10. GANGSTER’S PARADISE
After a buildup that included a full season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” a (staged) encounter at the 2013 Olympia Fitness & Performance Expo in Las Vegas, an awkward exchange inside a taxi and an infamous homemade video that included the phrase “your time is going to come mother [expletive],” the hype for “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3” Finale, UFC 173 and UFC 175 was at a fever pitch.
Initially, Chael Sonnen asked for a fight with Silva during a post-fight interview at UFC Fight Night “Shogun vs. Sonnen” in August 2013 in Boston, but “The Axe Murderer” refused offers from UFC brass for a plethora of reasons. Then came a tumultuous third season of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil,” during which Silva came across so poorly that Brazilian fans turned on him in droves to side with the American. The low point came in the form of a huge brawl Silva initiated.
The reality of the whole situation: No matter how many videos with heavy metal background music Silva released stating he wanted to fight Sonnen, when it came down to signing his name on the dotted line, he avoided the finality of making it happen.
The Silva-Sonnen fight never materialized, as both men retired amid scandal. Regardless, the MMA world was left with some of the most interesting moments ever during the lead up to a fight. Chances are high that the pair of aging fighters would not have been able to deliver on the great expectations the matchup brought with it.
Number 9 » Gone in 44 Seconds