What was the best performance in UFC history?

[savantor]

Its against a great opponent, and it was a great performance, it just wasn't convincing for me.

But if it convinced you, then it should absolutely be top 3 in your list lol

It wasn't convincing for me, either. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me...that counter was so freaking fast I didn't even see it until the replay. I hated that fight on so many levels but i also learned that getting hit when you aren't exeecting it can far more effective than even the hardest, most powerful shots when you see them coming.

 

[Takamine86]

It was against Forest Griffin though...

But then again, I included Penn vs. Sanchez, so maybe

Forrest Griffin was like the UFC iron man before Anderson destroyed him. Nobody talked about Forrest like that, it was mostly to discredit Anderson's win. The truth is, Forrest Griffin was a UFC champion and has some big wins under his belt. He has beaten Shogun, Rampage, Ortiz and Rich Franklin. Look back and see what sherdog was saying how the fight is going to play out. They thought Griffin's iron chin would make it a war.

 

[Meaningful Gregory]

I'm talking about single fight performances, based on who they beat, how they beat, and how convincing it was.

Here is my top 10:

Spoiler: #10

Spoiler: #9

Spoiler: #8

Spoiler: #7

Spoiler: #6

Spoiler: #5

Spoiler: #4

Spoiler: #3

Spoiler: #2

Spoiler: #1

Honorable Mentions:


Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson 2

Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor

Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez

Jacare Souza vs. Robert Whitaker

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Yeah for me it was between the Shogun fight and Machida fight.

I went with Shogun fight because Machida tagged Jones with a clean punch in first round which would probably KO him if Jones didn't have a great chin

The Shogun fight for me would actually be quite far down Jones best performancea, Rua just didn't look good there at all coming off of a long ACL layoff just as he didn't vs Coleman the 2nd time, if anything I think it highlighted that Jones finishing ability is a slight weakness as he took so long to end it vs someone clearly not in the fight.

I'd say his best performance are Machida and the two Cormier fights.

 

[savantor]

The Shogun fight for me would actually be quite far down Jones best performancea, Rua just didn't look good there at all coming off of a long ACL layoff just as he didn't vs Coleman the 2nd time, if anything I think it highlighted that Jones finishing ability is a slight weakness as he took so long to end it vs someone clearly not in the fight.

I'd say his best performance are Machida and the two Cormier fights.

Serously, Jones has a sick chin. That first round DC uppercut barely phased him. I think that would have finished Glover, Overeeem, Werdum and Dos Santos (lost his chin to Cain).

 

[CasterMard]

Jones vs Shogun without a doubt. He was 23, his first title fight, yet he was so dominant that he refused to finish the fight earlier, he was toying with him so bad that intentionally prolonged the fight only to showcase his full arsenal.

Rewatch the fight with that in mind, I forgot the exact time marks, but you'll see it when it happens. He could have finished the fight, but didn't (title fight!!!), that's total domination, and given the circumstanes, him being so young fighting a legend, for the title, it's insane.

 

[Prutfis]

GSP - Trigg

 

[Sapp]

TJ putting tekken combos on Barao is my personal number 1.

 

[crocopteam]

I'm talking about single fight performances, based on who they beat, how they beat, and how convincing it was.

Here is my top 10:

Spoiler: #10

Spoiler: #9

Spoiler: #8

Spoiler: #7

Spoiler: #6

Spoiler: #5

Spoiler: #4

Spoiler: #3

Spoiler: #2

Spoiler: #1

Honorable Mentions:


Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson 2

Eddie Alvarez vs. Conor McGregor

Fabricio Werdum vs. Cain Velasquez

Jacare Souza vs. Robert Whitaker

Damn...recent memory much?

 

[FleximusPrime]

1) McGregor v Alverez
2) McGregor v Diaz 2
3) McGregor v Aldo
4) McGregor v Mendez
5) McGregor v Poirier

Honorable Mentions:

McGregor v Brimage
McGregor v Holloway
McGregor v Siver
McGregor v Brandao

... THE END

 

[SirKratos]

Damn...recent memory much?

GSP Penn was even before ufc 100...

 

[wilKO]

No Conor Aldo or Conor Alvarez???

