Top 5 UFC pay-per-views of the decade (2010-2019)

#1 UFC 189

Robbie Lawler's war with Rory MacDonald was the highlight of the incredible UFC 189

Quite often, we’ve seen that some of the UFC’s biggest shows on paper simply don’t deliver in execution; think UFC 200, for instance. 2015’s UFC 189 on the other hand not only lived up to its pre-event hype, but it somehow surpassed it, and four years on it remains probably the greatest MMA show of all time, full stop.

This was Conor McGregor’s first UFC pay-per-view main event; he faced Chad Mendes for the Interim Featherweight title after champion Jose Aldo was sidelined with a rib injury, and despite being badly cut in the opening round, ‘The Notorious One’ was able to TKO ‘Money’ in the second round, cementing his place as the UFC’s top star.

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But the McGregor victory was just the cherry on the top of a seriously great cake; the show started off with a bang, as prospect Thomas Almeida knocked out veteran Brad Pickett with a flying knee, and from there the hits kept coming. Gunnar Nelson knocked down and choked out Brandon Thatch in the first round, and then Jeremy Stephens took out Dennis Bermudez with an even better flying knee than Almeida’s, ending a crazy brawl in style.

The award for ‘Fight of the Night’ though was reserved for the semi-main event; Robbie Lawler defended his Welterweight crown against Rory MacDonald in one of the greatest fights of all time, a slow-burner that exploded to life in the later rounds, with Lawler somehow recovering from an incredible barrage from ‘The Red King’ to come back and smash his nose to pieces, winning by TKO in the fifth round.

Essentially, every fight on this card was full of must-see action, and there’s no doubt that it remains the best UFC pay-per-view of the decade.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram