Sherdog’s Top 10: UFC Fight Night Main Events

Brian KnappNov 16, 2016

1. Mark Hunt vs. Antonio Silva
UFC Fight Night 33
Dec. 7, 2013 | Brisbane, Australia

Hunt and Silva battled to the brink of total exhaustion, and the masses were entertained.

In an exceptional five-round war that will never be forgotten, Hunt and Silva fought to a majority draw in the UFC Fight Night 33 headliner at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. One judge sided with Hunt with a 48-47 scorecard, while two others scored it 47-47. Neither Hunt nor Silva sounded disappointed with the outcome.

After a slow start, two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division’s heaviest hitters went after one another with reckless abandon. They traded knockdowns, with “Bigfoot” flooring Hunt with a clubbing right hand in the first round and “The Super Samoan” returning the favor in the third. Back and forth they went, exchanging blows that might have ruined lesser men. Hunt almost finished it with heavy ground-and-pound in the third round, only to have Silva mount, punish and almost stop him a round later.

Though they could barely stand, neither man gave an inch over the final five minutes. There, the 5-foot-10 Hunt opened a cut above the 6-foot-4 Silva’s eye with a standing elbow; “Bigfoot” responded late with accurate, thudding combinations. At the end of it all, they embraced, perhaps sensing the need to hold one another upright.