On March 20 (airing March 19 in the U.S.), the UFC returns to Australia for the ninth time when Mark Hunt faces Frank Mir at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane. The card promises to be another exciting one, and when the dust settles, we may see another fight or two earn a spot on the list of the best fights to take place on Aussie soil.
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10 - Alex Chambers defeats Kailin Curran (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs. Hunt
May 10, 2015
If not for the finish, this bout between strawweight prospects Alex Chambers and Kailin Curran probably wouldn’t have made this list, as Hawaii’s Curran was putting it on the Aussie standout for two rounds. But in the third round, Chambers didn’t just make it a fight; she finished that fight in Adelaide, catching Curran in a tap-inducing armbar that allowed her to pull victory from the jaws of defeat with only 1:45 remaining on the clock.
9 - Wanderlei Silva defeats Michael Bisping (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC 110
February 21, 2010
Michael Bisping started off strong in his bout against PRIDE legend Wanderlei Silva, but “The Axe Murderer” hung around long enough on the UFC’s first Australian card in Sydney to get into a rhythm and eke out a close, but unanimous, decision win. After mixing up his game nicely in the opening round, Bisping got into some trouble late in the second when he was caught by a Silva guillotine choke attempt. It was a knockdown just before the final horn sounded in round three that sealed the decision for Silva though, thrilling the fans in attendance.
8 - Cody Donovan defeats Nick Penner (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson
December 15, 2012
Taking the bout on just nine days’ notice, and halfway around the world no less, Cody Donovan had the odds stacked against him when he faced Nick Penner, and when he was dropped twice in the first round in Queensland, things weren’t looking too good for him. But with a left hand to the head, Donovan got back into the fight, and seconds later, he ended it on the mat with a series of ground strikes. All that in just 4:35.
7 - Brian Ebersole defeats Chris Lytle (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC 127
February 27, 2011
A late replacement making his UFC debut, Brian Ebersole was a longtime veteran of the sport finally getting his shot in the big show, and he didn’t let it slip away, as his unorthodox attack thrilled fans in Australia – where he had made his home for several years – and kept “Lights Out” Lytle one step behind all night. When it was over, Ebersole had the upset win over his fellow Midwesterner, and both fighters received Fight of the Night honors.
6 - Robert Whittaker defeats Clint Hester (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping
November 7, 2014
Most fighters move down a weight class to get back on track. Robert Whittaker went up to middleweight after going 1-2 in his previous three fights at 170 pounds. It was apparently the right move, as he defeated Clint Hester in Sydney. And though this fight only lasted into 2:43 of the second round, it packed five rounds of action in, as the heavy-handed sluggers took turns testing each other’s chin until a Whittaker knee in round two began Hester’s path to an eventual TKO defeat.
5 - Ross Pearson defeats George Sotiropoulos (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson
December 15, 2012
Ross Pearson and George Sotiropoulos became enemies pretty early into their run as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter Smashes series, and that animosity carried into their bout in Queensland. Pearson’s striking was on target from the start, but late in the first round, Sotiropoulos nearly ended the bout with a rear naked choke. It was a wild first round, and both were a little more cautious in the second, but late in the round, Pearson surged again, and in the third frame, he closed the show with a knockout 41 seconds into the round.
4 - Martin Kampmann defeats Thiago Alves (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann
March 3, 2012
Two of the more underrated veterans of the welterweight division, Martin Kampmann and Thiago Alves got the headline spotlight for this Sydney event and they delivered the goods for 14 minutes and 12 seconds until Kampmann ended the bout by submission. “The Hitman” had to work for the win though, as Alves built an early lead while bloodying the Denmark native. With five minutes remaining, Kampmann needed a finish, and he got it, pouring it on to secure one of his greatest UFC victories.
3 - Holly Holm defeats Ronda Rousey (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC 193
November 15, 2015
For mere shock value, this one could sail to the top of the list, as the seemingly unbeatable Ronda Rousey was dethroned and knocked out by former world boxing champion Holly Holm. And while a repeat viewing of the fight will show it to be a one-sided bout in favor of Holm, watching it live provided drama unlike anything we saw in 2015, as Rousey was taken into deep waters for the first time in her career before taking the kick heard ‘round the sports world in the second round.
2 - Demetrious Johnson draws Ian McCall (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC on FX: Alves vs. Kampmann
March 3, 2012
The UFC’s first-ever flyweight fight was certainly one to remember, but this fast-paced battle between current champion Demetrious Johnson and top contender Ian McCall is remembered by most for the controversy that took place after the final verdict was rendered. Originally announced as a split decision win for “Mighty Mouse,” it was later announced that the judges’ scorecards were miscalculated, with a draw verdict being the correct one. If the right call had been made, there would have been a fourth “sudden victory” round, as the bout was part of the tournament to determine the UFC’s first 125-pound champion. Johnson would beat McCall in their rematch, and he’s dominated the division since.
1 - Mark Hunt draws Antonio Silva (FIGHT PASS members: Watch it again here)
UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Bigfoot
December 7, 2013
This may be the easiest call to ever make on one of these top ten lists, as the first bout between Mark Hunt and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in Brisbane wasn’t just the best fight to be held on Australian soil, but perhaps the greatest heavyweight fight in UFC history. Featuring several momentum shifts, steel chins from both fighters, and enough flush power shots to occupy a full card’s worth of fights, Hunt and Silva lived up to the “leaving it all in the Octagon” adage for 25 furious minutes. When the final horn sounded, a draw was the only fair verdict, because neither man deserved to lose.
