What's the biggest/best MMA fight of all-time?

[Takes Two To Tango]

In terms of the epic build up, the fight being at least a very good fight. And the whole context of the fight, the significance of it at that time. It's legendary status now. And the quality of the fighters fighting in that fight. Also PPV numbers.

All those put together, what is the biggest/best MMA fight in your opinion?

I'm going to go with Cro Cop/Fedor.

 

[Michelles Deformed Eye]

cm punk vs micky gall ?

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Jacare Vs Camozzi II.

III would be so big they don't dare make it as the current PPV models can't handle the kind of orders it'd generate.

 

[STAY GOLD]

Also PPV numbers.

I'm going to go with Cro Cop/Fedor.

How do you use PPV buys as one of the metrics and pick a fight we have no PPV buys for?

 

[IMPmmath]

Tito/Ken 1 and Anderson/Chael 2 had alot of buzz leading into the fight. Ronda/Holm delivered big as far as the fight itself,the stardom of Ronda and the immediate collapse afterwards.

 

[Mandy Guang]

Based on those criteria, probably Khabib vs. McGregor

Good fight, highest PPV numbers, championship on the line, and crazy build-up

 

[johny ringo]

Beat as is one sided domination or back and forth from both guy?
Jones vs Shogun
Shogun vs Hendo
Those are mine.

 

[DOMMA]

McGregor vs anyone

Some big ones from awhile back:
Hughes vs Gracie
Penn vs GSP
Diaz vs. McGregor II
Lesnar vs Mir II
Liddell vs Tito

 

[OrbidlyMobese]

Conor v Khabib

let’s not pretend otherwise.

Regards.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Well, way to kill your thread before it could take off

But I agree. At the time of the fight, it was simply the biggest and most anticipated clash of killer bad asses. And the delivery was a spectacular, highly skilled 3 rounder. Even (or especially?) in retrospect the fight is just huge.[/QUOTE]

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Based on those criteria, probably Khabib vs. McGregor

Good fight, highest PPV numbers, championship on the line, and crazy build-up

Based on the criteria of actual competitive and/or back-and-forth fight Conman vs Khabib doesn´t even blip on the radar. It was HUGE, and exciting, but the actual fight was pretty damn lackluster in comparison to any of the greats. Just because we were on the edge of our seats doesn´t mean the fighting was great (it just wasn´t). It was, indeed, one of the biggest fights though, no doubt.

 

[FIghtxIQ]

Conor v Khabib

let’s not pretend otherwise.

Regards.

This. I was going to post this as the most recent example. I don't think any other mma fight recently had this much hype going into the fight.

 

[markg171]

How did I know this would be a Pride rose tinted glasses coloured slob fest of a thread?

 

[markg171]

Based on the criteria of actual competitive and/or back-and-forth fight Conman vs Khabib doesn´t even blip on the radar. It was HUGE, and exciting, but the actual fight was pretty damn lackluster in comparison to any of the greats. Just because we were on the edge of our seats doesn´t mean the fighting was great (it just wasn´t). It was, indeed, one of the biggest fights though, no doubt.

Lol now apply this to Fedor/Cro Cop where Fedor just took him down for 70% of the fight.

 

[WHITEBELT JESUS]

cm punk vs micky gall ?

 

[AmericanMMA]

Obviously it’s Couture/Tony

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Khabib v McGregor.

But if you prioritize "close fight" higher, then maybe Diaz v McGregor 2 leapfrogs it.

But if you prioritize "importance to the sport", then Ken v Tito 1 (UFC put everything on the line for UFC 40) leapfrogs them both.

But then again, the 8 man Pride 2000 GP Finals tourney will never be repeated. It doesn't meet most of TS's criteria, but the criteria it does meet is off the charts.

CC v Fedor buildup was huge, but I disagree that it was an epic fight.

So like GOAT debates, it really depends on how high you value EACH criteria against each other that determines the answer.

 

[jitzmonkey]

Beat as is one sided domination or back and forth from both guy?
Jones vs Shogun
Shogun vs Hendo
Those are mine.

Shogun/Hendo was a great fight!

McGregor vs anyone

Some big ones from awhile back:
Hughes vs Gracie
Penn vs GSP
Diaz vs. McGregor II
Lesnar vs Mir II
Liddell vs Tito

Diaz/McGregor 2

While it was relatively quick, Lesnar/Carwin was great

My favorites are probably Edgar/Maynard 2 & 3

Both Whittaker/Romero fights were nuts

Big Foot vs Hunt was insane

Couture v Rizzo 1

Penn/Pulver

Lawler/McDonald 2 (that's a big one)

Lots of potentially GOAT fights.

For me, back and forth and violence are the keys; and as much as I loved Pride back in the day, I've assumed (For a while) that a number of those fights were rigged.

Edit: And considering the back and forth, Oliveira's last 3 fights should be mentioned along with both Usman Colby fights.

 

[markg171]

Most of the biggest fights are rematches, precisely because they inherently provide the built in narrative of one of the fighters coming back for revenge that makes things bigger.

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Believe it or not new fans, but if Rampage v Evans had happened in a timely fashion, it probably would have won this contest.

Fan fav? check. Good fight? If Rampage hadn't taken 6 months away from fighting, check. Big numbers? check (even with the delay it sold over a million). It was the talk of the town, the belle of the ball.

What it lacked was "importance to the sport". It was a gimmick. Not so gimmicky as, say, MayMac, but a gimmick nonetheless. Rampage sold the Wolf Tickets wildly successfully, and Evans tried to keep up.