Walterweight’s most iconic moments in History.
The welterweight division in MMA and boxing has always been one of the most exciting and memorable divisions in combat sports. The welterweight division is regarded for its fast, strong and skillful warriors who have created legends, memorable fights and moments in the combat sports. For years, the division has provided some of the most exciting title fights and bitter rivalries in the sport. In this article, we will look at some of the greatest moments in welterweight history and how the division has developed through the great performances, classic clashes, and thrilling bouts. We will focus on the most important events in boxing and MMA since the welterweight division affects both of them. 1. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Durán I & II (1980) – The “No Más” Fight Some of the greatest welterweight fights of all time can be credited to Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durán, two fighters who are polar opposites in terms of fighting techniques and attitude. Their first fight which was dubbed “The Brawl in Montreal” occurred on the 20th of June in the year 1980. Durán, the Mexican pound for pound king, who is famous for his pressure and rough fighting, outpointed Leonard to win the WBC Welterweight title by unanimous decision. This was to become a high point for Duran and a low point for Leonard who was touted as the golden boy of boxing. The second fight that took place on November 25, 1980, is considered as one of the most notorious fights in the history of boxing. Leonard, fighting in a much more elusive and counterpunching manner, managed to anger Durán with his speed and mobility. In the eighth round, Durán made one of the most unexplainable moves of his career by turning his back towards Leonard and saying “No más” which means no more and this meant that he was through with the fight. The “No Más” fight became one of the most legendary fights in the history of boxing and welterweight division, and it also became the symbol of Leonard’s comeback. 2. Georges St-Pierre’s Reign in UFC Welterweight Division (2006-2013) Of course, when talking about the welterweight division and its most memorable moments, it is impossible not to mention Georges St-Pierre, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. The period between 2006 and 2013 can be considered as the GSP’s domination of the UFC welterweight division due to his technical excellence, discipline and overwhelming victory. These were some of the attributes that saw him outwrestle wrestlers, outstrike strikers and submit grapplers thus making him almost unbeatable in the division. Probably one of the most memorable moments in St-Pierre’s career is his rematch with Matt Serra at UFC 83 in 2008. In their first fight, Serra had stunned the world by stopping GSP and taking the welterweight title in what was one of the biggest shocks in UFC history. In the rematch, GSP took apart Serra and won by TKO in the second round to become the champion again. After that GSP would go on to defend his title nine times in a row against some of the toughest opponents including BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves and Nick Diaz. GSP was a very technical fighter, very athletic and very intelligent in the cage which made him one of the most popular fighters in the UFC and one of the greatest champions in the history of the company. His decision to retire in 2013 after a controversial win over Nick Diaz and a victory over Robbie Lawler in the last fight of his career at middleweight in 2017, will be remembered in the welterweight division. 3. Oscar De La Hoya Vs Félix Trinidad (1999) – The Fight of the Millennium. Oscar De La Hoya and Félix “Tito” Trinidad were the best fighters in the welterweight division when they met on September 18, 1999 in what was called the “Fight of the Millennium”. Both fighters were entering the ring with their undefeated records and the fans were eager to see who will be the best of the two. De La Hoya who is known for his speed, boxing skills and his handsome looks was more technically sound than Trinidad who was a feared puncher with knockout power in both hands. The fight was a more tactical one with De La Hoya outboxing Trinidad in the early rounds using his jab and footwork to keep out of Trinidad’s reach. But in the last few rounds of the fight, De La Hoya for some reason decided to lay back and not throw as many punches as he should have, thinking that he had taken enough of a lead on the judges’ scorecards. When De La Hoya backed up Trinidad capitalized on this and dominated the later rounds of the fight. In a split decision that raised many eyebrows, Trinidad was declared the winner over De La Hoya, thus handing the latter his first defeat in professional boxing. It is still considered as one of the most contentious decisions in the history of boxing with many people thinking that De La Hoya should have emerged the winner. However, it further reinforced Trinidad as the welterweight champion and went down in the annals of the division’s history. 4. Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg II (UFC 52, 2005) – The Ultimate Comeback The welterweight division has perhaps one of the most memorable fights that happened in UFC 52 in 2005, where Matt Hughes and Frank Trigg faced each other for the second time after their fight in 2003. In the first fight Hughes had submitted Trigg with a rear-naked choke to defend his welterweight title. The rematch, however, came up with one of the most dramatic and memorable moments in the history of UFC. In the first round, Trigg hit Hughes with an illegal knee to the groin and capitalized on the fact that the referee did not see it to proceed to pummel his opponent. Trigg looked like he was going
