Top 15 Three Fight Winning Streaks in MMA History

Ilia Topuria's epic run has many calling his title wins the greatest three-fight streak in the sport's history - but how does it measure up to such streaks of days past?

"El Matador" set the MMA world on fire with his first round execution of the beloved Charles Oliveira at this year's International Fight Week, and with his third straight knockout victory, many fans are calling his current KO streak the greatest three-fight run in the sport's history.

Having not only beaten three champions (one who held the belt, two former) and bonafide legends in back-to-back-to-back outings, Ilia Topuria's run was made even more legendary by the manner in which he dispatched all three of his victims - by vicious, devastating knockout.

To call anything the best however, one must compare it to similar runs of days past, as many MMA fans are doing so now.

Interestingly, many fans are drawing parallels to Conor McGregor's historic run that ended nearly a decade ago; while Ilia's surging star power and draw potential may be comparable, those fans seem to have an incomplete recollection of history.

The streak those fans are referring to began with McGregor's second round finish over Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight strap, then his 13-second finish over long-reigning king Jose Aldo, and finally his utter decimation of Eddie Alvarez to capture the lightweight crown and earn "double champ" status.

The problem is, they're forgetting two fights that took place in between McGregor's tilts with Aldo and Alvarez.

After his finish of Aldo, McGregor moved up to face Rafael Dos Anjos for the lightweight crown, only for RDA to be forced out with a broken foot - in stepped Nate Diaz, who was just 2-3 in his last five outings I may add, who proceeded to spoil McGregor's party, smacking him around in the second round on the feet and bullying him on the mat after a panicked takedown attempt from the Irishman, eventually submitting him to earn the massive upset.

McGregor would immediately rematch Diaz and won a very close majority decision, even turning tail and running from the Stocktonian at times, while Rafael Dos Anjos had his title taken in a shocking loss to Eddie Alvarez, setting up the afforementioned McGregor-Alvarez fight.

So unless you cherry-pick fights and don't limit it to actual streaks, McGregor isn't even in the running - his best three-fight stint then becomes Dennis Siver-Chad Mendes-Jose Aldo, with the Siver fight ruining McGregor's chances of even being in the running for such an accolade.

Instead, let's turn to the actual greatest three fight streaks in MMA history - that is, three wins in a row with extra emphasis placed on the caliber of opposition and in impressively finishing or utterly dominating said opposition.

This ranking also restricts entrants to one streak per fighter, and while it includes all MMA organizations, the list is unsurprisingly almost all UFC - many fighters outside of it may have had impressive and even legendary streaks, but (particularly in PRIDE; see Emilianenko, Fedor and Silva, Wanderlei) those almost always contained fights against much lesser opposition interspersed with their more impressive scalps, ruining their chances of inclusion on this list.

15. Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson 2015-16

Victims: Kyoji Horiguchi, John Dodson, Henry Cejudo

When you have a fighter win 13 straight fights with 12 of them being title fights, picking the most impressive string of three can prove a challenge, but Demetrious Johnson's title defenses beginning in 2015 take the cake for the best back-to-back-to-back victories in his illustrious career.

Having already defended his belt five times, DJ was a heavy favourite against the very promising Japanese prospect Kyoji Horiguchi, and while Horiguchi proved he was game, Mighty Mouse put on a clinic and dominated the fight against the extremely quick young challenger.

Not content with taking home a lopsided decision however, Johnson slapped on a slick armbar in the waning seconds of the five round affair, forcing Kyoji to tap with literally one second to go on the clock. That last-second finish tied the record (one that literally can't be broken) for the latest finish in UFC history.

Following his buzzer-beating submission, Johnson next faced off against old foe John Dodson, a fellow speedster but with shocking power who back in 2013 had very nearly unseated the flyweight king, with many even feeling Dodson did enough to deserve the nod on the judges' scorecards.

In the rematch however, Johnson settled all debate by dominating his rival, his diverse arsenal and impeccable timing stifling Dodson's offense; unfortunately Johnson was unable to find a finish this time, hurting his streak's placement on this list.

He made up for going to the scorecards in his next outing however when he faced former Olympic gold medalist and undefeated 10-0 challenger Henry Cejudo in his eighth title defense.

