Picking your favorite MMA fight means deciding which one you’re willing to leave out. Do you go with the fight you’ve rewatched more than any other? The night your favorite fighter finally won the belt? Can you pick a fight when you still hate how it ended?
- Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 at UFC 189
- Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz at WEC 47
- Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206
- José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2 at UFC 179
- Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178
- Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar 1 at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 236
- Jon Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 135
We put that question to the people who have helped build The Scrap. Past and present contributors share their all-time favorite scraps below, with each pick carrying its own explanation, loyalties and memories.
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 at UFC 189
Selected by Joey Torres
Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 is my favorite MMA fight, and the guy I wanted to win lost. I still wish Rory had left with the belt, but the outcome doesn’t change my pick.
At the time, I was a broke college student who couldn’t afford many pay-per-views. Watching on campus wasn’t always an option either, so I drove home for this card to watch with my cousin and roommate.
I grew up a Georges St-Pierre fan, which made it easy to root for Rory. That night, Robbie robbed me of seeing him finally become undisputed champion. But it’s also the night that made me a Robbie Lawler fan.
What stays with me most is the stare-down before the final round. After everything they had already put each other through, neither wanted to turn away. Rory’s battered face and Robbie’s split lip are impossible to forget, but that moment still gives me goosebumps.
When Rory went down in the fifth, we all went nuts. I knew we had watched something I’d be talking about for years. A fight worthy of the Hall of Fame.
I went into UFC 189 hoping to see Rory win a belt. I came away with a fight that reminded me why I cared so much about the UFC in the first place.
Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz at WEC 47
Selected by Rory Robinson
This fight will always be my favorite in MMA history for various reasons. For starters, Dominick Cruz is my favorite fighter of all time. From my viewpoint, this was one of the clearest examples of his unorthodox yet successful style.
Immediately, Bowles was forced onto the back foot as Cruz established pressure with his footwork. The level changes, stance switches and counter-striking were invigorating to watch.
Cruz proved a handful for the then-champion, who tried to push forward and land commanding strikes. Still, Cruz stayed light on his feet, combining head movement with beautifully timed shots. Bowles consistently looked three steps slower, which added to the “wow” factor given his established pace and power.
The highlight came in the second round, when Cruz landed a combination that sent Bowles retreating, then finished with a hard leg kick that dumped him to the canvas.
The fight ended after the second round because Bowles couldn’t continue with a broken hand. Cruz became the WEC bantamweight champion that night, beginning a title run that would help make him, in my eyes, the greatest fighter in the division’s history.
As a pioneer of the smaller weight classes, Cruz gave us a glimpse of the legacy he would build. For me, it all comes back to that memorable championship night.
Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi at UFC 206
Selected by Brady Alexander
One fight immediately stood out because of the feeling it gave me as a fan. At UFC 206, Cub Swanson and Doo Ho Choi gave us a Hall of Fame fight in the making.
Many of the most hyped and beloved fights in MMA have a heated rivalry or bad blood between the competitors. This one had neither. But the story was simple. A young, surging contender was looking to prove he belonged among the division’s elite against a scrappy veteran who represented the toughest challenge of his career.
Swanson knew how to make things uncomfortable. He needed to turn the fight into a dogfight, and that’s exactly what he did. What he may not have anticipated was just how willing Choi would be to meet him in the middle and trade shot for shot. The young Korean fighter was more than happy to scrap.
Both men rocked each other multiple times. By the third and final round, the damage was clear, and both showed signs of exhaustion. Yet somehow, whenever the action resumed, it felt as though they had found another gear.
Choi absorbed some brutal shots, but he refused to quit. Every time Swanson landed something significant, Choi kept coming forward, firing back and creating big moments of his own. Neither man was willing to give an inch.
Swanson had his hand raised via unanimous decision. Choi suffered his first UFC loss, but both men had delivered a performance that transcended the result.
Before the UFC had a BMF belt, this was a BMF fight.
One December night in 2016, I sat alone in a room, absolutely losing my mind over this fight. It was the kind of performance that reminds you exactly why you fell in love with this sport in the first place. And it’s a feeling that has stayed with me ever since.
José Aldo vs. Chad Mendes 2 at UFC 179
Selected by Brandon Sibcy
Then-champion José Aldo first met Chad Mendes at UFC 142, ending the fight in the waning seconds of the first round after catching Mendes square on the jaw with a vicious knee. Before they met again, Aldo defended his title three times while Mendes went on a tear, winning five straight, four by KO or TKO.
The rematch was set for UFC 179.
