1. Randy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo
UFC 31
May 4, 2001 | Atlantic City, New Jersey
For five grueling rounds, they engaged one another in the kind of battle that forever changes men. Couture retained the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title with a unanimous decision over his Brazilian rival at the Trump Taj Mahal, as all three cageside judges cast scorecards in his favor. Rizzo utilized intermittent punching combinations, uppercuts with ill intent and a series of devastating leg kicks in an attempt to keep “The Natural” at bay. Despite mounting fatigue and the damage he accrued, Couture was relentless. He delivered takedowns in the first, third and fourth rounds, consolidating them with crushing top control and heavy ground-and-pound. By the time it was over, Couture had outlanded Rizzo 147-76 in total strikes, exacting the majority of his toll on the mat and inside repeated clinches. It marked the second of three failed title bids for Rizzo, who went on to lose his rematch with Couture in far more decisive fashion six months later.
The Sherdog Top 10 series is voted upon by a panel of Sherdog.com staff members and contributors: Jordan Breen, Tristen Critchfield, Mike Fridley, Brian Knapp, Drake Riggs and Mike Sloan.