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Islam Makhachev of Russia reacts after his victory over Alexander Volkanovski of Australia in the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 284 event at RAC Arena on February 12, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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The 10 | Memorable Moments Down Under

Looking Back On The Coolest Moments In The Octagon In Australia Ahead Of UFC 312: Du Plessis vs Strickland on February 8

On Saturday, February 8, the UFC returns to Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia for the second pay-per-view event of the year.

Headlined by a pair of outstanding championship matchups, UFC 312 marks the promotion’s seventh trip to the New South Wales metropolis and the 19th time the Octagon has made the trip down under.

UFC 311 REWIND: Prelim ResultsMain Card Results | Official Scorecards

Over the years, the stops in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Gold Coast have produced a number of wildly entertaining fights, an abundance of exciting finishes, and served as the launching pad for the careers of some of the most popular and respected names in the sport, including Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Robert Whittaker, with many others making the trek to the Oceanic nation in order to deliver memorable performances and breathtaking moments.

As we ready to see Zhang Weili defend her strawweight title against Tatiana Suarez, and middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis run it back with former titleholder Sean Strickland, it feels like a good time to comb through the archives and highlight some of the must-see moments to have taken place in Australia over the years.

Cain Velasquez Knocks Out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (UFC 110 — February 20, 2010)

Cain Velasquez battles Minotauro Nogueira during their Ultimate Fighting Championship world heavyweight fight at Acer Arena on February 21, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Zuffa LLC)
Cain Velasquez battles Minotauro Nogueira during their Ultimate Fighting Championship world heavyweight fight at Acer Arena on February 21, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Zuffa LLC)

The UFC’s initial trip to Sydney and what is now known as Qudos Bank Arena took place on February 20th and was headlined by a heavyweight showdown between rising star Cain Velasquez and decorated veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Velasquez was 7-0 at the time, having earned victories in each of his first five UFC appearances, and, along with Junior Dos Santos, appeared to represent the future of the division. Nogueira was a legend, a former PRIDE champion less than 18 months removed from holding the interim heavyweight title and returning less than six months after his instant classic against Randy Couture in Portland at UFC 102 that earned Fight of the Year honors from a number of outlets.

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This was a classic “veteran versus prospect” setup designed to see if Velasquez was ready to compete with the elite of the division, and the undefeated prospect officially shed that label a little more than two minutes into the contest when he felled Nogueira with a left hook, right hand combination that landed in a flash.

Birth of the Flyweight Division (UFC on FX 2 — March 2, 2012)

Demetrious Johnson punches Ian McCall in a Flyweight bout during the UFC on FX 2 event at Bank Atlantic Center on June 8, 2012 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
Demetrious Johnson punches Ian McCall in a Flyweight bout during the UFC on FX 2 event at Bank Atlantic Center on June 8, 2012 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

The flyweight division was officially unveiled on March 2, 2012, in Sydney with a four-man tournament that featured former bantamweight standout Joseph Benavidez taking on Japanese veteran Yashuhiro Urushitani, and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson squaring off with the debuting “Uncle Creepy” Ian McCall.

Benavidez entered the tournament as the favorite, having been a Top 5 fixture in the 135-pound ranks in both the WEC and UFC, with his only losses at the time having come against then-champion Dominick Cruz. Johnson was coming off his own loss to Cruz in a bantamweight title fight, while McCall had claimed the Tachi Palace Fights belt in his last appearance and was widely considered the best flyweight on the planet at the time; Urushitani was the Shooto champion.

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Benavidez won handily, stopping Urushitani 11 seconds into the second round, while Johnson and McCall engaged in a fascinating clash where the former raced out to an early lead before the latter clawed his way back into the fight, leaving many to believe a “sudden death” fourth round would be needed. The bout was initially announced as a majority decision to Johnson, only for a scoring error that would have resulted in a draw, and therefore a fourth round taking place to be discovered after the fact.

As a result, Johnson and McCall faced off for a second time three months later in Sunrise, Florida, with “Mighty Mouse” winning by unanimous decision before going on to edge out Benavidez on the scorecards at UFC 152 and become the inaugural flyweight champion.

Mark Hunt and “Bigfoot” Silva Battle to a Draw (UFC Fight Night 33 — December 6, 2013)

Mark Hunt punches Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on December 7, 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
Mark Hunt punches Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in their heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on December 7, 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

Generally speaking, no one tends to look to the heavyweight division for ultra-competitive, captivating five-round fights.

Highlight reel knockouts? Absolutely, and both Hunt and Silva had delivered their fair share of those over the years, so when they paired off in Brisbane at the start of December, that’s how just about everyone saw the fight ending: with one man standing triumphant over the other in the center of the Octagon.

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Instead, the two perennial contenders smashed one another with massive shots and never stopped battling until the final horn sounded, resulting in the extremely rare heavyweight main event that ended in a majority draw. One judge scored the fight for Hunt, three rounds to two, while the other two had the bout even, with Silva winning three rounds, but Hunt garnering a 10-8 score in the final stanza.

