4. Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler
UFC 47 “It’s On”
April 2, 2004 | Las Vegas
To this day, it still boggles the mind that this matchup ended in the manner in which it did. Diaz and Lawler were young lions at the time, their entire futures ahead of them. Diaz was the slick jiu-jitsu stylist who liked to scrap. Lawler was all slugger and relished the chance to stand toe-to-toe with any man who dared to tempt fate. It was a can’t-miss brawl.

They took turns tearing into one another, each man giving has good as he got. The first round proved thrilling, and the second was brewing to be equally great. They traded bombs in the center of the Octagon, but the end came after Lawler tagged the Stockton, California, native with a left hook and then misfired with a follow-up right. Diaz countered with a right hook from his southpaw stance, the punch timed so perfectly that Lawler never saw it coming. He was knocked senseless.

Lawler collapsed face first and tried to get up, but his equilibrium had been irreparably shaken. He stumbled to his feet and then staggered across the cage before falling down again. Despite Lawler’s protests, the fight was over.

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