Blended Martial Arts (MMA) began out as a sport that was seen by nearly all of the general public as fairly barbaric. Quick ahead to at present, and it is among the fastest-growing sports activities with a fanbase that may rival another sport. MMA has seen such a big rise because of its controversial superstars and jaw-dropping moments that maintain followers entertained. Viral upset victories and knockouts which can be heard world wide, MMA has offered so many iconic moments in fight sports activities.
ProfitDuel, the house of sportsbook promos, has picked out its most iconic MMA moments of all time. This record just isn’t a rating; nonetheless, these moments are all iconic for various causes and deserve a spot on this record.
Conor McGregor’s 13-Second KO of Jose Aldo
Nobody has transcended MMA into the mainstream fairly like Conor McGregor has; the Irish celebrity has gone from a rookie fighter to a world determine. In a profession crammed with iconic moments, there’s one which stands out in comparison with the remaining. At UFC 194, McGregor was scheduled to face the legendary Jose Aldo, making for one of the crucial anticipated fights within the sport’s historical past.
After months of build-up and a world press tour, the time lastly got here for the 2 to struggle. Many fighters and followers predicted Aldo to dispatch McGregor, however nobody might have predicted what really occurred. McGregor knocked out Aldo within the first 13 seconds together with his first punch to win the featherweight title. This victory shocked the world and put McGregor within the historical past books for the quickest end in UFC championship historical past.
Holly Holm Knocks Out Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey’s reign within the UFC was nothing wanting unbelievable, and he or she introduced ladies’s MMA to the forefront of the game. Rousey was on an unbelievable streak as champion, and it seemed like there was nobody in a position to match her expertise within the octagon. However her time as champion got here to a devastating finish at UFC 193, as high contender Holly Holm viciously knocked out Rousey with a head kick that turned the MMA world the wrong way up.
Holm handed Rousey the primary lack of her profession, and that is nonetheless thought of to be one of many greatest upset wins in MMA historical past. This second marked a monumental chapter in ladies’s MMA because the passing of guard and proved that dominance just isn’t all the time assured.
Jon Jones Turns into the Youngest UFC Champion
Jon Jones is taken into account by the overwhelming majority of UFC followers to be the best fighter of all time. He didn’t earn this title by luck; there has not been a extra dominant fighter in MMA historical past than Jones. At simply 23 years previous, Jones grew to become the youngest ever champion when he defeated the legendary Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128. Jones took the struggle on quick discover, changing his teammate Rashad Evans; Jones placed on a masterclass. He was dominant from the opening second, with this mix of dynamic putting and relentless wrestling.
Jones stopped Rua within the third spherical and was topped the brand new light-heavyweight champion. His report because the youngest champion in UFC historical past is a mark that doesn’t look like crushed anytime quickly. This victory marked the start of an extended title reign that may span over a decade. Jones’ dominance and struggle IQ have been unmatched, with nobody in a position to really defeat him, and with this current retirement, he is among the uncommon instances of somebody strolling away whereas on high.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Dominates McGregor and the Chaos That Adopted
At UFC 229, probably the most extremely anticipated struggle in UFC historical past came about between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. The buildup for the struggle was tense, and issues had been getting ugly as McGregor tried all the things he might to get into the pinnacle of Khabib. With Khabib being undefeated in MMA, numerous followers anticipated him to smash McGregor like he had achieved to everybody else. Nonetheless, the trash discuss and thoughts video games of McGregor swayed sure followers into believing he was mentally one step forward.
Khabib dominated the struggle from begin to end together with his high-pressure wrestling model proving an excessive amount of to take care of. McGregor had the odd second of success, however after Khabib was in a position to drop McGregor with a proper hand, the writing was on the wall. Within the fourth spherical, Khabib managed to get the submission, and this could have been the tip of it. However Khabib was not achieved, and he jumped over the cage and began to assault a member of McGregor’s group. This second overshadowed what ought to have been a marquee victory for Khabib.