UFC CEO Dana White raved about the contest afterwards and awarded the duo Fight of the Night honors, with the two running it back nearly two years later in Melbourne, with Hunt winning by first-round technical knockout.

11 Fights, 11 Finishes (UFC Fight Night 55 — November 7, 2014)

Luke Rockhold secures a guillotine choke submission against Michael Bisping in their middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside Allphones Arena on November 8, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
Luke Rockhold secures a guillotine choke submission against Michael Bisping in their middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside Allphones Arena on November 8, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

For seven years and nine months, this event stood as the one and only UFC event where every fight ended in a finish.

Marcus Brimage got the party started with a first-round knockout win over Jumabieke Tuerxun before Dan Kelly, Chris Clements, Louis Smolka, Sam Alvey, Anthony Perosh, and Jake Matthews added stoppages of their own to complete a perfect 7-for-7 run of finishes on the prelims. When business shifted to the main card, Soa Palelei stopped Walt Harris, Robert Whittaker finished Clint Hester in his middleweight debut and Al Iaquinta collected a TKO win over Ross Pearson to run the tally to 10 up and 10 down heading into the main event.

READ: Charles Oliveira Talks Potential Matchups, Title Aspirations

Less than a minute into the second round of that headlining contest, Luke Rockhold forced Michael Bisping to tap to a mounted guillotine, closing out the night with a dominant performance that catapulted him into title contention and capped the first UFC event to have a 100 percent finishing rate.

The mark was eventually matched on August 6, 2022 when all 10 fights at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs Hill produced three submissions and seven stoppages.

Holly Holm Dethrones Ronda Rousey (UFC 193 — November 13, 2015)

Holly Holm celebrates after her knockout victory over Ronda Rousey in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
Holly Holm celebrates after her knockout victory over Ronda Rousey in their UFC women's bantamweight championship bout during the UFC 193 event at Etihad Stadium on November 15, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

There have only been a handful of “where were you when…” moments in UFC history and this is one of them.

Rousey entered as a dominant force; fired up and feisty all week in the lead to the contest, the bantamweight champion was reaching a new level of global stardom and she marched into the Octagon with a perfect 12-0 record. A multiple-time world champion in boxing and a solid kickboxer, Holm had, if we’re being honest, kind of underwhelmed in her first two UFC outings, earning a split decision win over Raquel Pennington before scoring a unanimous decision victory over Marion Reneau in a pair of bouts that didn’t exactly leave you thinking “this is the person that is going to unseat Ronda Rousey and do it handily.”

But that’s exactly what happened.

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Holm had the perfect approach, using her footwork, movement, and striking prowess to take advantage of Rousey’s aggressiveness and blast her with big shots. Each time the champion couldn’t execute the way she intended, she grew more visibly frustrated; you could feel the anger radiating off her when she rushed Holm and was treated like a charging bull by the more savvy matador.

Rousey managed to make her way to the second round, but less than a minute in, Holm connected with a head kick that put the champion on the canvas, and the follow-up shots brought the Rousey Era to a close. Holm burst into tears and circled the Octagon in shocked delight. Rousey would only fight once more.

Robert Whittaker Announces His Presence (UFC Fight Night 101 — November 26, 2016)

Robert Whittaker celebrates his TKO victory over Derek Brunson in their middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Rod Laver Arena on November 27, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Robert Whittaker celebrates his TKO victory over Derek Brunson in their middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Rod Laver Arena on November 27, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Every installment of The 10 that gets produced on this site features one entry that falls into the “One for Me” category — a choice that may not make sense or be the most anticipated selection of everyone else, but makes the list because, well, because I’m the one making the list.

I loved this fight the second it was announced, as it was Whittaker’s first main event assignment and his biggest test to that point of his career. He’d done 4-0 since shifting to middleweight, with wins over Hester, Brad Tavares, Uriah Hall, and Rafael Natal, and Derek Brunson stood as a step up in competition; a ranked opponent on a five-fight winning streak whose only loss in the UFC had come against Yoel Romero.

READ: The Bigger Picture After UFC 311

It was expected to be a competitive affair, and was until late in the first round, when Whittaker started to take control as Brunson began to wilt. A head kick collapsed the American to the canvas and the subsequent blows that followed ended the contest.

The reason it has always been one of my favorite Australia moments is because when Whittaker was pushed back at the stoppage point and rose to his feet, he quickly threw up double birds before climbing onto the Octagon wall and celebrating with the raucous fans in Melbourne. It was a natural, in-the-moment reaction by a kid that was caught up in the moment, and something Whittaker had no recollection of doing when I asked him about it prior to his next fight.

This was the night “The Reaper” became a contender and the MMA world started to recognize him as a rising star. Less than eight months later, he would claim the interim middleweight title in an absolutely captivating fight with Romero at UFC 213.

Israel Adesanya Unifies Middleweight Titles (UFC 243 — October 5, 2019)

Israel Adesanya celebrates after his knockout victory over Robert Whittaker in their UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 243 event at Marvel Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Israel Adesanya celebrates after his knockout victory over Robert Whittaker in their UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 243 event at Marvel Stadium on October 06, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Few fighters have ever truly felt destined to be UFC champions, and Adesanya might be the last to carry that that distinction.

