The past decade has proven incredibly intriguing for the sport of mixed martial arts.
While organizations continue to come and go across the global scene, the UFC remains the dominant brand, but the changes even the sport’s leading promotion has undergone over the 10-year span stand testament to how much the landscape continues to evolve.
In 2011, the UFC was still partnered with Spike TV for its U.S. broadcast deal, and prelim broadcasts bounced around between the likes of Facebook, Ion Television and UFC.com – if they aired at all.
The entirety of the UFC’s next broadcast deal, which saw the promotion move to network television courtesy of FOX, ran its course during the decade. And as the 10-year span closed, the UFC signed on with ESPN, one of the most recognized brands in sports and a leading digital distributor in the space.
And that’s without even speaking of what happened in the cage.
The decade started with the UFC hosting fights in five different weight classes. Ten years later, that number has grown to 12. Promotional stalwarts such as Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre gave way to names like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones. Women stepped into the octagon for the first time, and new markets around the globe were visited.
We could probably list 20 of the biggest moments from each year along the way, but you don’t have time for that, so here’s a sampling of 20 defining moments from 2010 through 2019.
Without further ado …
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July 3, 2010: Brock Lesnar defeats Shane Carwin at UFC 116
Whether it’s boxing or MMA, there’s just something special about a heavyweight title fight. In MMA, you don’t get much heavier than Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. Say what you will about the WWE star’s skills as a martial artist, the man moves the needle, and this was the absolute peak of his popularity, with Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena absolutely buzzing for this battle of behemoths.
After a tense opening minute, Carwin hurt Lesnar and sent him toppling to the canvas, seemingly destined to wrap the belt around his waist. But Lesnar was able to stay just busy enough for referee Josh Rosenthal, somehow lasting until the bell. Carwin was clearly gassed, and Lesnar capitalized on it in the second, taking his opponent to the floor and cinching in an arm-triangle choke, scoring the submission win and adding to his legend – though it would be the last time he ever proved victorious in the octagon.
Aug. 7, 2010: Anderson Silva defeats Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
Every great fighter needs a rival to be pushed to the limit, and for longtime UFC middleweight champion and future Hall of Famer Anderson Silva, that man was very clearly Chael Sonnen, who in just four UFC appearances – and some 13 years into his professional career – went from relative journeyman to absolute star through an incredible ability to promote fights through his quick with and sharp tongue. Sure, it was his wrestling that helped propel him to victories in the cage, but it was his mouth that made him a star.
Sonnen went hard on Silva, bordering, at times, on a line of indecency, as he helped first to book the fight, then to promote it. Still, few thought he had a real chance to unseat the reigning pound-for-pound great. Then the unthinkable happened: Sonnen’s aggression saw him walk forward and take Silva down, time after time for four-and-a-half rounds. Then the really unthinkable happened, and Silva pulled off one of the most miraculous comebacks in UFC history with a fifth-round triangle armbar. The fight was one of the biggest of the year and made stars of both men.
Oct. 28, 2010: Dana White announces UFC-WEC merger
Old school fans will tell you all about the fantastic fights that took place on the blue canvas of the WEC, both before and after the promotion was purchased by the UFC’s parent company in December 2006. But running a secondary MMA brand proved to be only so effective. The real value of the company came when UFC president Dana White announced the brands would be merged, adding both the featherweight and bantamweight divisions to the UFC ranks.
Of course, this would later open the door to the addition of flyweights, as well. But the initial run saw Jose Aldo crowned the UFC’s first featherweight champion, while Dominick Cruz earned the first UFC bantamweight belt. Both remain marketable commodities to this day. So do names like Joseph Benavidez, Donald Cerrone, Urijah Faber, Chan Sung Jung, Ricardo Lamas, Anthony Pettis, Dustin Poirier, and Cub Swanson, who all came over as part of a massive talent migration to the UFC.
Feb. 5, 2011: Anderson Silva defeats Vitor Belfort at UFC 126
It’s a highlight that is still played ad nauseam, and it isn’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Anderson Silva’s front-kick-to-the-face knockout of Vitor Belfort was one of the most stunning finishes in UFC history, and it had lasting ramifications. First, while front kicks had largely been used as pushing strikes and range setters, Silva showed what an effective concussive blow it could be. But the impact on the global MMA scene was massive as well.
This bout is largely recognized as the moment MMA gained modern mainstream notoriety in Brazil, one of the UFC’s biggest markets in terms of financial revenue, as well as talent creation. Consider this: Prior to this fight, the UFC had held one event in Brazil, a 1998 card that marked the organization’s only visit to South America until the octagon returned to Brazil six months after UFC 126. In the time since Silva’s iconic KO, Brazil has hosted 35 UFC cards, with the promotion also visiting Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
March 12, 2011: UFC purchases Strikeforce
While the UFC has been the dominant name in MMA since the promotion’s launch in 1993, Strikeforce had acquired an impressive amount of talent despite operating on a much tighter budget. As the UFC looked to ramp up the number of events it was producing for prospective TV partners, the organization needed as many marketable stars as it could find, and the promotion’s parent company, Zuffa, made a major play.