From the opening round, fans knew this one would be different. Mendes came out on fire and dropped the champion. Aldo got back to his feet, and a brawl for the ages was on.
Both men had great moments. Mendes’ striking had improved considerably since their first meeting, and he had little issue standing in the pocket and trading with the greatest featherweight of all time. Sure, Mendes lost a lot of those exchanges, but he won more than anyone had expected him to.
Aldo’s masterful takedown defense was also on display. Even when “Money” set up a takedown nicely and got the Brazilian to the canvas, Aldo would pop right back up. Mendes could make him work for everything, but keeping him down was another matter.
The fight was a chaotic war, far more competitive than the three 49-46 scorecards for Aldo might suggest. It earned its place in the Fight of the Year conversation in 2014 and remains, arguably, the best featherweight title fight in MMA history.
Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178
Selected by Drake Riggs
Like Rory, Dominick Cruz is my all-time favorite fighter, right alongside Chael Sonnen. There are several fights I could pick for this spot, including Cruz’s epic coronation against Brian Bowles. It just depends on the mood I’m in and when you’re asking me.
Ultimately, it comes down to the moments that were the most emotionally impactful. I was torn between Cruz vs. TJ Dillashaw and the fight I’m going with here, Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki.
By this point, Cruz had been stripped of his crown and sidelined for years. I was sure we were seeing an early end to the career of one of MMA’s all-time greats. Instead, he came back from multiple injuries that could have ended his career and looked better than ever.
Under the circumstances, I never expected such a flawless performance. My nerves were through the roof, even more than usual for a Cruz fight. As it ended with him punching away against the cage, I remember jumping for joy and nearly passing out from happiness for “The Dominator.” Yes, a tear or two may have been shed.
His perseverance and determination were awe-inspiring then, and they still are. To me, this was part one of the greatest career comeback in MMA, and one that belongs in the conversation across all of sports.
Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar 1 at The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale
Selected by Austin Luff
When we were asked to name our favorite fight, I thought I’d need more time to decide. There were plenty to consider, including McGregor vs. Diaz 2 and Georges St-Pierre vs. Michael Bisping. But the answer was immediately clear to me.
My favorite fight of all time is Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar 1. I have strong feelings about this fight because it saved the UFC in a lot of ways and helped lay the foundation for what the promotion would become.
Fans have seen plenty of wars inside the Octagon, but this one carried a significance that went beyond the action. Griffin and Bonnar fought like everything was on the line, and watching them, you could understand why people would fall in love with this sport.
The fight, the story behind it and what it ended up meaning to MMA make this a no-brainer for me.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 236
Selected by Caroline Romero
Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum put on a show at UFC 236 that many fans would call the best fight of 2019. Their five-round battle for the interim middleweight title brought Adesanya his first UFC belt, but Gastelum made him earn every bit of it.
“The Last Stylebender” entered undefeated at 16-0, coming off a win over Anderson Silva. Gastelum had won two straight against Michael Bisping and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Both had momentum, and neither was willing to let the other take the next step without a fight.
Gastelum came out aggressively, taking the center of the Octagon. Adesanya tried to maintain a cool and calculated distance. The American hurt him early, but “Izzy” wasn’t having it. In the second round, he dropped Gastelum with a straight right. The exchanges kept coming, and neither fighter was going to give up.
Gastelum hurt Adesanya again in the fourth, forcing him to retreat. Heading into the fifth, they were tied at two rounds apiece on all three scorecards. Everything came down to those final five minutes.
Adesanya took over. He threatened with submissions and knocked Gastelum down three times, but Gastelum kept fighting to the final horn. All three judges scored the round 10-8 for Adesanya, giving him a unanimous decision with scores of 48-46 across the board.
Both men put their heart and soul into this fight, with the battle scars to prove it. Adesanya left with the belt, but it took both of them to give us a five-round war like that.
Jon Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 135
Selected by Lee Brown
My all-time favorite MMA fight was an easy pick. On September 24, 2011, “Rampage” Jackson challenged Jon Jones for the light heavyweight championship, and I was there to see it.
Jackson was the guy who sparked my interest in the UFC when he defeated the iconic Chuck Liddell to win the light heavyweight title. Jones was still an upstart, but he had already become the youngest champion in UFC history.
This fight will always be my favorite because attending was my retirement gift to myself. My first live UFC event featured two fighters who made me fall in love with the sport. Getting to watch them fight for a championship in person made it even more special.
Jones retained the title by submitting Jackson with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. As my 22-year career in the Air Force was coming to an end, my love for the UFC was rounding into shape.
Thank you, “Rampage” Jackson and Jon Jones!