Johnson not only was able to keep the fight standing against the decorated Olympian, but he absolutely skewered Cejudo's midsection in the clinch, folding him with a knee to the gut just midway through the opening round to hand Cejudo his first career loss in devastating fashion.

14. Cain Velasquez 2009-10

Victims: Ben Rothwell, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brock Lesnar

Given heavyweights tend to score plenty of knockouts, it's no surprise there's a few heavyweights on this list, and Cain Velasquez's ascension and capture of the UFC's heavyweight crown ranks amongst the most impressive three-fight killing sprees in the sport's history.

The 6-0 super-prospect Velasquez was coming off a surprisingly competitive fight with perennial top-10 heavyweight Cheick Kongo when he squared off with "Big" Ben Rothwell, a massive heavyweight with a surprisingly well-rounded game, an awkward yet effective striking style, and an iron chin.

Velasquez welcomed the 30-6 IFL and Affliction veteran (who was also 14-1 in his last 15, the lone loss being to former UFC champ Andrei Arlovski) to the world famous Octagon at UFC 104, where he proceeded to put an absolute beating on poor Big Ben.

Cain relentlessly threw his larger opponent to the floor and smashed him with flurries of ground and pound, with Rothwell valiantly working his way to his feet only to be thrown back to the floor near-instantly each time.

The second round started off much the same and with Rothwell pinned against the cage, Velasquez unloaded a series of heavy punches before the referee stepped in to save Rothwell from a continued mauling. While Rothwell protested the stoppage, it was about as one-sided as a fight can get, with Rothwell unable to defend a single one of the five takedowns Cain scored and landing just 3 total strikes in the entire fight while Cain boasted 84 and showed no sign of slowing down.

The tireless prospect proved he already belonged at the upper end of the division, and accordingly was matched up with former PRIDE heavyweight champion and interim UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, also known as "Big Nog".

The decorated Brazilian had already turned in a legendary career and had perhaps the best chin the sport had ever seen, having survived merciless beatings by Fedor Emilianenko, heavyweight head kicks from the likes of Heath Herring and Tim Sylvia, and more. In his illustrious 32-5-1 career, he had only ever lost to Dan Henderson (in Nog's 7th pro fight), Fedor Emilianenko, and more recently Frank Mir, who was the first man to finish Nogueira.

Though he was knocked down several times against Mir, Nogueira protested the stoppage as early, but he had looked rather lethargic from the opening bell - it would later be revealed he was suffering from a staph infection, which would explain his poor performance.

After bouncing back from the Mir loss in an epic clash with Randy Couture, Nogueira faced Cain in a title eliminator - this time, there would be no controversy and Nogueira's chin would be definitively cracked.

Just over two minutes into the fight, Velasquez unloaded a beautiful combination that sent Big Nog crashing to the canvas; a few follow up shots left Nogueira out cold for the first time in his lengthy career, earning Velasquez a crack at Brock Lesnar and the undisputed heavyweight belt.

Cain may have been notably smaller than the WWE-turned-UFC superstar, but from the opening bell Lesnar was introduced to an entirely new level of mixed martial artist.

Velasquez poured on the pressure from the get-go and unlike any prior Lesnar opponents, he was able to fend off Lesnar's remarkable D1 championship wrestling, either able to immediately get back to his feet or stuffing him outright, all the while landing combinations as Lesnar desperately sought to find something to keep Cain off of him.

It quickly turned into a fight reminiscent of an older brother reminding a brash younger sibling who the boss is, as Lesnar flailed around the Octagon in desperation while Cain calmly walked him down and battered him, grounding him late in the first round and landing a series of massive punches before the referee finally stepped in to save Lesnar from further punishment.

It was an absolute demolition and one of the most lopsided defeats of a sitting champion in UFC history.

Cain's legendary career would take several twists and turns in the years after, from a shocking 64-second knockout loss to Junior Dos Santos to various injury layoffs and a brutal yet dominant pair of victories against JDS to complete their epic trilogy, but his string of knockouts culminating with his first taste of UFC gold was one of the cleanest and most lopsidedly dominant streaks in the sport's history.

13. BJ "The Prodigy" Penn 2003-04

Victims: Takanori Gomi, Matt Hughes, Duane Ludwig

Fans that weren't around for BJ Penn's earlier years simply can't understand just how good BJ Penn once was.