Buying Strikeforce, which was shuttered less than two years later, gave the UFC access to a stunning number of athletes, including future UFC champions such as Daniel Cormier and Luke Rockhold. It also shut down the company’s chief rival at the time.
March 19, 2011: Jon Jones defeats Mauricio Rua at UFC 128
It was clear from the moment Jon Jones arrived in the UFC that he was destined for something special, but “Bones” wasted no time in looking to fulfill that potential. A little more than two years after his arrival into the promotion, Jones devastated MMA legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to become the youngest champion in UFC history. While that, alone, would be enough to make it a significant evening, it was just the foundation for what was to come.
Jones would go on to notch an astounding 16-0 record for the decade. It likely would have been more, had he not often ended up being his own worst enemy at times. But inside the octagon, his greatness is undeniable, and it began the night he etched his name in the record books.
April 30, 2011: Georges St-Pierre defeats Jake Shields in front of 55,000 fans
Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre remains one of the biggest stars in the history of the sport, but his popularity in his native Canada once led UFC president Dana White to declare it a “mecca” of MMA. Never was that more apparent than UFC 129, when St-Pierre defended his belt with a decision win over Jake Shields at Toronto’s Rogers Centre in front of 55,724 fans.
The UFC has visited other stadiums since. In fact, they’ve had two different events in Australia that surpassed the attendance of UFC 129. But to bring the octagon into such a massive venue for the first time was a truly historical moment. In fairness, the main event wasn’t exactly a barnburner, but it didn’t matter. The card delivered as a whole, and the country’s hero kept his belt in front of a scene the likes had never been built before.
Aug. 18, 2011: UFC announces TV deal with FOX
What once seemed impossible was now a reality: Joe Rogan was wearing a suit. Oh, and the UFC – an organization that once was banned from pay-per-view – was now going to be broadcast on network television.
The financial terms of the deal were beneficial to the UFC, but that wasn’t the real win. The type of acceptance that comes along with being on network TV was massive in continuing to bring MMA into the mainstream.
Feb. 23, 2013: Ronda Rousey makes her UFC debut
UFC president Dana White once infamously claimed that women would never fight in the UFC. He’s certainly happy that he changed his stance on that issue, with women’s MMA now just as popular as the men’s game. It all started with one woman, Ronda Rousey, who was a belated addition to the UFC roster following the Strikeforce purchase.
Rousey, with her brash personality and quick-finish capabilities, rapidly became the biggest star in the sport, and she brought a new demographic – women – along with her, raising the UFC’s profile and again garnering increased mainstream attention.
Dec. 28, 2013: Anderson Silva’s leg snaps at UFC 168
Anderson Silva spent more than seven years as UFC middleweight champion – an astounding 2,457 days, the longest title reign in UFC history. It was an incredible run that ended in wild fashion at UFC 162, when “The Spider” taunted challenger Chris Weidman, who landed a devastating left hand that flattened Silva and ended his time as champion. Five months later, they would meet again at UFC 168, and much of the world believed a refocused Silva would easily reclaim his title. It didn’t play out like that.
In one of the most shocking scenes in UFC history, Silva threw a low kick with his left leg, then pulled it back to reset and crumpled to the canvas, clutching his limb. The leg was broken, and the fight was done. So, too, was Silva’s time as an elite fighter. Fourteen months later, he’d test positive for two banned substances, and he went 1-4 in five appearances the rest of the decade following the gruesome injury, which produced some of the most graphic images ever seen in the octagon.
June 3, 2015: UFC announces anti-doping policy
You can argue just how successful the UFC’s partnership with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has been – after all, it remains a system still in development, which can be a bit scary to think considering how serious the ramifications can be to an athlete’s career. However, it’s difficult to claim the deal didn’t at least give the organization an enhanced reputation in the industry.
MMA will always be a brutal venture in many ways, but the UFC’s commitment to keeping the sport clean of performance-enhancing drug use certainly seems a well-intended venture.
Nov. 15, 2015: Holly Holm shocks Ronda Rousey at UFC 193
UFC 193 was significant before the headliners stepped in the cage, with the massive crowd of 56,214 fans packed into Australia’s Etihad Stadium, as it was then known, setting a company record. But not many in the building outside of Holm and her team believed in her chances of scoring a devastating knockout of Rousey – yet that’s exactly what happened.
In a sport that prides itself on mind-blowing moments, this one was up there on the list. It was marked a seismic shift in the women’s game, with Rousey never again seeing her hand raised in victory inside of the octagon before moving on to WWE.
March 5, 2016: Nate Diaz taps out Conor McGregor at UFC 196
With Conor McGregor’s star power at its peak, in stepped a fan-favorite anti-hero who seemingly willed a fight into existence with an expletive-laden callout on national TV. Then-featherweight champ McGregor originally was expected to face lightweight titleholder Rafael dos Anjos, but when the Brazilian was forced out due to injury less than two weeks from the card, in stepped Nate Diaz, the self-proclaimed “real money fight.”
