7. Forrest Griffin
Talk about being thrown to the wolves. Griffin, the original “Ultimate Fighter” and one of the most popular fighters ever to compete in the UFC, was given something of a raw deal in his first pro bout. Rather than take on a fellow newcomer at Reality Superfighting 5 on Oct. 27, 2001, he faced the task of taking on Dan Severn, a legend of the sport and a veteran of 60 fights at the time.

Griffin hung tough and dropped a unanimous decision to the two-time UFC tournament winner in Augusta, Georgia. He went on to engage in one of the most important battles in Ultimate Fighting Championship history -- his three-round brawl with Stephan Bonnar at “The Ultimate Fighter 1” Finale -- and later captured the UFC light heavyweight title. Only July 6, 2013, Griffin joined Severn in the UFC Hall of Fame.

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