Looking purely at wins and losses on one's record, even before Penn's back-to-back losses against Edgar and his ensuing downfall, his 15-5 record may not seem as legendary to newcomers as us longtime fans know it to be - it's more about the who (and in what weight class) he was fighting that makes him so special.

The man is the size of a modern featherweight (and not even a large one at that) yet regularly competed as an undersized welterweight against top opposition, and even went so far as to fight at light heavyweight on multiple occasions, which included a competitive loss against future light heavyweight UFC champion Lyoto Machida in an openweight bout (Penn was a very flabby 191 pounds, while Machida weighed in at 225).

Given the depressing 7-fight losing streak which ended his career and the fact he had just a single win in his last 11 outings, not to mention his increasingly erratic behaviour outside the cage in recent years, many modern fans think of Penn only as a sad and helpless figure, one that they don't understand why older fans continue to call one of the best to ever compete.

In just his fourth-ever MMA fight, BJ Penn fought the far more experienced 11-2-1 Jens Pulver for the UFC lightweight title, losing a controversial majority decision to the reigning champion. Following a contract dispute, Jens was stripped of the title and the UFC soon after held a tournament to crown a new champ, which BJ Penn fought Caol Uno to a close draw in the final of.

With many of the top lightweights locked up overseas and the tournament failing to crown a new champion, the UFC got rid of their lightweight division entirely, leaving Penn without a home.

He quickly found a spot at Rumble on the Rock 4 in his home state of Hawaii, and a fight against Takanori Gomi - a 14-1 former Shooto champion who was coming off a controversial split decision loss to Joachim Hansen.

With BJ Penn and Gomi both ranked in the top three in the world, while Rumble on the Rock's championship belt may not hold the recognition of a UFC or PRIDE belt, for most fans of the sport it would crown the best lightweight in the world when Penn and Gomi entered the ring back in 2003.

That lightweight would of course be BJ Penn, who picked apart the Japanese star en route to a dominant third round rear-naked choke victory. Gomi would go on to win 10 straight and become a long-reigning PRIDE lightweight champion following the loss, while Penn's career would see him back to the UFC...for a short while.

Despite the UFC no longer having his weight class, he opted to return to the organization for a shot at the welterweight crown instead, then held by the dominant, long-reigning Matt Hughes, who had already defended his belt a record five times.

The smaller Penn was as such a significant underdog, yet Penn plowed through the 35-3 champion regardless, submitting the decorated grappler late in the first round via rear-naked choke to score one of the biggest upsets in the sport's history at the time. Though he didn't hold an esteemed belt at lightweight, Penn had earned UFC gold at welterweight and was the number one ranked lightweight in the world, effectively being a simultaneous double champ before that was even thought of as a possibility.

Following a contract dispute (which was unfortunately frequent back in the day when the UFC was struggling to keep afloat), Penn signed with K-1 in Japan and was subsequently stripped of his newly earned welterweight title.

Penn's debut in Japan came against Duane "Bang" Ludwig, a decorated kickboxer who sported a 10-2 record in MMA at lightweight and was moving up to 170 pounds himself; Penn took less than two minutes to submit Ludwig via arm triangle to earn his third straight submission victory.

While it may have ended with a dip in his opposition's ranking, Penn's back-to-back submission victories against top opposition in two weight classes is more than enough to earn him a spot on this list, and edges out his other hottest three-fight streak that saw him finally earn the UFC's lightweight title (when Penn avenged his first career loss by submitting Jens Pulver, then demolished and submitted Joe Stevenson to win the vacant belt, and finally crushed former champion Sean Sherk to defend his crown).

12. "Stone Cold" Stipe Miocic 2016-2017

Victims: Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos

Stipe Miocic's historic title run saw him become the first champion to defend the UFC heavyweight belt three times consecutively, and would later see him break the division's overall title defense record at four after he became a two-time champion.

Though this list is limited to three fights, the two outings immediately preceeding Stipe's entry were impressive knockouts over the iron-chinned Mark Hunt and the elite glass cannon Andrei Arlovski which earned him a crack at the UFC heavyweight strap, then held by Fabricio Werdum.

Werdum was on a hot streak of his own having rattled off six straight victories in the UFC, including an armbar submission over Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend "Big Nog" Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, a knockout of his own over Mark Hunt to capture the interim UFC title, and a shocking beating and guillotine submission of Cain Velasquez to earn the undisputed crown.

