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5. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg
UFC 52
April 16, 2005 | Las Vegas

Serious bad blood existed between these two welterweight rivals when they met for a second time in 2005. Hughes had already submitted Trigg with a rear-naked choke two years before, so “Twinkle Toes” was out for revenge; and he nearly found it.

After a groin strike to Hughes went unnoticed by the referee, Trigg raked his stricken nemesis with hard punches. Hughes absorbed a series of unanswered shots, and it seemed like a massive upset was at hand. Trigg even threatened with a rear-naked choke, but the reigning welterweight champion remained calm in the face of serious adversity and soon recovered from the foul. Trigg failed to secure the choke, giving Hughes the means to escape. He eventually rose to his feet, scooped up Trigg and carried him across the Octagon before slamming him to the canvas. The crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena greeted the turn of events with deafening approval. From there, Hughes pounded on Trigg with punches and elbows, applied the rear-naked choke and forced the tap 4:05 into the first round.

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