Best UFC Moments From Different Countries

Atlantic City, New Jersey, saw the first Australian fighter step into the Octagon more than 23 years ago. Elvis Sinosic made history when he defeated American fighter Jeremy Horn during his UFC debut, a fight which many did not expect him to win.

Sinosic immediately took the fight to the ground, where the two grappled for only a short spell before he was able to get the submission. Horn did get a few punches to land but found himself in an armbar that he could not escape from. Sinosic got the first UFC victory for himself and the country of Australia within the first round.

Brazil

José Aldo vs Chad Mendes 

UFC 142: Aldo vs Mendes - January 14, 2012

Brazil has had a long and prosperous relationship with UFC, with many successful fighters and events coming from the country. UFC 142 fight was one of the most memorable events held in Brazil, with most bouts, especially the main event, being quite entertaining.

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Aldo had a chance to continue his championship legacy in front of his home crowd. With only seconds left in the first round, Aldo’s perfectly timed knee made contact with Mendes, causing Mendes to fall and allowing Aldo to finish the fight. To celebrate his win, Aldo jumped into the crowd of fans who were elated to commemorate this win with the “King of Rio” himself. 

Canada

Georges St. Pierre vs Johny Hendricks

UFC 167: St. Pierre vs Hendricks - November 16, 2013

Georges St-Pierre competed in MMA for almost 15 years, and during that time, was defeated only twice. He walked away from competing with a 26-2 record, much of which was spent defending his welterweight title. 

At the time of UFC 167, St. Pierre had won 12 fights in a row, nine of those defending his welterweight title. Both he and Hendricks put up a strong fight during the match, with both sides believing they had been victorious by the time the final bell rang. In the end, St. Pierre was victorious and shortly after announced that he was going to retire from the UFC. “Rush” would eventually come back in 2017 to capture the middleweight title before eventually retiring for good.

China

Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk 

UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero - March 7, 2020

The strawweight title fight between Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk is regarded by fans and professionals as one of the best bouts in UFC history. At the time, Weili had a 20-1 record and had won the strawweight belt only months before. Jedrzejczyk was a previous strawweight champion and defended it more than anyone, but still sought to recapture the throne. 

It was only a matter of time before Weili and Jedrzejczyk faced each other. These two accomplished women went into the Octagon and fought like it was the last fight of their lives, delivering an exciting fight that left fans wanting more. At the end of round five, the pair stood proud, and both believed they had done what it took to secure the belt. The historic fight ended with Zhang taking the win for China via split decision, leaving the world desperate to see part two of Zhang vs Jedrzejczyk.

Czech Republic

Glover Teixeira vs Jiří Procházka

UFC 275: Teixeira vs Procházka - June 11, 2022

Jiří Procházka has had a history with the light heavyweight title, all beginning with his victory over then-champion Glover Teixeira at UFC 275. A favorite coming into the match, Procházka almost met defeat in both of the first two rounds as Teixeira had him on the back foot. However, the two were evenly matched and put up a very entertaining fight.

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Rounds three and four were where Procházka really found himself, raining blows down onto Teixeira. Both combatants were dripping blood and feeling the effects of the battle, but, in the fifth round, Procházka prevailed via submission. Procházka had won the light heavyweight championship and became the first titleholder from the Czech Republic.

Procházka is once again fighting for the light heavyweight title against current champion Alex Periera in the main event of UFC 303 on Saturday, June 29 in Las Vegas, NV.  

France

Ciryl Gane vs Tai Tuivasa

UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Tuivasa - September 3, 2022

The first UFC event held in France was not only historical, but the main event was also a rollercoaster which left every spectator wondering who would be victorious. After a tame, but energetic, round one, the second round almost became the end for both Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa. “Bam Bam” dropped Gane, leaving the Parisian crowd worried their countryman was down and out, but the former interim champion recovered well. Both men were absorbing the blows that met them and returning them right back. Gane had left his opponent beaten and bloody, yet Tuivasa was still going strong.

Tuivasa’s tenacity could only last so long. Nearing the end of round three, Gane finally knocked him down. The French fighter was able to achieve his goal of getting a knockout in front of his hometown fans. Both UFC and its spectators could not have wished for a better inaugural fight in France.

Georgia

Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria

UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria - February 17, 2024

Alexander Volkanovski is regarded as one of the best featherweight champions ever. That is why when Ilia Topuria took on Volkanovski for the belt, many did not believe Topuria could win. Yet Topuria did have a 14-0 record that proved he was a worthy opponent despite his status as the underdog. 

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And he showed his worthiness during the second round when he was able to knock Volkanovski clean out with a frenzy of punches. Topuria spent much of the first round studying Volkanovski and was able to strike at the perfect time in round two. He secured the featherweight title and became the first Georgian and Spanish UFC champion, while also improving his perfect record. 

India

Rayanne Dos Santos vs Puja Tomar

UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs Imavov - June 8, 2024

Conor McGregor has had one of the most notable careers in UFC history. Although he can be controversial to some, his resume is undeniable. Before he became the first double-champ in UFC history, he needed to wrest the featherweight belt from longtime champion and MMA icon José Aldo at UFC 194.

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This event was a historical moment for McGregor, perhaps even his most famous. Just 13 seconds into the fight, McGregor planted a left hand on Aldo that sent the Brazilian crashing to the canvas. The KO was, and is still, the fastest finish in a UFC title fight, securing McGregor’s place in the history books.

Mexico

Deiveson Figueiredo vs Brandon Moreno

UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 - June 12, 2021

Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno have had one of the longest feuds in UFC history. It all started at UFC 256, where the two were so equally matched the fight ended in a draw. The pair knew they had to meet again, and UFC 263 is where they would battle for the flyweight title.
Figueiredo and Moreno’s first meeting was a perfectly matched event, but the second fight was much different.

Moreno knew he had something to prove and had worked hard to better his skills in the time since their first bout. He took control of the fight, and though his opponent tried his best, Moreno’s rear naked choke in the third round was too much to handle. Moreno was the champion and became the first UFC titleholder from Mexico. The pair went on to fight two more times, making history as the first and only time two fighters met four times in the Octagon. 

Nigeria

Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington

UFC 245: Usman vs Covington - December 14, 2019

Though Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington’s first bout was full of drama even before the fight began, the fight itself turned out to be one of the best of 2019. Covington was ready to take the welterweight title from Usman and had been trying to intimidate his opponent in the days leading up to the bout. It was clear that Usman was not fazed by the trash talking he was facing, yet Covington was ready to put his money where his mouth was.

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Covington battled hard throughout, but it wasn’t until the last minute of round five where Usman finally was able to defeat his opponent and retain his title. The tenacity these men showed was impressive, to say the least, causing this fight to be a fan favorite. 

United States of America

Robbie Lawler vs Rory MacDonald

UFC 189: Mendes vs McGregor - July 11, 2015

The last fight on this list also happens to be one of the bloodiest battles in UFC history. The Hall of Fame bout is one of the most famed in the sport’s history, but some forget its tame beginning. In the third round, however, Lawler and MacDonald turned it up to historic levels.

At this point, MacDonald’s white shorts were turning red from the blood, yet he did not give up. Lawler was giving his all to his opponent, while he too received his fair share of cuts and injuries. The end to this gory battle came in the first minute of the fifth round, with MacDonald falling to the canvas (which looked like a Jackson Pollock painting at this point). Lawler was victorious and kept the welterweight title.