Great Fights You May Have Missed…

If you are like many newer fans to the sport of mixed martial arts, you may have missed a lot of great fights that either happened outside of the UFC, or before you started watching the sport itself. If so, here are a few great fights that you likely missed, which you should definitely check out.

Olaf Alfonso vs. John Polakowski, WEC 9

This fight was very similar to the infamous first matchup between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar at the Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale, as for three rounds, Alfonso and Polakowski went full speed ahead and never looked back. Those who have seen it maintain that it is one of the greatest fights they have ever witnessed, and although it can be hard to track down, it is definitely worth the effort.

Sadly, neither Alfonso or Polakowski has gone on to great things since this 2004 scrap for the ages. Alfonso ended up losing eight of his next ten fights, and now has a 7-8 record after two straight wins this year at the Palace Fighting Championships. Meanwhile, Polakowski won both rematches with Alfonso, but has never had any other professional fights.

Duane “Bang” Ludwig vs. Shad Smith, KOTC 4

Although not especially competitive, this 2000 bout was one of the best early examples of what a superlative striker could do in an MMA fight. A brawler, Shad Smith was outgunned from the very beginning, and “Bang” Ludwig, who went on to fight in top level striking events such as K-1 Max, put on a striking display that would probably remind newer fans of the destruction of Chris Leben at the hands of Anderson Silva. This fight is obtainable on DVD and is definitely worth watching.

Since this fight, Ludwig has been a journeyman of sorts, putting on some impressive performances but never sticking around at any one place for long. He hasn’t yet reached the potential he showed in his early King of the Cage fights, however. Smith’s record hovers around .500, as he still scraps in smaller shows around the country to this very day.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Pride 28

If all you have ever seen of “The Axe Murderer”, Wanderlei Silva is his fights in the UFC, you may wonder what all the fuss is about. All you have to do is watch his unforgettable 2004 fight against former UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at Pride 28 to understand immediately. In a rematch from the 2003 Middleweight Tournament final, in which Silva beat a fatigued Rampage (who had already beaten Chuck Liddell that night) by TKO, a competitive first round had Rampage nearly closing out the fight in the last seconds, as he pounded on Silva after taking him down.

However, the second round was a much different story, as Rampage found himself inside Silva’s clinch (where their first bout ended), and shortly thereafter received knee upon knee to the head, before memorably falling onto the ropes, where he remained, suspended and unconscious. The image of Silva celebrating while Rampage laid limply upon the bottom rope is an unforgettable one, as is the damage that Silva’s attack left on Rampage’s badly broken nose. If you want to see the ferociousness that Silva ruled the ring with in his Pride days, this fight is a great place to start.

There are many, many more great fights in the quickly developing history of mixed martial arts to check out, so make sure to broaden your horizons by watching some fights that aren’t promoted by the UFC. Even check out classic UFC fights from before you were a fan, so that you can see that amazing fighters and performances that led to the mainstream popularity that the sport enjoys today!

Tags: Anderson Silva, Chris Leben, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, UFC, Wanderlei Silva, WEC