Stepping into the cage against American Top Team’s Wilson Gouveia, he showcased one of the most diverse and dangerous string of strikes in the Octagon to date: the flying knee-triple high kick-spinning backfist-right hand-knee-punch combo. Marquardt also earned the TKO against an incredibly durable Gouveia, which could earn him the right to challenge middleweight king Anderson Silva.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Mirko Filipovic -- UFC 70 in Manchester
Gabriel Gonzaga transformed his leg into a human exclamation point.
But first the former Mundial jiu-jitsu champion took feared kickboxer Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic to the mat and introduced him to an unpleasant UFC way of life: elbows in the cage. After being stood and placed in the center of the Octagon, Gonzaga avoided the 2006 Pride grand prix champion’s famed left high kick and threw his own perfectly placed high kick, making Cro Cop -- perhaps the premier highlight reel knockout machine -- a victim of irony.
The Croatian folded to the mat, falling on top of his leg in an inhuman way. It seems his greatness was never peeled off the mat with him either, as he has posted an underwhelming 2-1 mark with one no-contest since.
B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson -- UFC 80 in Newcastle
Blood, sweat and tears are often found in training for championship tilts like this lightweight title clash, but Penn brought out all three in Stevenson on fight night.
Penn knocked him to the mat, mounted him willingly and took his back. A world champion Brazilian jiu-jitsu player, the Hawaiian then squeezed a rear-naked choke in the second round that spouted blood from the Californian’s face like a high-class horror film.
Penn went on to defend his strap against rival Sean Sherk prior to losing his mega-fight against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. Stevenson has not put the portrait of pain behind him, posting a 1-2 record since the loss.
Frank Mir vs. Ian Freeman -- UFC 38 in London
Mir was a young, good-looking, undefeated heavyweight who moved like a lightweight and was tagged to be the next champion. However, it was Freeman, a stocky and rough Englishman, who had everything to lose.
Freeman’s father was deathly ill leading up to the bout. The Sunderland fighter wanted to pull out of the bout, but his family insisted he go on. After training to defend Mir’s vaunted submission game with leglock specialist Josh Barnett, Freeman fended off armbars and leglocks while breaking the American’s spirit through resonating ground-and-pound. Freeman punished Mir in the clinch too, and anytime he landed leather, it was as if his gloves were mic’d up.
The fight was called before the final ticks of the first round. Freeman sat on the top of the Octagon in celebration. When he came down, he asked his corner about his father’s status -- he had passed.
Not only is it one of the best performances in England’s mixed martial arts history, it is the most bittersweet.
Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson -- UFC 75 in London
UFC and Pride unification title bouts were long talked about but never realized before this meeting, which sold the most tickets for a fight in London since Frank Bruno vs. Oliver McCall in 1995.
While both titles were still relevant, UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson battled Pride’s equivalent in Dan Henderson for five toughly contested rounds. The fight was a combination of strategic positioning and full-fledged malice. Neither fighter backed down under the pressure, and both fought until the last seconds. In the end, Jackson took a unanimous decision.