What were the most anticipated fights in UFC history???

[Lionheart7167]

Not necessarily the biggest (those would all go to Conor)....

but the most anticipated? The ones that got fairweather fans, hardcores and media in a frenzy??? I'm excluding Conor because most of his fights were naturally EVENTS, and all were anticipated, even by the haters.

Here's a few I recall.

Ortiz/Liddell- The second one did the numbers, but as a fan, I remember the first fight feeling really, really special
Cormier/Jones- Both undefeated. Real scorn. Real excitement.
Cain/JDS- First primetime fight on FOX. Felt like the legit two best were going at it. No one knew who would win that.
Randy/Sylvia- There was a lot of buzz about Randy's return. No one gave him a chance, but everyone was interested
Rampage/Evans- HEAT


Honorable to PRIDE's Fedor/Crop Cop

 

[fedorthegoat777]

Good list.
Brock / Mir
Silva / Chael II

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

Two of it's Biggest fights' for me were not even in their own promotion.

Silvia vs Fedor and Arlovski vs Fedor both felt like 'UFC vs Fedor', and were very highly anticipated.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Chuck vs Rampage was huge at the time

 

[SirRealKiller]

Chuck vs Rampage was huge at the time

Yeah, that's got my vote.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

GSP VS BJ Penn 2 back in the day was pretty big

 

[RichardHarrow]

Khabib and Conor

 

[jsbx45]

GSP VS BJ Penn 2 back in the day was pretty big

Came to say this^^^^

 

[DOMMA]

lesnar vs couture

 

[Trabaho]

Bj Pen Vs GSP 2
Anderson vs Sonnen 2
Conor vs Khabib
Jones DC
Brock Overeem was solid

 

[Trabaho]

Chuck vs Rampage was huge at the time

The second fight yes. Ended Chucks reign.

 

[Trabaho]

GSP VS BJ Penn 2 back in the day was pretty big

To the death Georges. And months of vaseline discussion lol.

 

[Lionheart7167]

Two of it's Biggest fights' for me were not even in their own promotion.

Silvia vs Fedor and Arlovski vs Fedor both felt like 'UFC vs Fedor', and were very highly anticipated.

Agree. I loved those two Affliction cards. The whole events felt big, but especially those Fedor fights. It was like "finally, he's fighting some UFC guys in their primes"

 

[Colemanstove]

Gsp vs Penn 2
Mir vs Lesnar 2
DC vs Jones 2
Khabib vs McGregor
Anderson vs Sonnen 2

 

[iLolAtNutShots]

For me it was Cain v JDS 1.

 

[Ara tech]

Khabib vs Connor

The tiger against the lion
Enemy against enemy
Adversary against adversary

Hatred,Anger,War,

Batman vs Joker

THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

Chuck vs Rampage was huge at the time

I have erased it from my mind

 

[Blanqa Blanqua]

At this point ^ anticipation was off the carts,

Edit: especially because at that point, it was going to be cross promotion of the two orgs (UFC / Pride)

By this time, it was less but still very cool

 

[tritestill]

Thread brought back memories

 

[Dr. Rose]

Here are some earlier ones that people might forget.

Randy v. Randleman
Randy v. RIzzo II
Tito v. Ken
Tito v. Randy
GSP v. BJ
Bas debut