Regardless of the 'art' of fighting that purists propagate as the sport's main attraction, nothing sells seats like the possibility of a bloodbath. The UFC has seen its fair share of bloody warriors hacking at each other. However, there are some fights that are just burnt into the memory of anyone lucky enough to witness such a spectacle.
#5 Jim Miller vs Joe Lauzon
Jim Miller began the bloodbath that was his lightweight bout against Joe Lauzon at UFC 155, confidently in the clinch. Dealing several elbows to his struggling opponent, during the very first round, Miller managed to open a huge gash above Lauzon's eye.
Despite the copious amounts of blood streaming from his face, the Black belt in BJJ held his own for the next fifteen minutes, making for a bloodbath. Although he was understandably fatigued after the first, Joe Lauzon stood toe-to-toe with Miller at the beginning of the second round.
This forced Miller to initiate the takedown and the American Lauzon was back in his element although he was on his back. The bout continued on the ground as Miller repeatedly unleashed elbows from the top spewing more blood across the Octagon.
The undeterred Joe Lauzon, however, flipped Miller on his back as he attempted a choke and began unleashing his ground and pound from above until the end of the round. Lauzon showed heart throughout the fight, stepping into the line of fire constantly in spite of his leaking face.
Lauzon, the Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, who would have known he was losing, attempted a valiant yet futile 'Hail Mary' heel hook before the blood bout came to a close. Miller won the fight in a unanimous decision.
#4 Diego Sanchez vs Gilbert Melendez
UFC 166 witnessed the return of the debatable Godfather of bloodbaths: Diego Sanchez. And with Gilbert Melendez standing across from him, it's no surprise the viewing world got exactly what it wanted and expected.
The ever-swinging Sanchez was the first to feel the wrath of this fight from hell as Melendez put on precision striking to draw first blood. The Mexican American continued to blast wayward combinations as Melendez picked him off from distance. Sanchez, however, continued to soldier on with his face now pouring blood almost walking into combinations.
The highlight of the fight has to be a bloody Sanchez calling for more as he hunted his retreating opponent down only to get blasted in the face repeatedly. All credit to the warrior who pushed and pushed until he finally connected hard enough with a huge uppercut to drop the now lightly-bleeding Melendez.
The warriors exchanged for the whole allotted fifteen minutes, which Dana White said later was a case of bad refereeing, and the decision went to Gilbert Melendez.
#3 Marc Hunt vs Antonio ‘Big Foot’ Silva 1:
This epic heavyweight brawl in Brisbane that ended in a draw, had every fan breathless for 25 minutes of hardcore valiance. Both giants came out swinging as ‘Big Foot’ dropped Hunt first with a right hook that landed plum on Hunt's chin, dropping him instantly at the end of the first.
Not to be left out, the Australian found a home for his own powerful right in the second, dropping Big Foot. Hunt then compounded his advantage with vicious elbows from the top that had Silva bleeding all over the canvas. Both men came out swinging yet again in round 3 despite the exhausting preceding rounds, with no clear winner.
Silva’s barrage of knees and Hunt’s skull-cracking elbows kept the blood flowing.The shorter heavyweight looked the more tired of the two as he kept dropping his hands inviting Big Foot to dominate. And dominate he did, dropping Hunt in the third only to be stopped by the bell.
Hunt continued working his combinations despite looking considerably tired and the combinations from both men began slowing down as the fight progressed. The five-round brawl saw both fighters bleeding profusely as they embraced at the end of the fifth, making it a blood bath you must see if you haven’t already.
#2 Rory Macdonald vs Robbie Lawler 2:
Touted as one of the best fights of 2015, Rory Macdonald’s broken nose is a picture few will forget. The bout, which was the second between the two Welterweights, began rather carefully just like the first, with both taking their time to land their shots.
The cautious start slowly gave way to precise strikes breaking through both competitors’ guards and eventually into an all out war in the second as the Red King’s nose turned red. Lawler's precise left hand kept landing, leaving Macdonald with a bloody nose at the end of the second.
Nonetheless, the fight continued in ruthless fashion as Lawler continued to rip quick one-twos right on his challenger’s nose. The Canadian's leg kicks came to his rescue in the third and fourth nearly finishing the fight himself as a stunned Lawler covered up with his back to the fence. The champion was let with a horrendous cut on the upper lip after that excahnge. It was Lawler who had the last laugh in the fifth as he landed his left one last time square on his fatigued opponents nose which was enough to keep Rory down and the title in his hands.
#1 Dan Henderson vs Shogun Rua 2:
This clash of titans had the words blood bath written all over it the second it was announced. Both tested giants of the MMA world are reputed for their rock-solid chins and fists, and a fight that tested both their chins, far from disappointed anyone who watched UFC 139.
The blood began to flow when Hendo cleverly used a Guillotine attempt to get back to his feet and lands a neck snapping knee, followed by a flurry of H-bombs. With Shogun already busted up, he weathered the storm that followed, only to be dropped again by Henderson's cannon-ball like right hand. The experienced Brazillian, however, dropped into recovery mode by diving at the American's leg forcing him to the fence.
The first round also saw Hendo dive for a leg after being rocked badly by an upper-cut but the round ended with the wrestler edging it what was clearly a battle of the fists. The second round also followed a similar tempo with the now patched up Rua continuing wild exchanges with Henderson and forcing him into the clinch.
The American, it seems, had plans of his own as he clawed out of the clinch relatively easily only to blast off another huge combination that busts up Rua's mouth and nose. As he took a few deep breaths, Mauricio struggled on to the end of the round always continuing a stunning work rate of constant exchanges.
The exchanges continued on to the third round with Shogun looking more exhausted after the break.
Henderson capitalised on his opponents fatigue with a takedown and slammed another powerful combination the second the Brazillian sprawled his way out of it. His time the Brazillian crumpled as landed a crushing 'H-bomb' followed by ground and pound.
The ever-resilient Rua managed to cover up and stay in the fight. Eventually working is up to his feet with an instinctive sweep Shogun fired a combination in the clinch as his shorts now turned pink.
After incredibly surviving until the championship rounds, Hendo looked the more tired of the two fighters coming into the round. This was partly due to Shogun's constant takedown attempt and consequent sprawls.
Rua took advantage in the fourth rocking Henderson with another uppercut leaving the American now in recovery mode. As the blood poured on, so did the heavy exchanges as the fight drained both fighters to exhaustion.
Shogun then relied on his black belt to take him through the rest of the bout easily stepping into mount after initiating the takedown. Rua completed the round dropping bombs on his opponent, who was far too exhausted to cover up but eventually managed to escape only to be mounted again. The nail-biting extravaganza that eventually went to Henderson has been touted as one of the best fights in the UFC.