“Stylebender” posted five wins in 364 calendar days to begin his UFC tenure, then marched into an interim title fight with Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in Atlanta, Georgia and won the belt after telling himself he was ready to die as the fifth round was about to commence. Just under six months after that contest, Adesanya squared off with Whittaker at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne to determine who would leave as the undisputed UFC middleweight champion, and it honestly felt like there was only one possible outcome.

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The interim titleholder was quicker and sharper from the outset, while Whittaker, who had battled serious health issues earlier in the year, later admitted to feeling burnt out going into the contest. It was a bad combination, as the City Kickboxing man put “The Reaper” on the deck at the close of the first round and ended things with a left hook that landed flush with roughly 90 seconds remaining in the second.

There have been a handful of iconic marches to championship gold in the UFC, and Adesanya’s seven-fight, 20-month run stands up there amongst the best.

Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski Show Out (UFC 284 — February 11, 2023)

Islam Makhachev punches Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 284 event at RAC Arena on February 12, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Islam Makhachev punches Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC 284 event at RAC Arena on February 12, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

If any of my friends ever ask me what it is about MMA that I love so much that I’m willing to commit the vast majority of my Saturdays and countless hours each week to it, I’m just going to sit them down, cue up this fight, and walk away.

The first meeting between Makhachev and Volkanovski in Perth is one of the best examples of high-level mixed martial arts that we have ever seen. Two champions at the peak of their powers, meeting in a bout that exceeded expectations and, quite frankly, changed the sport.

WATCH: Islam Makhachev's UFC 311 Post-Fight Interview

These were the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the sport at the time and they showed why at UFC 284, combining for a captivating 25-minute battle where Makhachev earned a competitive victory, but Volkanovski came away strong in defeat, having pushed the lightweight champion to his limits, including hurting him down the stretch.

For me, this was the equivalent of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant playing one-on-one in their primes — two masters going move-for-move, attack-and-defend, counter-and-adjust for five rounds — and it was absolutely breathtaking.

Sean Strickland: Middleweight Champion (UFC 293 — September 9, 2023)

Sean Strickland reacts after a unanimous-decision victory over Israel Adesanya in the UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 293 event at Qudos Bank Arena on September 10, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Sean Strickland reacts after a unanimous-decision victory over Israel Adesanya in the UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 293 event at Qudos Bank Arena on September 10, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Strickland began 2023 by jumping into a short-notice main event assignment with Nassourdine Imavov and winning a unanimous decision, halting a two-fight skid and doing away with the sour taste left in his mouth from landing on the wrong side of a debated split decision loss to Jared Cannonier one month earlier. In July, he squared off with Abus Magomedov, dispatching the UFC sophomore in the second round to further solidify his standing as a contender in the middleweight division.

But timing, as the saying goes, is everything, and when Dricus Du Plessis was unavailable to face Adesanya at UFC 293 in Sydney in September, the American was chosen to take his place, venturing to Australia, where he promptly shocked just about everyone.

READ: Two Title Fights Headline UFC's Return To Sydney

Strickland had always been an underrated talent and a guy that didn’t get enough credit for the success he’d had since returning from a two-year hiatus and near career-ending injury. That changed towards the end of the first round of this one, when he put a right hand on Adesanya’s jaw that sent the champion to the canvas and made everyone immediately wonder — either aloud or to themselves — “is Sean Strickland going to win this fight and become UFC champion?”

Yes, yes he was.

Strickland delivered a dominant performance, keeping Adesanya off-balance and unable to really get anything going for 25 minutes, using his off-tempo striking, shell-based defensive movements, and the game plan crafted by his head coach Eric Nicksick to frustrate and ultimately upset Adesanya.

Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot Steal The Show (UFC 305 — August 17, 2023)

 Dan Hooker punches Mateusz Gamrot in a lightweight fight during the UFC 305 event at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Dan Hooker punches Mateusz Gamrot in a lightweight fight during the UFC 305 event at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

“Boys… I love this s***,” Dan Hooker said with a cackle, sitting on a stool in his corner between the second and third rounds, one of the skilled UFC cutmen working diligently to tend to the multiple gashes that had been opened on the Auckland man’s face.

His platinum hair had little pink flecks in it, the color changed as a result of the blood that he and Gamrot had spilled over the previous 10 minutes, when they had delighted the crowd in Perth and began staking their claim to Fight of the Night honors at UFC 305.

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The final five minutes were spirited and entertaining, each man having their moments, with Hooker pressing forward, Gamrot never shying away from the exchanges before the two men shared an embrace after the final horn. Hooker earned the split decision win, but this was another one of those instances where Gamrot didn’t lose any ground by landing on the wrong side of the result.

This was a wildly entertaining scrap courtesy of two all-action standouts in one of the most competitive and dynamic divisions in the sport, and a fitting close to our collection of must-see moments that took place in Australia.

UFC 312: Du Plessis vs Strickland 2 took place live from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia on February 8, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!