Las Vegas is known as ‘Sin City’ primarily for the breathtaking array of gambling options, as well as other pleasures, that are available to anyone in the city. The city is famous all over the world for its casinos and the accompanying glitz, glamour and luxury, attracting millions of visitors every year. While these attractions are the primary reason for people to visit Vegas, there are quite a few other entertainment options, one of which is the number of boxing and MMA fights that regularly take place at the various arenas in Vegas.
MMA has grown to become one of the most popular and watched sports in the world, and it is fitting that a number of the most famous and high profile MMA bouts have taken place in Vegas. MMA was one of the first sports to return to action amid the pandemic last year, and it has remained popular in jackpot slots in the UK as well as other providers who will carry odds on MMA bouts and fights. Here, we will take a look at some of the most famous and biggest MMA fights that Las Vegas has hosted.
UFC 52: Couture vs. Liddell, April 2005, MGM Grand Garden Arena
Before UFC 52, the UFC had staged 13 events in the Fighting Capital of the World, as Vegas is also known as, over four years, but virtually all of them lost money. It wasn’t until Chuck Liddell and Randy Couture stepped into the octagon after coaching stints on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter ” reality show that the promotion started to live up to its potential. Fans created a then-record $2.57 million gate to watch Liddell knock out Couture and avenge a loss from two years earlier.
UFC 125: Edgar vs. Maynard, January 2011, MGM Grand Garden Arena
The series of fights between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard is quite possibly one of the greatest trilogies in mixed martial arts history. Both Lightweights went into their first fight with a spotless record to their names and it ended with Maynard handing Edgar his first professional MMA loss.
The setback only motivated Edgar to train harder as he went on a 5-fight win streak, during which, he won and defended the Lightweight title against B.J Penn.
Maynard too went on a similar winning run that eventually culminated in a deserved rematch against Edgar at UFC 125, this time, with the 155 lbs strap on the line.
The second fight began in Maynard’s favor, as he rocked Edgar with a left hook and followed it up with a barrage of punches in a bid to finish his opponent off. Edgar showed godly resilience and managed to get through the round before going on to win the second round.
The 5-round slugfest was justifiably adjudged as a draw and the fight was awarded the Fight of the Year at the year-end MMA awards. While Edgar would win the third outing with a resounding knockout, nobody has forgotten the absolute war that was the second encounter in the legendary series.
UFC 202, McGregor vs. Diaz II, August 2016, T-Mobile Arena
Nate Diaz put a screeching halt to the Conor McGregor hype train at UFC 196 by finishing the ‘Notorious One’ off with a rear-naked choke in the second round. While the fans were left shocked, the Stockton native wasn’t. The loss shook the Irish megastar, who became obsessed with redemption. And that’s what he got when the two met again at UFC 202.
McGregor looked focused from the get-go as he displayed his precise boxing skills that were complimented with well-timed kicks in the first round. He did predictably run out of gas in the latter stages of the fight which was when Diaz picked up the pace and became the aggressor. However, McGregor picked Diaz apart with his striking and despite Diaz winning in terms of volume, the two-weight champion was more accurate and edged the scorecard with a few knockdowns.
The fight was a stand-up back-and-forth between a loudmouthed whiskey-guzzling Irishman against a weed-smoking zombie from Stockton. It was every bit a fight that the fans expected and it felt even better when McGregor hugged Diaz after his redeeming win. True class.
