, and he jumped on me to finish the fight, but I used my ground skills to survive and weather the storm. Then I came back and I knocked him out. That was definitely one of the fights that I think about a lot because I overcame myself that time. There are some guys that are extremely gifted. They have physical talent, they’re super fast, they’re strong, and sometimes have great technique. But it’s easy to be tough or look great when things go your way. But it’s hard to look tough and put on a great fight when you’re being dominated. It’s completely different.”

7 - Paul Kelly W3 Paul Taylor – UFC 80 (2008, Newcastle, England)
If you saw this one, you’ll know why it’s here. If not, here’s what I wrote when listing the All-England battle between Paul Taylor and Paul Kelly on the best fights of 2008 list: Nothing like a little local rivalry to spice things up, and when British welterweights Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor locked up, they were fighting as if the fate of England itself was at stake.  Punctuated by an opening 30 second sequence that saw both fighters standing and trading punches at close range, the fight was fast-paced throughout, with the two even exchanging blows while on the mat.  As the bout progressed, the bigger and stronger Kelly pulled ahead and away, but Taylor, despite being cut and overpowered, never stopped battling, almost pulling off a kimura in the second round and still landing enough punches and kicks while standing to keep Kelly honest.  In the end though, it was Kelly by unanimous decision in a memorable Octagon debut.

6 – Matt Wiman KO2 Thiago Tavares - UFC 85 (2008, London, England)
Buried on the undercard of a stacked UFC 85 card that includes names like Hughes, Alves, Bisping, Swick, Davis, Marquardt, Werdum, and Vera, Matt Wiman and Thiago Tavares soared to the top of the list to win Fight of the Night honors at the O2 Arena with an exciting back and forth battle that saw a dizzying array of submission attempts by both men, some crisp standup, and finally an emphatic knockout by Wiman, who topped off his June by getting married a week later.  Everything you could want in a mixed martial arts match was here, and both fighters showed what the sport can be when done right.

5 - Renan Barao Wsub1 Brad Pickett – UFC 138 (2011, Birmingham, England)
It didn’t last long – just four minutes and nine seconds – but for pure fury, you couldn’t do much better than the bantamweight battle between Brazil’s Renan Barao and England’s Brad Pickett. From the sound of the bell to open the bout, the two tore at each other like bitter enemies, with Barao eventually gaining the upper hand and ending matters via rear naked choke submission.

4 - Ian Freeman TKO1 Frank Mir – UFC 38 (2002, London, England)
The first UFC card in Europe may have been headlined by the welterweight title fight between Matt Hughes and Carlos Newton, but it was local hero Ian Freeman who stole the show by handing unbeaten young gun Frank Mir his first pro loss via first round TKO. What made the win even more poignant was that “The Machine” scored the win not knowing that his seriously ill father had passed away shortly before the bout, news he found out after the biggest win of his career.

3 - Quinton Jackson W5 Dan Henderson – UFC 75 (2007, London, England)
For historical reasons alone, this first unification bout between a UFC champion (Quinton Jackson) and a PRIDE champion (Dan Henderson) would probably warrant a spot here, but then the two veteran light heavyweight stalwarts proceeded to put on a back and forth five rounder that Jackson eventually emerged victorious from via five round unanimous decision.

2 - Michael Bisping TKO2 Denis Kang - UFC 105 (2009, Manchester, England)
While it might be overdramatizing things to say that Michael Bisping’s career was on the line when he faced veteran Denis Kang at UFC 105 in Manchester, following his UFC 100 knockout loss to Dan Henderson, a second defeat wouldn’t have done “The Count” any favors. And after a strong first round, Kang was in control and seemingly on his way to victory, but in the second, Bisping made his adjustments, turned up the heat and stopped Kang. The pride of UK MMA had gotten back on track and he did it in spectacular fashion.

1 - Tyson Griffin W3 Clay Guida - UFC 72 (2007, Belfast, Northern Ireland)
“I was actually surprised to hear boos before me and Tyson engaged, about the first 10 or 12 seconds,” said Clay Guida of the early moments of his UFC 72 bout against Tyson Griffin. “Then we started throwing punches and it was a mess from there on out.” It was a beautiful mess though, as Guida and Griffin went at it tooth and nail for three rounds in a bout that was the Belfast card’s Fight of the Night and a 2007 Fight of The Year winner for many fans and pundits.  And while Griffin took the razor-thin split decision, there were no losers in this one, as both lightweights showed off the intensity and technique of mixed martial arts, primarily on the mat, where they scrapped for much of the 15 minute bout.