Iconic Moments That Changed UFC Forever: Milestones and Memories
The UFC has transpired from being a brutal show to one of the biggest sports leagues globally, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. On the way, many legendary moments influenced not only the evolution of the mixed martial arts (MMA) sport but also the UFC organization itself. These are the milestones and memories that have altered the UFC’s course, changed its dynamics, and influenced how people from across the world view MMA. Here, the profiles of some of the most important and memorable moments that defined the UFC are discussed. This event can be described as revolutionary in several aspects. It made people familiar with the new system of fighting, emphasized the role of the ground fight, and created the base for future changes in the sport. This event was the first step in the UFC development and the creation of the modern MMA rules and weight divisions. The Griffin vs Bonnar fight was easily one of the most aggressive fights and viewers were glued to the screen because of that. The fight also proved to be the key in the UFC’s rise to mainstream culture and the signing of a television contract with Spike TV. TUF not only saved the UFC but also brought future champions and illustrated the people behind the fighters. Ortiz’s win over Shamrock was a clear victory, but this event had a significant effect on the UFC level, raising awareness and recognition of the organization. The rivalry proved that the storyline and the bitterness between the competitors can create interest and following, which the UFC has adopted up to this day. One can mention that McGregor’s knockout of José Aldo in the first round at UFC 194 to win the featherweight title was a highlight of the fight. He later on broke the records by becoming the first fighter to simultaneously defend UFC titles in two different categories after beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. McGregor was the biggest commodity and his ability to transcend beyond the octagon brought on more eyes towards the UFC and the acceptance of the sport. They are Rousey’s first-round arm bar wins and her aggressive persona that made people sit up and take women’s MMA seriously. She faced Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 in 2013; this was the first women’s fight in UFC and the fight was the main event. This created an opportunity for other females to follow the same success and the women’s division as a part of the UFC. The importance of UFC 100 is that it was a demonstration of the UFC’s ever-expanding fan base, and its capacity to host big, large-scale shows. It underlined how the previously marginal sport of MMA was becoming a popular spectacle and how the UFC became recognised as the world’s leading MMA promotion. As for the president of the UFC, Dana White, he was the one who contributed a lot to the promotion of the sport and television contracts. The hard work of the Fertitta brothers and White made the UFC a credible and respectable business that would grow into what it is today. Although the deal was criticized by fighters due to loss of sponsorship revenues it was a major step in the UFC’s development. The uniform look contributed to the branding of the organization and brought more attention to the sport as well as from the mainstream audiences and finally the corporate sponsors. New opportunities are opening up before the UFC after it was acquired by WME-IMG: global expansion, additional funding for marketing, and the ability to enter new media platforms. It underpinned the UFC’s position as a heavyweight in the sports and entertainment industry. Just as with the case of UFC 189, UFC 205 was a financially and in terms of viewership successful event, proving the New York market potential. The legalization of MMA and subsequent occurrences in New York have been major in contributing to the UFC’s further growth and legitimacy. As a measure of fighting the use of substances by athletes, in 2015, the UFC signed the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for the drug testing services. This move was meant to eliminate any unfair competition and bring about fairness in this sport. The program of USADA has caused many suspension of the fighter and has contributed to fighting the use of the performance-enhancing substance in MMA. Although it has been accused and tested, it has facilitated the process of turning the sport into a much more credible one. The BMF title was a marketing masterclass as it generated a lot of hype and focused on the UFC’s capacity to develop interesting stories and fights beyond the usual title match. It emphasized on the enjoyment that the sport offers and how it is in touch with its core. ConclusionThe UFC company development from its creation to the level of the ultimate sporting organization has many significant events that have influenced this process. Whether it is the birth of UFC with UFC 1 or reality show called The Ultimate Fighter, these have been some of the key milestones of the organization. The key choices, defining moments, and iconic battles have all played a part in the UFC becoming today’s force in MMA and a formidable contender in the sphere of sports and entertainment. These moments not only altered the course of the UFC and the history of the promotion but also in the history of the sport of mixed martial arts.
