5 best year-end pay-per-view events in UFC history

#4: UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva II (2013)

The dramatic finish between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva ended UFC 168 with a bang

The UFC ended 2013 with an event co-headlined by two of the biggest rematches in the promotion’s history. Thankfully, UFC 168 delivered on paper and inside the octagon.

The show closed in dramatic fashion as the long-awaited rematch between UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva saw ‘The Spider’ snap his leg in the second round. Silva never regained form after that gruesome moment.

The semi-main event saw Ronda Rousey successfully defend her UFC bantamweight title against Miesha Tate. 'Rowdy' submitted her rival via third-round armbar after a titanic struggle.

This was no two-fight card, however. UFC 168’s main slate featured three more violent finishes. These demolitions include a knockout from Dustin Poirier over Diego Brandao and Travis Browne’s elbow-based KO of Josh Barnett.

The preliminary fights were equally entertaining as Uriah Hall ended the UFC career of Chris Leben and Michael Johnson impressing with a stoppage of Gleison Tibau.

In the end – Silva’s dramatic injury notwithstanding – this event defied expectations and remains one of the better UFC shows of the past decade.

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#3: UFC 141: Lesnar vs. Overeem (2011)

Alistair Overeem debuted in dramatic fashion at UFC 141 by taking out Brock Lesnar

In terms of sheer event quality, 2011 was a banner year for the UFC. Classics such as UFC 132 and UFC 140 rate among the promotion's top offerings.

The final show of 2011 also brought undeniable value as former Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight king Brock Lesnar headlined his final MMA bout before returning to the WWE.

Lesnar's opponent that night? The hulking Alistair Overeem, who was, at the time, one of the promotion’s splashiest signings.

The marquee heavyweight fight couldn’t have gone much more to plan. Overeem defeated Lesnar via first-round body kick, immediately establishing himself as a UFC heavyweight title threat. However, the headline bout was simply the frosting on an already rich cake.

UFC 141 gave a classic brawl between Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone, a stunning upset when Johny Hendricks finished Jon Fitch with one-punch, and a brutal Alexander Gustafsson KO over veteran Vladimir Matyushenko.

UFC 141 promised a battle of the giants, but delivered from top-to-bottom, making it one of the UFC’s greatest year-end pay-per-views.