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Poirer: ‘History Will Remember Me’

Dustin Poirier knows that plenty of people aren't giving him a chance heading into his fight with Josh Grispi at UFC 125, but don’t count “The Diamond” among the doubters.

“I’m more ready for this fight than I have been for any other fight in my life. Naturally I'm a little nervous, but I’m more anxious then anything,” Poirier told Sherdog.com “I know a lot of people are counting me out, but that's because they don't know who I am. I’m mentally strong, and the key for me is that I know who I am.”

Poirier will meet Grispi in a featherweight duel on New Year's Day at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Grispi was initially supposed to face 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo in his first defense of his newly-christened UFC title, but after Aldo was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury, Poirier received the call to fight the division's No. 1 contender in the Brazilian’s place.

“I actually got the call two weeks after I had just fought at WEC 52. I'm a gym rat, so of course I was training when I got the call from my manager,” said Poirier. “He asked me if I wanted the fight, and I [thought] it was a great opportunity for me to make a name for myself in the featherweight division.”

With only nine pro fights to his credit, some might think the 21-year-old naïve for accepting a fight with the division's No. 1 contender, especially since he's never before fought at featherweight. Poirier, however, has a different view of the situation.

“I personally think I was chosen for one of two reasons, Either they really thought I was up to the challenge or they think it's going to be a tune up fight for Grispi, which is a horrible idea in my opinion,” said Poirier. “I'm a gamer, and I definitely won't be an easy fight for anyone. I'm one punch or one submission away from beating anyone in the division, and will prove myself on Jan. 1.”

Poirier won his bout at WEC 52, smashing a game but overmatched Zachary Micklewright in just 53 seconds. Although the Gladiators Training Academy standout landed several hard combinations, a wobbly Micklewright refused to relent until the bitter end.

“He's very tough. I landed some clean shots on his chin, but he stayed on his feet,” said Poirier. “I think I had him hurt from the opening bell, but he was hard to finish.”

In Grispi, Poirier faces a huge featherweight with a penchant for finishing fights via submission. Though “The Fluke” is only 22-years-old, he's been fighting since 2006 -- far longer than Poirier. Additionally, Grispi is undefeated in four WEC appearances, besting Mark Hominick, Micah Miller, Jens Pulver and most recently L.C. Davis. Nevertheless, Poirier remains unfazed by Grispi's resume and abilities.

“Him being a bigger 145 doesn't bother me. I've been fighting gangsters in the [lightweight] division for a couple of years now. I think my fighting style matches up well against his. He's a finisher, and so am I,” said Poirier. “I think my stand up is better than his, and my ground game is as well. Obviously, I have to watch out for his guillotine, but I'm not the kind of fighter that puts his neck on the line trying to get the double-leg. When we hit the ground, it's going to be because I sit his ass down.”

The 21-year-old has only competed as a pro for 18 months. Poirier has gone from relative obscurity to fighting in the biggest show on earth seemingly overnight. Though the call up to the UFC has come sooner than expected, the rapid promotion was not shocking, says the fighter. According to Poirier, his sweat and dedication have earned him his shot at the big time.

“I'm a hard worker, and I knew it would happen, but not this soon. I believe that everything happens for a reason. These kind of opportunities don't come to people waiting on them; they come to people doing the right things, not only in the gym but [in] the way [they] live. This isn't by chance. This is my destiny, and history will remember me.”

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Cruz and Jorgensen Eyeing History

“We’re going to take a little bit of the WEC into the UFC obviously with the way we fight. It’s going to open the eyes of the UFC fans that haven’t been exposed to WEC, that have never maybe seen it. We’re going to change the landscape of the game."
After an improbable and world-changing 17-year run in the fight biz, the UFC is finally set to crown its first bantamweight champion. The historic honor, and a sparkling new UFC belt, will go to the winner of Thursday night’s battle between Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53 in Glendale, Ariz.

