If there is a dividing line separating MMA into two eras, it likely belongs in the year 2001. The new millennium brought sweeping changes to the sport.
The UFC, once banned throughout the land and forced into the Deep South or states with no athletic commissions, suddenly had a shiny new veneer. Though little had changed conceptually, approval from the influential state of New Jersey and the new ownership out of Las Vegas were enough to push a once broken brand back into the national spotlight.
Under Zuffa the much maligned sport had a fighting chance. The Fertitta brothers had the juice to get the sport regulated in Nevada and back on pay-per-view. The fighters, meanwhile, had spent nearly a decade figuring out what worked and what didn’t in a real fight. They were ready for prime time.
The result was a series of spectacular fights, each year featuring numerous contests that put the barbaric and simple tussles of the early years to shame. In 1994 MMA supporters could claim the contests were much more than mere bar fights. In 2005, however, they could truly mean it.
What follows are my personal choice for best fight of each year of the past decade. This is, clearly, a subjective exercise. Fights, in a way, are like songs. Some, though not quite in tune, manage to say something meaningful nonetheless. Others, though professionally crafted, just don’t reach all the way to your heart.
These are the ones that reached mine. Have your own favorites? Let’s talk about it in the comments.