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"&lt;p&gt;\t2000s: Top 10 MMA Fights\tBy Josh Gross and Ben Fowlkes, SI.com\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFedor Emelianenko vs. Mirko Filipovic\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAug. 28, 2005\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The highly anticipated heavyweight title fight took years to make official. But after 20 minutes, a broken nose and a slew of body shots, Emelianenko prevailed to successfully defend his belt.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tForrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar \t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 9, 2005\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Credited as the fight that sparked the success of &lt;em&gt;The Ultimate Fighter&lt;/em&gt; and, in turn, the UFC, Griffin-Bonnar lasted three rounds on the finale of the show's inaugural season. Both fighters were given UFC contracts, while the promotion inked a long-term deal with Spike TV.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRoyce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba I\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMay 1, 2000\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Out to win one for his family, Royce battled \"The Gracie Hunter\" in an hour-and-a-half war that tested both fighters' skill, grit and endurance.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMatt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApril 16, 2005\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; \t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Trigg was accused of throwing an illegal shot -- one that left Hughes shocked but the ref unfazed. Regardless, Hughes retaliated in stunning fashion..\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRandy Couture vs. Pedro Rizzo I  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tMay 4, 2001\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For his first UFC heavyweight title defense -- and for the first fight with Dana White as president of Zuffa -- Couture battled Brazilian kickboxer Rizzo in one of the most brutal fights in history.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMatt Hughes vs. BJ Penn I\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJan. 31, 2004\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Penn packed on the pounds to vie for Hughes' welterweight belt. And it paid off, as Penn secured his first UFC title with a first-round submission win.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t7\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tQuinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva II  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tOct. 31, 2004\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The rivalry that began in Pride and continued through to the UFC produced one of the greatest trilogies in MMA history. The second bout, at Pride 28, ended in a memorable, yet gruesome fashion.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t8\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAntonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Mirko Filipovic\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNov. 9, 2003\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Eight months after losing his Pride heavyweight title to Fedor Emelianenko, Nogueira worked his way back to claim the interim title, dismantling the previously unbeaten \"Cro Cop\" in the second round.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t9\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRoger Huerta vs. Clay Guida\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDec. 8, 2007\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the final win of his MMA career (he left in Sept. 2009 to pursue acting), Roger Huerta managed to come back after taking a number of punches and takedowns to submit Guida via rear naked choke.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t10\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKen Shamrock vs. Don Frye\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFeb. 24, 2002\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There was only one way to end their person feud: with a memorable bout at Pride 19, a card fittingly named \"Bad Blood.\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/more-sports/2013/12/14/top-mmafights>