Top 10 Most Anticipated UFC Fights

Curious about the top 10 most anticipated UFC fights? The Ultimate Fighting Championship has been built around its “anything can happen” reputation and its highly-anticipated fights. UFC is chock full of excitement, from slick submissions to the heart-dropping knockout! The excitement would not be as electric if the fans didn't care about the fighters or the fights. Backstories help fans identify and care about what will happen in the next fight between their most favored or hated fighters inside the octagon!

1. Randy Couture versus Chuck Liddell, UFC 57, February 4, 2006. This fight was the last of the Couture/Liddell Trilogy. They tap gloves and face off at the beginning of the second round. Liddell hits Couture with a right hook after Couture slipped and finishes him off with a flurry of shots. Liddell defeats Couture by knockout in the second round. Couture announced his retirement after the loss.

2. Frank Mir versus Brock Lesnar, UFC 100, July 11, 2009. After Lesnar lost his debut fight to Frank Mir by submission, Lesnar had something to prove. The trash-talking made this fight one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history. Lesnar defeated Mir by brutal TKO at 1:48 in the second round to retain the UFC heavyweight championship.

3. Georges St. Pierre versus Matt Serra, UFC 83, April 19, 2008. St. Pierre was looking for revenge after a humiliating loss to Serra at UFC 69. GSP throttled Serra with kicks, punches, and finally defeated Serra with thunderous knees at 4:45 of the second round to regain the UFC welterweight title. The UFC crowd was backing GSP in one of the most anticipated UFC fights in a long time.

4. Tito Ortiz versus Chuck Liddell, UFC 47, April 2, 2004. This was the first meeting between the two. Tito's trash talk was legendary and the crowd wanted to see Liddell shut him up. Chuck needed just 38 seconds of the second round to drop Tito with knockout punches to win!

5. Tito Ortiz versus Chuck Liddell, UFC 66, December 30, 2006. Tito was looking for revenge from their previous fight, Chuck wanted Tito to eat fists once again, and the crowd was anticipating a UFC fight for the ages. They both engaged with swinging fists until Chuck dropped Tito and won by strikes at 3:59 of the third round.

6. Matt Hughes versus Georges St. Pierre, UFC 65, November 18, 2006. GSP was looking to take out his idol at the time, the most dominant welterweight champion ever, Matt Hughes, after losing by submission two years earlier. GSP avenged his earlier loss by defeating Hughes with strikes in round two at 1:25 to win the welterweight championship.

7. Georges St. Pierre versus BJ Penn, UFC 94, January 31, 2009. Penn was goading GSP before the fight about quitting and not having the cardio that Penn possessed. The fight was one of the most anticipated UFC fights for GSP. He defeated Penn at 5:00 of round 4 by corner stoppage as Penn could not continue!

8. Wanderlei Silva versus Rampage Jackson, UFC 92, December 27, 2008. In Pride Fighting Championship matches, Silva destroyed Rampage twice in violent fashion. Rampage was looking to take Silva out in this highly-anticipated UFC fight. Rampage knocked Silva out stiff at 3:21 in the very first round to get his sweet revenge.

9. Kimbo Slice versus Houston Alexander, Ultimate Finale 10, December 5, 2009. Alexander was, up until then, a UFC knockout king. He was dropping fighters all over the place. Slice was an internet fighting sensation trying to prove he could fight in the big leagues. At Ultimate Finale 10, Kimbo won by decision as Alexander would not engage. Alexander was released from his UFC contract soon after the fight.

10. James Irvin versus Houston Alexander, UFC Fight Night 13, April 2, 2008. One of the most anticipated UFC fights ever saw two knockout artists that fans thought would put on a dynamite fight. The bell sounded and eight seconds later Alexander was on his back with James Irvin standing over him after a Superman punch dropped Alexander and the ref stopped the fight. Irvin is tied for the second-fastest knockout in UFC history.