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The UFC is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the world's premier Mixed Martial Arts organization today. Considering that, it wouldn't really come as a surprise to many, that the promotion churns out several amazing MMA fights on an annual basis.
From exhilarating knockouts to mind-numbing submissions; masterful decision victories, to all-out brawls; this sport gives fight fans everything they desire with regard to beautiful violence. On that note, the 2018 calendar year has been quite special thus far, and with a few more days left, it may perhaps provide us more old-school showdowns...entertainment galore.
Today, we take a special look at the craziest UFC fights in 2018.
#5 Thiago Santos vs. Jimi Manuwa
Recently having moved up from Middleweight to the Light-Heavyweight division, Thiago Santos has lately impressed one and all with his new-found zest in the 205-pound weight-class. "Marreta" recently took on British KO artist Jimi Manuwa at UFC 231, and engaged in what many feel was the greatest 2-round fight in MMA this year.
Santos hurt Manuwa in one of the early boxing exchanges, and from there onward, the entire fight was characterized by wondrous madness, as the two hulking fighters threw caution to the wind in front of the fans in attendance and for the millions watching around the world. Intriguingly, Manuwa was dropped again in the first round, but still somehow managed to catch Santos with a counter elbow and a few clean punches.
Needless to say, the elbow connected flush on Santos' chin, and seeing his opponent wobbled, Manuwa rushed in for the kill. Nevertheless, Santos, to his credit, threw wild, looping haymakers whilst likely hoping that one of them hits his British foe.
The round ended with both exhausted fighters battling on the mat in a stalemate of sorts. Round 2 then commenced, and Santos connected with a series of beautiful punches on his foe, albeit eating a few good shots on the way in.
The end came in the second round itself, when Santos trapped Manuwa against the fence, landed a huge left uppercut, and then followed up with a monstrous left hook that sent Manuwa crumpling face-first on the mat.
Santos won the fight by way of KO, and the crowd rightfully gave both warriors a standing ovation for their amazing performances.
#4 Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero 2
Reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker faced Yoel Romero in a rematch, which was a non-title fight since the latter had missed weight, at UFC 225. The duo had faced one another in a 5-round war before, but it was their second fight at UFC 225 which truly turned out to be an all-time classic.
Romero seemed seriously compromised in the early rounds, presumably owing to his bad weight cut. However, from Round 3 onward, "The Soldier of God" began connecting with well-timed counter punches on Whittaker – dropping the latter not once, but twice, from rounds 3 to 5.
This fight is undoubtedly an important one, especially if you happen to be an aspiring fighter who wants to improve his/her own combat skills. Although Whittaker ended up defeating Romero by way of Split Decision at UFC 225, it was Romero who was lauded as the real winner by the majority of fans and experts.
Romero put on a masterclass in counter striking and proved that no matter how compromised his body may be, his skills are legitimately a force to be reckoned with. Moreover, the matchup was brutal and saw both fighters sustain a ton of damage over its course.
#3 Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis
"El Cucuy" took on "Showtime" at UFC 229, in what was one of the most anticipated fights of 2018. Well, the fight irrefutably lived up to its hype, as both combatants had their moments throughout the 2 rounds for which it lasted.
Speaking of which, we ought to give Pettis major props here, particularly since he dropped the iron-chinned Ferguson not once, but twice, in the fight. Round 1 ended with Pettis seemingly having the upper hand, despite being attacked with several elbows by El Cucuy.
The second round was similarly interesting, as Ferguson's unmatched stamina, and breathtaking speed, appeared to have left Pettis discombobulated. Ferguson repeatedly struck Pettis with his trademark slashing elbows – which added to the brutality of the fight, as both competitors were already covered in a considerable amount of blood from Round 1 itself!
Ferguson finished Round 2 strong, and Pettis' corner called off the fight before Round 3 began, which was then ruled a TKO win for El Cucuy. It was later revealed that Pettis had suffered a broken hand, and couldn't optimally function and continue the fight.
#2 Yair Rodriguez vs. Chan Sung Jung
Yair Rodriguez pulled off one of the best KO victories this past November 10th, when he downed the "Korean Zombie" with an upward elbow that was delivered while Rodriguez was looking at the floor rather than his opponent.
What's even more amazing, is that the aforesaid elbow which left Chan Sung Jung unconscious and earned Rodriguez the KO win, came at the 4:59 mark of the fight's 5th and final round!
The fight, in and of itself, was great, and saw both fighters display their technical expertise. Moreover, most sequences in this bout saw Rodriguez attempt a lot of unorthodox striking techniques, which drew loud reactions from the fans in attendance.
The Korean Zombie deservedly got a ton of credit though, as he repeatedly stymied his Mexican opponent with slick boxing combinations over the course of the fight. Nevertheless, in the end, Rodriguez topped off their wild fight, by landing a last-second elbow against Jung.
#1 Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje
A wild fight between two bona fide warriors who always bring it inside the Octagon – Dustin Poirier's clash with Justin Gaethje in April of this year, truly is one of the most violent fights of 2018.
What's interesting is that Poirier had a tremendous amount of success with his boxing, whereas Gaethje succeeded in severely damaging the former's leg with a disciplined volley of kicks. I truly believe that had Gaethje utilized better footwork and gotten out of harm's way, instead of covering up with a high guard and absorbing Poirier's punches; he'd have likely stopped Poirier with a leg kick TKO win.
Nevertheless, Poirier being the true veteran that he is, took advantage of his foe's footwork, or lack thereof, and defeated Gaethje with a seemingly never-ending volley of punches in Round 4.
Which other fights do you think were the craziest ones in 2018? Sound off in the comments!
