At this point, it is hard to deny that UFC 200 is the most stacked event in the company’s history. With an unheard of three title fights, six former champions, and the return of Brock Lesnar being featured in the event, it is a must see.
But if you aren’t necessarily a hardcore fan of MMA, you might not be familiar with all of the incredible fighters who have fights scheduled for that evening. Below we have eight, legendary career defining fight finishes to give you just a little bit of an idea of how jam packed this card is with all-time-great martial artists.
After checking out the list, let us know which UFC 200 fight you’re looking most forward to in the comments.
8) Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard III – UFC 136
Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard took part in one of the greatest trilogies in combat sports history. Frankie lost their first fight, but then went on to capture the lightweight title. The two rematched at UFC 125, but the fight ended in a draw which set up the rubber match. When the two were in the octagon together for the third time, Frankie finally put an end to their feud when he finished Gray with a barrage of shots that left Maynard face down on the canvas.
7) Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson – UFC 187
Jon Jones found himself in legal trouble once again ahead of UFC 187, forcing him to vacate his title as he took time to get his life back together. This allowed Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson the opportunity to fight for the vacant strap. After being floored in the first round, Cormier came back by using his Olympic-level wrestling to get Johnson to the mat. Cormier put a beat down on Johnson from the top position until Johnson had nothing left to give, forcing him to turn his back and then soon after be choked out.
6) Cain Velasquez vs. Minotauro Nogueira– UFC 110
This was the official coming out party for the now legendary Cain Velasquez. He was an up-and-coming prospect in the heavyweight division, but when matched up with Nogueira, fight fans were finally able to see the true potential of the now former champion. Minotauro has always been known to have a chin made of absolute granite, which made it all the more impressive when Cain cracked it and send Nogueira unconscious and falling to the mat with a three punch combination.
5) Jose Aldo vs. Chad Mendes – UFC 142
Jose Aldo’s first title defense in his home country of Brazil came at UFC 142, against the Team Alpha Male fighter Chad Mendes. Many fans thought that Mendes had the exact skillset needed to finally dethrone the longest reigning featherweight champ, but they couldn’t have been proven more wrong as Jose Aldo disposed of the gritty wrestler within one round.
4) Johny Hendricks vs. Jon Fitch – UFC 141
The run that Johny Bigg Rigg Hendricks went on before challenging for the title is one that will likely never been forgotten. Beating the likes of Josh Koscheck, Martin Kampmann, and Carlos Condit just to name a few. But it wasn’t just the names that made it so impressive, it was the way he would send their unconscious bodies flying across the octagon after landing just a single punch. Which is exactly what he did against Jon Fitch in a fight that many thought he would lose.
3) TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao – UFC 173
When this fight was originally scheduled, it was thought of as a squash match. Dillashaw was a last minute replacement and many thought he was being fed to the wolves just to keep the card intact. He proved that to be anything but true when he came out and absolutely dominated the previously dominant champion from bell to bell until finishing the fight in the last round. He then went on to do the same thing in the rematch, solidifying his spot as one of the greatest fighters to compete in the sport.
2) Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture – UFC 91
Brock Lesnar is one unique human being. Not only did he fight for the UFC heavyweight title in his fourth mixed martial arts bouts, he did so successfully and took the title from a UFC hall of famer. He is the first man to ever hold a WWE & UFC title and more than likely will be the only. Will he be able to overcome the odds once again at UFC 200 and defeat Mark Hunt?
1) Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida – UFC 140
Jon Jones has a very unique frame, his reach of 84.5 is absolutely unheard of and paired with his height of 6’4, you have an incredibly long fighter to deal with. It is almost impossible to get within range to strike against Jones without throwing yourself into the wood chipper, receiving more damage than you can deal. Which is why so many people thought Lyoto Machida would be the one to dethrone Jones, with his use of karate blitzing to close that distance. The first round ended up being the closest of Jones’ career up until this point, but only for him to come out in the second round to strangle Lyoto completely unconscious in a standing choke then dropping his body to the mat below him.
