Which match up represents the highest level of MMA there has ever been?

[Melas Chasma]

Anderson vs Weidman

Yeah, I actually remember thinking about it when that fight happened, that it was skill wise the highest level fight of all time. People really didnt know much about Weidman at the time, it was just a hunch.

 

[Taric]

Bendo / Pettis 1

I don't really think it's close

Except neither were considered the top fighter in their own weight class when that fight occurred... Which is what this thread is about. The supposed greatest fighter of his division against an equally great fighter, pre-fight.

 

[YagyuINC]

Shogun vs Machida 1 without a doubt from a martial arts perspective. Was a clinic of MT vs Karate.

 

[INeedARemedy]

Except neither were considered the top fighter in their own weight class when that fight occurred... Which is what this thread is about. The supposed greatest fighter of his division against an equally great fighter, pre-fight.

What in the balls are you talking about?

 

[Taric]

What in the balls are you talking about?

If you were there, you'd know Benson was supposed to steamroll Pettis in the original fight. Anthony wasn't considered a major contender at the time with his meager wins over Castillo, Karalexis, and Roller.

On paper, which what this thread is about, Pettis/Benson 1 was not a highly skilled fighter vs fighter bout.

 

[ozybrawler]

Jones and Gus.

 

[Glove]

 

[Dragon Punch]

Aldo vs Mendes

That's a good shout.

Jones v Machida and Edgar v Aldo come to mind as well.

 

[Tamburlaine]

Kimbo vs houston alexander ... The ending was epic ... Two a level athletes had given it their all

You spelled "Stephan Bonnar vs Mark Coleman" wrong.

 

[INeedARemedy]

If you were there, you'd know Benson was supposed to steamroll Pettis in the original fight. Anthony wasn't considered a major contender at the time with his meager wins over Castillo, Karalexis, and Roller.

On paper, which what this thread is about, Pettis/Benson 1 was not a highly skilled fighter vs fighter bout.

Yeah I don't really know how I missed the whole "on paper" thing...

Whoops

I now vote Fedor / Cro Cop

 

[Tamburlaine]

GSP vs BJ Penn

This is the correct answer to OP's specific question.

 

[RoosterCogburn]

Fedor/Cro cop

Thank you! I can't believe how long it took for someone to mention it! Holy shit...

 

[gevoudane]

Didnt happen but Fedor vs Barnett.

 

[waldywaldy]

Bj gsp

 

[Pierced7681]

Lyoto/shogun 1
Fedor/Crocop
Penn/Edgar 1

 

[TheGrouch]

Most have been mentioned already...

GSP BJ
Edgar Also
DJ Dodson
Lawler Rory 2
Pettis Henderson
CC Fedor

 

[ChickenBrother]

Except neither were considered the top fighter in their own weight class when that fight occurred... Which is what this thread is about. The supposed greatest fighter of his division against an equally great fighter, pre-fight.

Yes, but Bendo Pettis I is up there because even though they weren't acknowledged as the best, the skills they both showed in this fight proved to a lot of folks that they could and should have been contending for a UFC belt, a view they both validated.

 

[Ragnarocker]

edit: whoops

Fedor / Cro Cop

That was my first thought too, but I wonder if CC's lack of ground game would disqualify him from consideration. I think Fedor/AA would be a legit display of top tier MMA.

 

[Headkicktoleg]

That was my first thought too, but I wonder if CC's lack of ground game would disqualify him from consideration. I think Fedor/AA would be a legit display of top tier MMA.

CroCop ground game is actually not bad. It may be completely centered around NOT being on the ground, but he is actually really really good at it. He also only has two submission losses. One was to Big Nog which we all know. The other was easily at the low point of his career in which every one was asking for him to retire when he tapped to a scarf hold.

 

[Ragnarocker]

CroCop ground game is actually not bad. It may be completely centered around NOT being on the ground, but he is actually really really good at it. He also only has two submission losses. One was to Big Nog which we all know. The other was easily at the low point of his career in which every one was asking for him to retire when he tapped to a scarf hold.

No it's not bad, his TDD improved a lot but he's still primarily a kickboxer. Besides his sub losses though, he's had fights were he was punished on the ground (Gonzaga 1) or lost due to his suspect ground game (Randleman).