There are roughly 5,000 mixed martial arts cards going on every single day across the world. As such, it’s easy for things to get lost in the cracks or run together. With that in mind, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some great fights during the week of March 16-22.
Frank Mir vs. Pete Williams: UFC 36 — March 22, 2002
As odd as it sounds, Frank Mir was a fresh-faced pup at one point, just trying to make a name for himself. In his second UFC fight, Mir took on veteran Pete Williams, who was known for his impressive head kick knockout against Mark Coleman.
Early in the first round, Frank Mir put his BJJ skills to excellent use on the ground, catching Williams in a submission that has since been dubbed the Mir-Lock.
Anderson Silva vs. Carlos Newton: PRIDE 25 — March 16, 2003
Another throw back to Ye Olden Times, this was when Anderson Silva was just a skinny kid in the Chute Boxe Academy, fighting at welterweight. Newton, a former UFC champion, had recently defeated another Chute Boxe fighter, Jose Landi-Jons.
Silva was looking for revenge and had to deal with Newton’s superior grappling skills. Around the six-minute mark, Newton shot for a takedown, and Silva launched a knee into Carlos’ head, knocking him out cold.
And then, because he’s Anderson Silva, some celebratory Michael Jackson dancing!
Rob McCullough vs. Olaf Alfonso: WEC 19 — March 17, 2006
“Razor” Rob McCullough is a good kickboxer, while Olaf Alfonso is basically the early MMA version of noted drifter, Cody McKenzie. After some good grappling by Alfonso in the first round, McCullough obliterated his face at the start of the second round, sending his mouth piece into the fifth row.
Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello: UFC on Versus 1 — March 21, 2010
In one of the best body-type matchups, the ultra-muscular Cheick Kongo took on schlubby Paul Buentello. Kongo, a French savate expert, used wrestling to great effect, consistently taking down Buentello. From there, Kongo unleashed some terrifying ground and pound, eventually forcing Buentello to tap out due to elbow strikes to the butt.
Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera: UFC on Versus 1 — March 21, 2010
From the same event, Brandon Vera, who once had hopes of being a simultaneous two-division champion, took on the rising Jon Jones. In the first round, Jon got on top of Vera and landed a murderous HELLBOW, smashing Vera’s face to pulp, as can be seen at the top of this page. Gnarly!
Michael Page vs. Ryan Sanders: Bellator 93 — March 21, 2013
Finally, we have something outside of the Zuffa stranglehold! Michael “Venom” Page is a brilliant English striker, and he didn’t need much time to land a flash knockout on Ryan Sanders, putting him away in just 10 seconds.