 

[MiroHa]

The performance itself is up there. The opponent, not so much imo.

I'd say he was at the time better than Barao, Franklin, Sanchez, JDS and Woodley as far as all-time rankings go.

 

[SirKratos]

No Conor Aldo or Conor Alvarez???

Conor Alvarez was in honorable mentions, didn't make it into top10 because Alvarez wasn't that good. Conor Aldo didn't make it because it was not convincing enough.

 

[SirKratos]

I'd say he was at the moment better than Barao, Franklin, Sanchez, JDS and Woodley as far as all-time rankings go.

Please tell me you are not talking about Alvarez...

Sanchez and Woodley ok, but Franklin, Barao, JDS, no way.

 

[IntelligenceQuo]

Every single fight that the goat Jon Goat Jones was in is tied for number 1

 

[basedgodfedor]

Anderson Forrest Griffin duh.

Probably the single most impressive victory in the UFC. MW champ VS former LHW champ who is very hard to finish.

Griffin is slow and he is not hard to finish. He was also on Xanax

 

[wilKO]

Conor Alvarez was in honorable mentions, didn't make it into top10 because Alvarez wasn't that good. Conor Aldo didn't make it because not convincing enough.

It was thoroughly convincing. It just wasn't long enough maybe.

Anderson vs Forrest deserves a mention. As does Anderson vs Vitor.

 

[MiroHa]

Please tell me you are not talking about Alvarez...

Sanchez and Woodley ok, but Franklin, Barao, JDS, no way.

Alvarez has arguably a top 5 resume ever at lightweight which has always been one of the most stacked divisions. Barao has like 30 wins over guys that don't even have a wiki page and Franklin's resume isn't comparable with Alvarez' (MW division was the worst of original five divisions in the UFC in mid 2000s).

JDS/Alvarez are pretty close but I'd say Alvarez still has a better resume.

 

[emax]

Maybe I can give it a try.

#10 Cain vs Dos Santos 2 - hard to pick one from Cain JDS 2 and 3 but the second fight was a go to for why the fight community made such a godamned big deal of the guy. There just hadn't been a HW before, and yes, I do mean Fedor too, who could make JDS look that in over his head for 5 rounds straight.

#9 St Pierre vs Fitch Feel a St Pierre fight is obligatory and while St Pierre vs Penn 2 is often the go to choice, this one stood out for me as an example of how much damage someone who has mastered the essential mixed element of MMA can do. And I'm not sure anyone thought it could be done that well against a wrestler as good as Fitch. Was crazy to see the difference between the #1 and #2 fighters being that damned big.

#8 Penn vs Diego Sanchez Maybe seeing Penn's addicting to fighting break him down more and more, and I think it's like a cocaine addiction at this point, makes me want to remember brighter times but damn was this a horrific bludgeoning. And at the time it forced fight fans to pay attention to the guys below WW.

#7 Anderson vs Forrest Griffin As someone else here mentioned, Forrest was very highly thought of back then, what with having beaten Shogun and Rampage back to back. Seeing him look like he was randomly picked from a barfight to face Anderson was MMA magic.

#6 Holm vs Rousey Holm went in there with Rousey back when lasting over a minute with her, much less a full round, was considered something of an accomplishment. And came in not to just look good in the fight or put in a show but to bring the champ down.

#5 Joanna vs Carla Esparza To me this was the first time the UFC gave us a full on beatdown in the women's side of the sport from start to finish using every facet of the sport. Joanna has become the truly face of legitimately elite women's fighting.

#4 Dillasashaw vs Barao 1 Self Explanatory

#4 Cody Garbrandt vs Dominick Cruz Unreal the way Garbrandt made a reigning UFC champ as quick and fluid as Cruz look like he was just winging it and hoping for the best in most of the fight.

#3 Jones vs Shogun Rua Another no further comment needed one.

#2 Anderson vs Franklin 2 - The most stunning display of MMA style Muay Thai ever, hands down (sans possibly Anderson Franklin 1)

#1 Jon Jones vs Vera - I see this as the fight that should have made it beyond clear to all of us that Jones was going to be different than anything we had ever seen before.