Many were debating if Fabricio Werdum had done enough to claim the mantle of the greatest heavyweight in the sport's history, having been the first man to beat Fedor Emilianenko (barring a quick cut stoppage very early in his career) and to then defeat Cain Velasquez, who was the other heavyweight who was in talks alongside Fedor for being MMA's heavyweight GOAT.

Stipe Miocic meanwhile, cared not what the narrative was or who the betting lines favoured - he walked into Brazil, faceplanted Werdum with a textbook counter as Werdum recklessly charged after him mere minutes into the fight, and walked out with twelve pounds of gold.

Miocic defended his new crown against Alistair Overeem, a veteran in every sense of the word who had what one may call a rollercoaster of a career - at the time, he was riding a high after having his terrifying heavyweight run demolished by a failed drug test and subsequent "deflating" which left him on the wrong end of three brutal KO losses in four outings, only for him to reinvent himself once again and earn a crack at UFC gold off of four straight victories.

The former "Ubereem", his new style and physique leading some to call his new form "Econoreem", began his title bid with even more movement than had become his norm over his current streak. Stipe, already growing frustrated by Overeem's incessant circling and refusal to engage just over a minute into the fight, began doing what he had punished Werdum so brutally for in his last fight - Stipe forgot the dangers his opponent presented and simply marched forward without thought for defense.

With the bait taken, Overeem planted his feet and hammered home a left hand that floored the unsuspecting champion, the 61-fight veteran all-but tasting the golden belt he would surely own.

As Stipe scrambled to survive, Alistair looked for his trademark guillotine, a submission he had scored on plenty of past opponents, but Miocic was able to not only escape the choke, but he used it as an opportunity to clear his head.

Back on their feet, Overeem continued with his prior strategy, albeit now with less gas following the failed finish attempt, while Stipe hunted his prey, landing shots where he could and literally chasing Overeem around the cage when he turned his back to try and get space.

With a takedown off a failed kick from Overeem, Stipe rained down a series of heavy punches past Overeem's guard and knocked "Econoreem" out cold, earning him a hard-fought comeback victory and putting another legend's name on his resume.

Miocic followed it up with a quick, half-round knockout over former UFC champion Junior Dos Santos, who had previously defeated Miocic in a close decision following a brutal back-and-forth war.

The victory ran up his knockout streak to five and tied the heavyweight record for consecutive title defenses (which he would later break). Not bad for a man who was supposed to be a sacrificial lamb for the slaughter in Brazil just a year prior.

11. Georges "Rush" St-Pierre 2008-09

Victims: Matt Serra, Jon Fitch, BJ Penn

GSP's later title reign may have come with a lot of decision victories as the Canadian great was rightfully criticized for playing things "safe", but earlier in his career Georges was no stranger to the finish, as a couple of guys who shared the name "Matt" can certainly attest to.

St-Pierre would only ever have two blemishes on his record - a first round, last-second submission via armbar to Matt Hughes early in his career, and a shocking knockout loss to Matt Serra in his first title defense that still to this day ranks as one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.

Yet as his status in the GOAT debate can attest, St-Pierre always came back better and emphatically avenged his losses - in the case of Matt Hughes, he would avenge his loss not once but twice, first knocking him out with a head kick before submitting the grappling great with an armbar to take the trilogy bout.

The latter bout earned Georges an interim welterweight title as injuries put off Matt Serra's first title defense and a rematch with St-Pierre. While Serra tended to his health, Georges was chomping at the bit for revenge, taking an impressive decision over top prospect Josh Koscheck before the afforementioned submission of Matt Hughes.

A full year after their first bout, Serra and St-Pierre took to Montreal for their massive rematch, and this time Georges proved he was on an entirely different level, picking apart the Long Island native and utterly smashing him on the ground, finishing him late in the second with a series of vicious knees to the body and heavy punches to earn back his undisputed welterweight crown.

From there GSP would begin his second reign in earnest, racking up a welterweight record nine consecutive title defenses before vacating the title to take time away from the sport (a 4-year hiatus that would end with him capturing the middleweight crown before retiring for good, but that's a story for another day).

The first defense of Georges' crown came against longtime contender Jon Fitch, who was often criticized for his boring style yet was remarkably effective, with Fitch having won 16 straight fights in his 19-2 career.