Diaz played the perfect foil in the short but powerful buildup, refusing to be drawn into a war of words with such a master of the pre-fight stage. Instead, he did his talking in the cage, surviving the early aggression of McGregor until he began to slow in the second. Covered in blood but unafraid to engage, Diaz stunned McGregor before taking him to the ground and choking him out for the submission. In one dramatic moment, McGregor’s invincibility disappeared, and Diaz’s star power – long bubbling just below the surface – was launched into the stratosphere.
July 9, 2016: UFC sells to WME-IMG
A company that was purchased just 15 years earlier for $2 million sold for more than $4 billion. That’s an incredible success story in any industry. But it also meant much change behind the scenes for the UFC, including the departure of former majority owners Lorenzo Fertitta and his brother, Frank Fertitta III.
The true effect of the sale is still being measured some four years later. To the average fan, the product hasn’t changed too much. But the culture of the company behind the scenes, which once ran like a family business but was forced to realize a corporate mentality, certainly was impacted.
Nov. 12, 2016: Conor McGregor becomes UFC’s first simultaneous champ
After years of political battles to get the sport legalized in the Empire State, the UFC was finally in New York and looking to make a splash at famed Madison Square Garden. To do so, it brought in Conor McGregor, whose brash style and devastating left hand had seen him take over the mantle as the sport’s biggest star. McGregor delivered, with a flawless victory over Eddie Alvarez.
And with the win, McGregor became the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champion, a feat UFC president Dana White had declined to let past champions try and achieve. It was the height of McGregor’s fighting accomplishments, and it was achieved on the sport’s biggest stage.
Aug. 26, 2017: Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather
What started as fantasy became reality, with the UFC co-promoting a boxing match that allowed reigning UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor to cross over into the world of boxing and take on undefeated superstar Floyd Mayweather. Calling it “The Money Fight” was promotional honesty, as cash was the only real goal of the contest, and it delivered both men boatloads of green paper.
In the end, Mayweather did what he was expected to do and earned a 10th-round TKO. It also meant that McGregor would go two years between MMA appearances. Still, it marked one of the biggest moments in the history of MMA, even if it was a boxing match – and a bit of a phony one, at that.
Nov. 25, 2017: UFC hosts first event in mainland China
While this event was memorable as UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping’s final fight, it wasn’t so much the card itself that made the night such a massive accomplishment. Western companies across all industries are doing their best to tap into the massive Chinese market, and UFC Fight Night 122 marked the UFC’s initial foray into the mainland, home to some 1.4 billion people.
In the time since, the UFC has opened a Performance Institute in Shanghai and crowned its first Chinese champion, strawweight Zhang Weili. The economic impact of these moves could prove incredibly significant for years to come.
May 8, 2018: UFC announces TV deal with ESPN
While moving off broadcast television and back to cable may seem like a bit of a step down, that changes when ESPN is involved. For sports, the network is clearly the pinnacle, and the financial terms of a five-year deal were massive for the UFC, which ultimately ceded over every last bit of its programming for ESPN to distribute on both digital pay-per-view and subscriptions, as well as through lineal delivery, launching Jan. 1, 2019.
UFC officials have been nothing short of giddy through the first year of the partnership, and the brand’s alignment with the “Worldwide Leader in Sports” is clearly another feather in the cap of a promotion and a sport that battled for years to gain acceptance.
Oct. 6, 2018: Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor at UFC 229
While the post-fight brawl that ensued between the two fighters’ camps left this night with an infamous association, as well, it also marked the crowning of another superstar when Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor in the fourth round of their heavily hyped clash.
Currently at 28-0, Nurmagomedov has an incredibly marketable undefeated record never before seen at the highest level of the sport (even if Jon Jones has an awfully good case to claim one, as did Fedor Emelianenko at one point). But more than that, his Russian heritage and Muslim beliefs give him ties to several massive fanbases that had not yet necessarily latched on to MMA. Nurmagomedov’s presence is quickly changing that.
Nov. 2, 2019: Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz decide who’s ‘BMF’
While the UFC currently awards championship belts in 12 different weight classes, only one man has the right to call himself the “BMF” titleholder: Jorge Masvidal. It was Nate Diaz who suggested the UFC 244 matchup with Masvidal was for the title of “baddest mother(expletive) in the game,” and UFC officials agreed, creating a $50,000 custom belt to mark the occasion.
With 31 years of professional fighting experience between them, no moment was bigger for either Masvidal or Diaz than UFC 244. Contested at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden, President Donald Trump was in attendance for the event, a first for an active Commander in Chief. Hollywood luminary Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was tapped to wrap the belt around the winner. It was a night unique in UFC history and one that company president Dana White insists will never be repeated. Rankings were thrown out in favor of reputation, and two of the toughest men on the planet took center stage to compete for a belt that somehow meant absolutely nothing, and yet also everything.
