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The UFC revolves around high intensity and energy. Given the violent nature of the sport, MMA fights are usually brief. One punch to the temple or a vicious submission can lead to a finish. Many MMA bouts are so short-lived that it has become a rare sight to see competitors slugging it out in the later rounds of fights.
However, there is a special breed of MMA fighters renowned for taking matters to the final horn. Not only are these athletes gifted with inhuman cardio, but they are also talented entertainers who give their fans thrilling experiences by going the distance in most of their fights.
This article looks at five UFC fighters renowned for guaranteeing barnburners whenever they step inside the octagon.
#5 - Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping is a former UFC middleweight champion and the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 3. He is also a former Cage Rage light heavyweight champion. Nicknamed 'The Count,' Bisping is the only British fighter to win a title in the UFC. He is also renowned for treating fight fans to absolute thrillers inside the octagon, taking his bouts to the judges 14 times in his MMA career.
Before his time in the UFC, Michael Bisping was undefeated and had a 100% finish rate in his fights. However, things changed when 'The Count' was thrust onto the big stage. In the UFC, Bisping collected ten wins and four losses by decision.
In the UFC middleweight title eliminator against Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping proved to be a barnburner. Despite Sonnen converting takedowns and handing out ground-and-pound damage, Bisping stayed in the fight until the very last second.
In his first title defense, Michael Bisping faced Dan Henderson at UFC 204. Henderson had KO'd Bisping seven years earlier and was looking to repeat the performance in 2016. He knocked Bisping down twice in the fight and also converted one of four takedowns. However, 'The Count' braved vicious ground and pound, elbows and hooks for five full rounds to come up victorious.
Some of Michael Bisping's best fights that went the distance have come against Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen, Rashad Evans, Matt Hamill and Dan Henderson.
#4 - Jon Jones
Jon Jones, one of the most successful light heavyweight fighters in the UFC, is known for his well-rounded skill-set and ever-evolving fight IQ. 'Bones' is currently the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC and has been part of some of the most exciting fights in the promotion's history.
Largely undefeated except due to disqualification, Jon Jones has secured ten decision wins in his career, along with 16 finishes. He holds the record for most successful title defenses in UFC light heavyweight history (11). Out of those 11, he won via decision on seven occasions.
Buying tickets to Jon Jones' fights meant watching a full-blown action movie that would go on till the climax. Some of his best fights came against Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 and Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165. Against Cormier, Jones won four out of five rounds and ended the fight with his hands up in triumph while DC was still attempting a takedown. It was one of Jones' highest PPV-selling fights ever.
At UFC 165, Gustafsson entered strong and proved to be a better threat against Jones than initially believed. However, Jones went on for five brutal rounds despite facing problems. The fight saw 19 takedown attempts and over 250 total strikes before Jones was declared the winner.
#3 - Diego Sanchez
Diego Sanchez is a tough nut who never gave up during any of the fights of his MMA career. In the UFC, he has gone the distance 21 out of 32 times. He has been a part of two finales of The Ultimate Fighter, losing against Nick Diaz in 2005 and defeating Clay Guida in 2009. Both fights were decided by the judges.
Diego Sanchez's fight against Karo Parisyan in 2006 is considered one of the best of his career. It also earned him the first 'Fight of the Year' bonus. The bout was a true barnburner as it saw a submission attempt, 3/3 takedowns completed, and 118 strikes with a 69% efficiency by Sanchez.
'The Nightmare' came out victorious after a punishing 15 minutes.
Diego Sanchez retired from the UFC in 2020, following another decision loss after five rounds against Jake Matthews.
#2 - Georges St-Pierre
Georges St-Pierre is one of the greatest MMA fighters in the sport's history. The former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion left MMA for good in 2017 but is still remembered for some of the most thrilling episodes inside the octagon. Out of his 21 wins in the UFC, 'GSP' has never lost via the judges' decision.
When looking for barnburners in Georges St-Pierre's career, one need not look too deep. His outings against Nick Diaz and Johny Hendricks are two of the craziest slug-fests the former champion has been a part of.
At UFC 167 against Johny Hendricks, St-Pierre was battered for five full rounds. 'Bigg Rigg' fought out of GSP's submission attempt, and the Canadian was taken down twice. While the split decision in GSP's favor caused controversy, his reluctance to quit despite suffering at the hands of Hendricks runs fresh in the memory of fight fans.
#1 - Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz is the type of guy who refuses to give up regardless of how much he gets hammered. His endurance and rock-like chin are considered one of the best in the business. 'The Stockton Slugger' has lost more decisions than he has won, but if it were any other MMA fighter, half of those decisions would've ended in stoppage losses.
Nick Diaz's best barnburners came against Conor McGregor at UFC 202 and against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 244. Nate went the distance in his rematch against McGregor, despite getting knocked down thrice. While he lost the fight via unanimous decision, he did so after landing a higher volume of strikes.
He fought Masvidal for the BMF title in 2019. The bout was a three-round slugfest. Nate was thrashed by 'Street Jesus' throughout the fight but kept moving forward. The fight was eventually stopped via TKO (doctor stoppage) after Masvidal's strike cut Nate over his eyebrow.
Nate Diaz did not understand the decision; 'The Stockton Slugger' is notorious for bleeding easily. His opponent was not satisfied with the result either. Despite dominating from the start, Masvidal could not "baptize" Diaz.
Nate Diaz now faces No.3 welterweight fighter Leon Edwards at UFC 263 in the first non-title five-round co-main event in the promotion's history. The Stockton native has a reputation for delivering barnburners, and even UFC president Dana White knows it. This is the only reason the younger Diaz brother has been kept on the UFC roster despite his inactivity in the promotion.
