UFC fights always have the potential to amaze, and these three fights stand out as some of the greatest MMA battles of all time in the Octagon!

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC as it is better-known, started off life 28-years ago in 1993. Since that first fight at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, there have been some incredible bouts as fighters locked horns to determine the best martial art.

Almost 550 UFC events and more than 5,000 fights have taken place since 1993 and some of those have been nothing short of spectacular. Favorites set by the best UFC betting sites have been knocked out cold, there have been epic comebacks, and eye-watering submissions. Here are five of the greatest UFC fights to have taken place in the octagon.

Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin I – TUF 1 Finale

The Stephan Bonnar vs. Forrest Griffin I battle is seen as one of the most important MMA fights in history, one that showed just what the UFC could become. Dana White credited this bout as “the most important fight in UFC history” and we agree.

Bonnar and Griffin clashed in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 1. The winner of the fight received a contract for the UFC but the fight was that epic that the UFC added both to its roster.

The fight took place at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on April 9, 2005. Neither fighter offered to touch gloves at the fight’s start, setting the scene for an ill-tempered fight.

Both fighters went toe-to-toe and there was nothing to separate them at the end of the first round. A brutal jab by Bonnar cut Griffin’s nose in the second round and the referee temporarily stopped the fight so the doctor could check it and clear Griffin to continue.

Bonnar began controlling the fight and landed several knees to Griffin’s face. Griffin came back strong in the third round, delivering knees from a Muay Thai clinch, before Bonnar looked to have gained the advantage. The round ended with Griffin back in control.

All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Griffin, but White gave Bonnar a UFC contract in light of his outstanding performance.

“Urijah Faber, Cowboy Cerrone, Stephan Bonnar” by fightlaunch is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua – UFC 139

Many UFC fans consider the Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua fight at UFC 139 the greatest of all-time. It literally had anything, including both men failing to attend the post-fight press conference due to being taken to hospital for precautionary check-ups.

The five-round fight was like a war. Henderson bloodied Rua’s face during the very first minute and was seriously in control for the first three rounds Henderson went for a knockout in the third round and the energy expended left him running on empty. Rua took full advantage and went for the kill himself but he just couldn’t get the job done.

Henderson won by unanimous decision 48-47 but both men came out of the fight covered in glory. UFC President Dana White said of the brutal battle, “That’s without doubt one of the top three best fights ever in MMA.”

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II – UFC 125

We didn’t have long to wait in 2011 for an absolutely amazing fight. Frankie Edgar and Gary Maynard locked horns in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day in one of the best comeback UFC fights in history.

Maynard rocked Edgar several times in the opening round, hurting the lightweight champion with a barrage of blows. Edgar was almost knocked out and Maynard looked set to become the world champion.

Edgar somehow survived the early onslaught and said after the fight that he didn’t remember much about the first round because of the damage he sustained. Edgar fought back valiantly and landed crisp, powerful strikes, and the fight ended in a draw.

While the outcome was something of an anti-climax, the viewers were treated to what is easily one of the three best UFC fights of all-time.

“Frankie Edgar and Cris Cyborg” by Sal Ami is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Honorable Mentions

There have been so many fights over the years that we could have filled up this entire website talking about them.

Honorable mentions have to go to Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165), Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald (UFC 189) and one of the most exciting events of all-time, Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi (UFC 2006).

What is your most memorable fight?