The best of the best: Help us decide the best UFC event, 85-91
With the UFC nearing its 100th event. Yahoo! Sports is counting down every event, from the first one. This week, we saw Brock Lesnar win a title, Thiago Alves take out a legend, and the light-heavyweight belt change hands.
After Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, James Irvin and Chuck Liddell all pulled out of the main event at UFC 85, Matt Hughes and Thiago Alves stepped in for the main event.
Alves, a fearsome striker from the American Top Team camp in Florida, came into the match on a five-fight win streak, with his competition getting tougher each time out. The 15,327 fans on hand witnessed Alves’ star turn. Alves physically overwhelmed the former champ, nearly finishing him in the first round. While Hughes survived the onslaught, Alves took care of business in the second, hitting a brutal knee followed by a series of ground strikes.
Forrest Griffin wrested the light heavyweight belt away from Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in a hotly contested decision at UFC 86.
Griffin took the decision on scores of 48-46, 48-46 and 49-46. Two of three Yahoo! Sports reporters scored it a draw while one had it for Griffin. What made it an exciting fight, including fight of the year in the Wrestling Observer, is that it did appear Griffin was winning the decision, but the entire time, the fight was in jeopardy because Jackson was always in danger of knocking Griffin out, as Griffin even admitted Jackson hurt him with every punch that connected.
Brock Lesnar won over Heath Herring at UFC 87, earning him a shot at Randy Couture and the title.
Herring had developed a reputation in PRIDE as a fighter who was as tough as they came and who was willing to take on anyone. Lesnar was irritated by Herring’s talk and set out early to do something about it. Seconds into the fight, he landed a massive right hand that sent literally sent Herring somersaulting backward. Lesnar spent the remainder of the fight brutally pounding on Herring. When it was over, and Lesnar had won a unanimous decision, Herring’s face looked like a raw steak.
Another title shot was earned at UFC 88, when Rashad Evans knocked out Chuck Liddell.
The first round was uneventful, with Liddell looking for the knockout punch and Evans throwing low kicks. Evans connected with a punch that cut Liddell under the right eye, and his hand speed was frustrating the former champion. Still, Liddell won the round on all three judges cards based on being more aggressive. The second round had a few good exchanges, and both men went for a home run punch at about the same time. Evans landed first, squarely on the jaw, with a shot that would have knocked out most farm animals, vaulting himself to the top contender spot.
The UFC traveled to England for UFC 89, a showcase for British fighters Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy.
Bisping had been the face of British mixed martial arts since appearing on Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” but on this show, he received some help. Dan Hardy of Nottingham, England, made his UFC debut on the card and received a huge prefight push. His bout, against Akihiro Gono, was almost as well-received by the crowd as the Bisping-Leben fight. The colorful Hardy took a split decision from Gono, while Bisping outslugged Leben and won a unanimous decision.
At UFC 90, the UFC's first foray to Chicago, Anderson Silva won a puzzling fight over Patrick Cote.
But something went awry in the UFC’s plans to push Silva as the fight world’s next knockout monster. From the outset, the champion rarely seemed to be himself. Two rounds passed with little in the way of action. Silva seemed to be clowning his opponent, making exaggerated bowing gestures and at one point offering his hand to Cote after Cote hit the mat. The only real blow struck in the first 10 minutes was a huge Silva knee to the face that rocked Cote, but Silva didn’t go in for the kill. Perhaps Silva was attempting to give the crowd a show before finishing Cote off. But he never got the chance. Early in the third round, Cote went to throw a punch and tore his right ACL. He went down in a heap and lost the fight, technically via TKO, without so much as getting hit. Silva tied the UFC record for consecutive wins with the victory, but the crowd hardly left in a celebratory mood.
Lesnar's short march to a title culminated in his win over Randy Couture at UFC 91.
They fought a closely contested opening round, but Lesnar’s punching power, not his wrestling prowess, was the difference in the outcome. Lesnar blasted Couture with a right hand in the second round, decking the champion. The massive Lesnar pounced and finished him with strikes on the ground to win the belt in only his fourth mixed martial arts bout and third UFC appearance.
Now, we want to hear from you. Which was your favorite event? Vote in the poll and tell us in the comments. Next week, we'll have the final poll to decide the best event of the first 99.
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