When you overhear casual fans of the sport talking about the next big PPV, their discussion usually turns to a kind of recap of past fights they have loved, and from there, they quickly begin to talk about significant strikes and brutal finishes.
Be it the fight with Henderson and Bisping or Goodridge and Herrera, they cannot seem to get enough of those highlight-reel moments, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Just like the casual fan, we appreciate those stunning moments where a significant punch, kick, elbow or knee lands because it could be the moment when the tide turns and the fight goes in a different direction.
Thinking back on all the years that the sport has been alive in North America (and abroad as well, make no mistake about that), we have been treated to some serious moments of noteworthy striking, in all forms, shapes and sizes.
So, in tribute to those moments, I present this list of the top 100 kicks, punches, slams, flurries and finishes, with some nasty elbows thrown in.
Of course, this list will always be incomplete, from the moment I publish and into the foreseeable future, because that which is noteworthy is nearly always relative and there have been far more than 100 moments that have seen some excellent striking.
Still, a line needs to be drawn and appreciation numbered, as that is what lists like this are all about. I have tried, to the best of my ability, to account for my choices, and I stand behind them.
In short, if I could make a list for those casual fans that salivate at such considerations, this is what I would give to them in order to pull them fully into the fold. This is the list I would make to sell the sport on the basis of action and intent.
I hope you enjoy discovering it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.