The 10 most furious fights of the Zuffa era

With UFC 200 just around the corner and Zuffa, LLC reportedly on the verge of selling the world's foremost MMA organization, it's time to look back at the history made during the Zuffa era*.

*includes UFC events dating back to Feb. 23, 2001 (UFC 30), World Extreme Cagefighting events dating back to Jan. 20, 2007 (WEC 25), and Strikeforce events dating back to April 9, 2011 (Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley)

Best of the Zuffa era

• The 10 most stunning knockouts
• The 10 most amazing submissions
• The most memorable moments
• The 10 most furious fights
• The 20 greatest fighters (20-11)
• The 20 greatest fighters (10-1)

In our fourth installment, we look at the 10 fights that best entertained millions of fans due to their technical excellence, the absurd bloodshed, and the sheer guts that were on display.

10. Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez (UFC 166, Oct. 19, 2013)

It's a common refrain that Diego Sanchez has never been in a boring fight and while that's not entirely true, he lived up to that reputation in this sensational scrap with Gilbert Melendez.

Sanchez was clearly out-boxed for two rounds and yet he kept coming forward even as cuts opened up all over his face. A stiff uppercut rocked Melendez in the third, adding some tension to a close decision that Melendez ended up winning in front of 17,000 exasperated fans in Houston.

9. Nick Diaz vs. Paul Daley (Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley, April 9, 2011)

If not the best fight, Nick Diaz and Paul Daley can at least lay claim to possibly the best round ever.

Diaz's "come at me bro" style seemed like a recipe for disaster in this Strikeforce welterweight title defense against Daley, a British bomber with 28 knockouts under his belt. A hard shot from Daley had Diaz facedown on the canvas, a shocking development considering Diaz's titanium chin.

In typical Stockton fashion, Diaz recovered as if he had just taken a mid-match smoke break, and the two volleyed powerful combinations at each other until a Diaz flurry left Daley punch-drunk and down for the count after five explosive minutes of action.

8. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II (UFC 52, April 16, 2005)

In the second welterweight title bout between Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg, the defending champ was on the ropes.

An undetected low blow gave Trigg the advantage and he was close to getting a rear-naked choke finish.

Hughes got out, using his vaunted farm-boy strength to pick up Trigg like a sack of potatoes and carry him all the way to the opposite end of the cage before slamming him down.

Incredibly, it was Trigg who would end up being choked out moments later.

7. Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva I (UFC Fight Night 33, Dec. 7, 2013)

Fighting to a five-round draw, Mark Hunt and Antonio "Big Foot" Silva beat each other red, staining the mat crimson as they battered each other on the feet and on the ground.

What was most astonishing wasn't the damage they did to each other, but the frightening output that they managed to sustain throughout.

6. Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung I (WEC 48, April 24, 2010)

The World Extreme Cagefighting promotion was meant to be a proving ground for the lighter weight classes in MMA. Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung took full advantage of that platform with a wild bell-to-bell encounter that defined "non-stop action."

Garcia was at his relentless best against "The Korean Zombie," throwing hands with zero regard for technique or his own safety. He took a controversial decision, but everyone knew they'd seen an instant classic regardless of whose hand was raised.

5. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II (UFC 125, Jan. 1, 2011)

Gray Maynard already over Frankie Edgar, and he was well on his way to repeating the feat as he hammered Edgar in the first round of their rematch to the point that many wondered why the fight wasn't stopped.

Edgar was a mess heading into the second round, where he ended up putting in his best work. "The Answer" out-struck Maynard in round 2, capping his comeback off with a ferocious slam that perfectly demonstrated his iron will.

Even with that, it seemed like Edgar was always one hit away from disaster. Somehow he managed to avoid the killing blow and battle all the way to one of the most hard-earned draws anyone had ever witnessed to retain the lightweight title.

4. Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva (UFC 79, Dec. 29, 2007)

For years, fans wanted to see Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell fight Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva and when they finally did, it lived up to the hype.

The always forward moving Silva walked right into Liddell's crisp counter punches and didn't stop until he was in range to dish out his own haymakers. Every close-range flurry looked like it would end the fight, yet neither man would go down.

It was the best fight ever when it happened and neither man was the same after. Liddell would be knocked out in his next three fights and retire, while Silva would be put to sleep in emphatic fashion by Quinton Jackson and Chris Leben.

3. Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson (UFC 165, Sept. 21, 2013)

The laughable promotion for Jon Jones' light-heavyweight title defense against Alexander Gustafsson revolved around how Gustafsson was a legitimate threat to Jones because they had similar measurements.

But when the fight happened, Gustafsson's length was an issue. As was his skill, strength, and heart. Gustafsson's reach allowed him to chip away at Jones in the early rounds, hitting the champion more than any of his previous opponents had.

The adversity brought out the best in Jones. He was at his most creative, throwing spinning techniques and relentlessly going for takedowns against the resilient Gustafsson.

After 25 minutes, Jones' face was bloodied and bruised, but he had done enough to hold onto his belt.

2. Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua I (UFC 139, Nov. 19, 2011)

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua had one job: Don't get hit by Dan Henderson's right hand.

But he did. More than once. That mighty "H-bomb" that had felled so many others bounced off of Rua's skull and when it was his turn to return fire, he was more than capable.

Rua and Henderson were dropped multiple times only to get back up to continue the war. The last two rounds saw Rua use his wrestling to mount Henderson and land punch after punch from that dominant position.

It wasn't enough to stop Henderson, who outpointed Rua in a fight that bolstered their legendary resumes.

T-1. Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 (UFC 189, July 11, 2015)
T-1. Robbie Lawler vs. Carlos Condit (UFC 195, Jan. 2, 2016)

It's impossible to separate these two titanic clashes from Robbie Lawler's current championship run, so we won't.

His first title defense - a rematch against welterweight wunderkind Rory MacDonald - built up to a savage crescendo that saw both men spilling blood from almost every part of their faces.

The TKO came when Lawler broke MacDonald's nose, an injury that MacDonald still hasn't fully recovered from.

The next challenger was Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit and conventional wisdom said that Lawler wouldn't be able to survive another prolonged striking standoff.

He almost didn't.

For five rounds, Lawler and Condit hit each other with everything they had, and with enough force to knock out a dozen fighters. At times the match was technical, at other times it was a slugfest, at all times it was mind-blowing.

The enduring image wasn't of Lawler walking out with his title; rather, it was the sight of he and Condit with their arms draped over the cage, having left their souls in the Octagon.