Mixed Martial Arts, which is dubbed MMA, is not for everyone. Unlike other sports, the head and body protection is limited, and the bare-knuckle stance makes the fight more brutal. MMA incorporates some of the best techniques from boxing, wrestling, karate, Thai Boxing, jujitsu, and many other contact sports.
Best MMA Performances of All-Time
Like any other combat sport, when an MMA fight is announced, the build-up to the event is massive, with Asian bookies offering some of the best odds for you to wager on. Of course, every fight is different, but today we look at some all-time greatest performances in MMA history; Some great moments and some notorious. Welcome to the world of MMA greatness.
Conor McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez – 2016
Before all the drama and media circus that Conor McGregor unleashed, he was a great fighter who took no serious punches in the Octagon. Dubbed and tattooed as “The Notorious”, McGregor is deemed a lightweight champion and hero in a fight.
With only 2 rounds into the fight with Eddie Alvarez, the Irishman’s power and dominance gave him a whopping 38% to 43% of jabs landed on his opponent. Unfortunately for Alvarez, he did not reign supreme during the bout and only managed to land a small 12 jabs compared.
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While Alvarez played the lock cards, McGregor had none of that and managed to dominate Alvarez throughout the fight. UFC 205 fight will be remembered for the day that made McGregor a champion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor – 2018
One of the most talked-about fights in MMA was the UFC 229 fight between the Russian Khabib and the Irish McGregor. The build-up to the fight generated copious social media interest and content. Nurmagomedov won after a 4th round stoppage caused by McGregor. Khabib dominated the fight and left McGregor breathless, disoriented, and tapping. Using Samdo, Judo, Wrestling, and ending the bout by punching the Irishman relentlessly gave Khabib the upper hand, the victory, and bragging rights.
Many incidents led up to the fight, and much trash talk was raised from McGregor’s side. Unfortunately, the MMA fight ended with fighters and trainers brawling in and outside the octagon, hailing the fight as one of the greatest and most notorious in history.
Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa – 2020
One of the biggest names in MMA history has to be Israel Adesanya. The Nigerian-born lives in New Zealand and is a champion in boxing, mixed martial arts, and kickboxing. Adesanya is currently the UFC Middleweight Champion and highly ranked in the men’s rankings.
In 2020 Isreal Addesanya was instructed to defend his titles and face Paulo Costa in the Octagon. Of course, with Costa’s experience and drive, we all expected our clash of the vert best, and that is exactly what we got that night.
Proving to everyone what a massive champion Adesanya is, the latter delivered some of the best MMA moves we have seen in recent years, showing dominance, skills, defence, and everything in between from the first round of the clash. If we had to compare fight stats, Adesanya managed to land a solid 65%, meaning 55 of 84 strikes, whilst Costa landed 46%, translating to 12 out of 26 strikes. Adesanya ruled the fight and eventually reached the very top of the MMA rankings.
Khamzat Chimaev – All UFC Fights
When talking about MMA, we talk about skilled fighters that use different disciplines in the ring to make a statement and win a clash. It is not easy to incorporate so much mixed sports into 1 fight and come out victorious. Yet, watching all the MMA fights of Khamzat Chimaev will be hard to choose. The MMA fighter is what we call a GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
The fighter is relatively new to the MMA scene making his debut only in 2019. However, before that, Chimaev secured a wrestling career and made it to the very top ranks of the sport. The Swedish champion rules every fight that he steps into and lands massive strikes on his opponents.
We can still remember one of Chimaev’s best all-time performances has to be his professional debut MMA debut in 2020 against John Phillips. The fight did not take too long and was over in the second round after Phillips submitted. The performance threw Chimaev to MMA stardom and also earned him the first award of Performance of the Night.
Dustin Poirier vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira – 2015
MMA has seen many fighters come and go through the ranks. Some of these fighters deliver stellar blows to their opponents from the very beginning of the fight, and this is exactly what happened when Dustin Poirier and Carlos Ferreira squared off at UFC 63.
Poirier had been fighting as a featherweight for some time and dominated the division. Finally, the fighter decided to fight at lightweight, with his debut in 2015 against Brazil’s Carlos Diego Ferreira. Proving that he is a boxing legend like an MMA superstar, Poirier struck blow after blow upon his opponent and managed a KO win in the first few minutes of Round 1. This was the start of Poirier’s lightweight career, which helped him reach the pinnacle of MMA’s ranks.
If you like Mixed Martial Arts, you can make yourself popcorn and head over to the couch every Saturday night. As the sports continue to grow, MMA promoters like Dana White, Oscar De La Hoya, and many more bring us the best fights to watch and bet on. Women’s MMA is also gaining momentum, with pound-for-pound champions making their way to the ring and delivering some of the best blows and wins in MMA history.
Just like any other contact sport, the masses celebrate, watch, and enjoy MMA. If you are considering placing bets on the next fight night, reading up and planning your MMA betting strategy is a must.