The 25-year-old Cruz, who previously lived and trained in Arizona for a time, feels like a man of destiny.

“I’ve been put in this position for a reason,” said the reigning WEC titleholder, making his second defense of the belt he won in March from Brian Bowles. “God has blessed me with this position to make history. None of this happened by accident. I’m excited that we’re coming over to the UFC and we get to be the very first guys that have ever fought in this division. It’s just an awesome feeling and I think it’s definitely going to be like a legacy that we’ve all started.”

In weighing the gravity of his present situation, Cruz (16-1) alluded to legendary pioneers such as Randy Couture and Royce Gracie and “all those guys that started the UFC.”

“Well, in a sense that’s kind of a way a lot of us guys have done for the 135- pound division,” Cruz continued. “We’ve kind of jump-started it and set the bar for everybody else who’s here to follow. So I’m just pumped that God has blessed me with these opportunities.”

Standing in Cruz’s way is a former Division I wrestling standout that has skyrocketed up the bantamweight rankings since dropping his WEC debut to Damacio Page nearly 3 years ago. Jorgensen (11-3) credits the loss to Page as the turning point in his career, and has caught fire since by overwhelming seven of his last eight foes. The lone setback during that span – via split decision to Antonio Banuelos – was a contest many believed Jorgensen actually won.

Fighting out of Boise, Idaho, Jorgensen has raised eyebrows with a rapidly-improving standup arsenal. He has stood and banged for extended periods of time against Banuelos (twice), Brad Pickett, Takeya Mizugaki and Kenji Osawa, and has never been outclassed in that realm, to the surprise of many. In fact, Jorgensen usually lands the more damaging punches on his feet, and his guillotine choke is downright wicked, making him even more dangerous. But does he have what it takes to dethrone Cruz, who has won seven straight largely by mystifying his opponents, almost toying with them, with his speedy and elusive style of dancing around the cage, landing combos and then darting out of harm’s way?

“Dominick, he’s a champ, you know?” Jorgensen said. “He finds a way to win. But his style to me is just - he moves a lot and he’s very mobile but I feel it’s a very defensive style. You know, he uses his strikes to set up his movement and his movement to set up his strikes and in both ways he tries to stay out of big exchanges. He tries to land quickly and get out but I don’t feel like they’re very effective strikes. You know, they’re scoring points but they don’t hurt. They don’t sit people down.

“He’ll land one and then move and then land a couple and move and then throw a kick. You know, it’s - I think it’s a very defensive style and to me it’s not very effective.”

How does Jorgensen intend to thwart Cruz’s game?

“I move forward and I cut the cage off and I put pressure on guys. I’m in better shape than anybody I fight. It’s just going to be my fight from the first (horn) to the last. It’s very exciting. I put a lot of work into this moment so you better believe I’ve going to be on point.”
Jorgensen, labeled the underdog in this bout, said he relishes the role. He mentioned how, back during his college days at Boise State University, he was unseeded while competing in his first PAC 10 championships yet won first place. The scene of his victory: Arizona State University, not far from Glendale.

Cruz, meanwhile, said he feels loose and calm headed into Thursday night’s co-main event.

“This is where all the hard work and all the blood, sweat and tears that I’ve put into the training camp comes out and I get to just enjoy myself out there in the fight,” Cruz said. “I’m really looking forward to fighting in front of a lot of the people that I went to high school with, a lot of people I grew up with.”

Whenever he fights these days, and faces the media beforehand, Cruz inevitably spends a good deal of his time talking about his well-publicized rivalry with Urijah Faber. Now that the former featherweight champ – the only man to defeat Cruz – has dropped to bantamweight, many reporters envision the two adversaries to be on a collision course. Yet Cruz made it perfectly clear that his full attention is on Jorgensen, not Faber.

“I ain’t thinking about nothing other than smashing Scott Jorgensen,” Cruz said. “That’s it, that’s all that’s in my head, period. He’s one of the top five in the division and that’s what I’m most happy about fighting him. He’s got a real in-your-face style. He’s just in your face with pressure, with good steady boxing and his hands have gotten a lot quicker (recently). That’s one thing I’ve noticed … The best way to explain Jorgensen is probably like a grimy fighter. You know, he’s the kind of guy that when you hit him he kind of gets more into the fight. And as each round goes on he starts to feel more and more comfortable in the cage. I’m very similar to that and I see this fight very similar in a lot of ways in that sense that we’re both getting stronger as the fight goes on.

