Sherdog’s Top 10: Moments When Titles Changed Hands

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson reached the mountaintop in 2007. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com

9. Quinton Jackson vs. Chuck Liddell
UFC 71 “Liddell vs. Jackson”
May 26, 2007 | Las Vegas

Jackson had previously beaten up Liddell under the Pride Fighting Championships banner in 2003, but this was a different “Iceman.” Liddell had been laying waste to everybody in sight and there seemed to be no slowing him down. He had won seven straight, all by knockout, had captured the UFC’s light heavyweight crown and was focused on exacting revenge on those who had defeated him in the past. Liddell knocked out Jeremy Horn and Randy Couture, the only other men to score wins over him; and he walloped Renato Sobral and Tito Ortiz in rematches for good measure. “Rampage” was expected by most to become the next victim in the UFC 71 main event.

Jackson was on a nice winning streak of his own but he had largely been feasting on mediocre competition, and recent victories against Matt Lindland and Marvin Eastman did little to inspire the masses. Plus, he had already been torn to shreds by Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua in Pride. Still, the rematch did not go according to plan for Liddell.

“Rampage” avoided a left hook to the body and quickly countered with a monstrous right to the jaw, instantly wrecking Liddell’s equilibrium. Liddell collapsed to his back, and when he tried to recover, Jackson met him with brutal elbows and hammerfists until referee John McCarthy called for the stoppage. The longest light heavyweight championship reign at that point came to a violent end in the first round, as Jackson claimed the 205-pound crown. Liddell was never the same and closed his career winning just once in his final five tries.

Number 8 » Gone in 64 Seconds