“So I think it’s just going to be an awesome fight. He’s got a wicked guillotine. He’s proved that in all of his fights pretty much, so guillotine defense is going to be key. In order for me to win this fight I just need to do as I’ve done before, take the pace of the fight, stay very mobile, very hard to find and keep a high tempo and a high pace in every aspect. And just mix it up; high, low, high, low and you know I can work a lot of ground game and I could take this fight wherever I need to. And I’m very confident in any aspect in this fight. So I’m just excited to fight one of the better guys in the world and go out there and prove why I’m better.”

As he prepares for his final WEC bout, and eyes becoming the UFC’s first bantamweight kingpin, Jorgensen struck a bittersweet chord. He feels like an ambassador poised to enlighten people who think heavier fighters are where it’s at.

“We’re going to take a little bit of the WEC into the UFC obviously with the way we fight,” Jorgensen said. “It’s going to open the eyes of the UFC fans that haven’t been exposed to WEC, that have never maybe seen it. We’re going to change the landscape of the game. I see the way boxing has followed the lighter weights to be the more marquee matchups in the most exciting fights. We’ve proven that we’re the most exciting fighters in the world. And in the way that PRIDE kind of still lives on through the guys like Wanderlei (Silva) and (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira, we’re going to be doing the same thing in the UFC. You’re going to see the UFC become a better organization because of us … we’re going to be in there stealing a lot of bonuses. You will see a lot more dynamics and submissions and fast-paced fights that are Fight of the Night. We’re going to start cleaning up these Submission of the Night, Knockout of the Night, Fight of the Night bonuses. And it’s going to make those big boys in the heavyweights and the light heavyweights, all those guys are going to have to start putting on a fight if they want those bonuses. It’s going to be good for the fans. It’s going to be a great thing for MMA when you start seeing our guys stealing bonuses.”

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The History of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

Mixed Martial Arts is all about using any move or technique learned in basically any martial art to defeat an opponent, therefore it can be difficult to place its exact creation or inception in history. Of course, the earliest contact sport or martial art with very few rules (or a no holds barred concept) was called pankration and was started in Greece around the year 648 B.C., taking its place among other sports in the Olympic Games.

It can be safely said that while pankration may have been the parent sport of other full-contact combat styles, it was too early a form to have any direct influence itself. However, it has taken on many techniques from the sports and martial arts that pankration had spawned.

Wrestling is one of its greatest influencers and to the untrained eye, a Mixed Martial Arts competition or match can be mistaken for a modern wrestling match. It was during the late 1800's that wrestling and boxing became popular and participants such as John L. Sullivan and William Muldoon were well known for some of their no holds barred antics.

Because of this, many people held anything goes matches and more often than not, the wrestler won. In Europe, Jiu Jitsu versus boxing matches were held, and sometimes, it was boxing versus other styles as well. There was definitely a demand for both people who wanted to study Mixed Martial Arts and observers who wanted to watch competitions for sport or show.

Not surprisingly, a major catalyst in the creation of Mixed Martial Arts was the one and only Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee formed his own styles by making use of different styles such as Karate, fencing, boxing, Jiu Jitsu, wrestling and more to allow him to use what he felt were the best defenses and the best attacks from each martial art. In addition to Bruce Lee, a prominent figure is a man by the name of Royce Gracie who in 1993 won the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was after this that it gained a heavy cult following and began to spark interest across the globe.

As Mixed Martial Arts became more and more prominent, competitions and matches became commonplace in both the martial arts world and the entertainment industry. Students learned to borrow moves and techniques from each other to help each other discover what the best and most useful defenses and attacks were. Of course, a student must be trained in several different forms before they are ready to compete in a match or competition. The popularity and recognition that it has received thus far shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, in fact, the sport is becoming increasingly attractive to both spectators and students of Mixed Martial Arts.

James Dunn owns and operates Martial Arts Tutor Visit Mixed Martial Arts Lessons for more information about Mixed Martial Arts or Kung Fu Lessons to learn about Kung Fu.