Though the fight wouldn't end in a finish, it was really due to Fitch's toughness more than anything - GSP absolutely dominated Fitch from bell to bell everywhere the fight went, picking him apart on the feet and battering him on the canvas. Georges dropped Fitch on three separate occasions - once in the first, then twice in the third round - yet Fitch was able to hold on to see lopsided scorecards of 50-44, 50-44, and 50-43 read aloud, back in a time when 10-8 rounds being awarded were remarkably rare.

Even though he fancied himself the better grappler and Georges had no formal wrestling training or background before he began training in MMA, Fitch failed to secure a single takedown on the champion while Georges landed 7 of his 9 attempts, truly proving he was far superior in every avenue of the game.

His next defense came against rival BJ Penn, a former welterweight champ and the current lightweight king who became the first man to try to hold two UFC belts simultaneously.

The two had previously locked horns back in 2006, with GSP spoiling Penn's return to the UFC after his stint with K-1's MMA promotion. Though St-Pierre had his hand raised, the fight was an extremely close affair which resulted in a split decision, one in which Penn felt he had won.

The rematch and the first true champion-vs-champion fight in UFC history came at UFC 94, and unlike their first fight, it was anything but competitive.

The first round, while not a complete blowout, had GSP in the driver's seat as even though Penn was able to stuff most of his takedown attempts, he was still able to outland Penn and outwork him in the process; it all went downhill for BJ from there, as from the second round on, Georges was able to ground the smaller Hawaiian and dominated on the floor, smothering Penn's attempts to reverse or look for a submission and raining down ground and pound in the process.

By the end of the fourth round, Penn was absolutely exhausted and offering virtually no resistance as Georges worked him over on the mat and beat on him, looking in a state of shock when he made his way to his corner - ultimately, Penn wouldn't answer his coaches on if he wanted to keep fighting, and the towel was thrown, making Georges the first UFC champion to ever defeat a fellow, reigning champion inside the Octagon.

10. Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort 2013

Victims: Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, Dan Henderson

Unlike the rest of the streaks on this list, Vitor Belfort's 2013 killing spree didn't include any title fights, yet the quality of his opposition and the manner in which he dispatched them makes it one of the most impressive streaks regardless.

2013 would become the height of the TRT (Testosterone Replacement Therapy) controversy in the sport, with Belfort becoming the poster boy for criticisms of the program - though a handful of other fighters were also on TRT, which at the time was allowed by state commissions, the others didn't seem to enjoy any increased success from the treatment, with several of them in fact declining after taking the treatment, while Vitor became an absolute monster and one of the scariest men on the planet.

TRT was, in effect, sanctioned cheating, and even the tests to determine if one "should" get the therapy were so easy to game anyone who wanted to could take advantage of it - to be fair, while he certainly abused the system, Vitor was getting his shots administered by the UFC's own doctors and was not doing anything illegal. In effect: hate the game, not the player.

As for its effects on Belfort, the 36 year old had already spent nearly two decades fighting, yet his body was returned to its absolute peak (arguably past it, not to mention its aid in recovering from training), with the power and endurance of a young hungry lion combined with extensive experience in competition and decades of skill development.

Though he had always been known for his blistering hand speed, his 2013 killing spree would also add a new wrinkle to his game - a lightning fast head kick.

Opting for the old Cro Cop special of pairing a left high kick with a classic, crippling southpaw straight, Vitor became the nightmare of middleweights (and light heavyweights) everywhere.

His first victim was perennial contender (and future champion) Michael Bisping.

After a slow first round that was mostly a feeling-out process, the second would end viciously as Vitor uncorked a high kick that landed flush on Bisping's face. Surprisingly, the extremely tough Brit remained conscious, but Vitor swarmed with savage ground and pound until the referee saved Bisping from any further punishment.

The kick was so powerful, Bisping's right eye would suffer permanent damage as a result, eventually leading to Bisping losing all sight and having it removed.

His next opponent was one Luke Rockhold, the final Strikeforce middlweight champion who was making his UFC debut after the organization was absorbed by the UFC.

Expected to make a serious run at the title (he would of course later capture the middleweight crown), Rockhold's aspirations were put on the backburner as just midway through the opening round Vitor landed a nasty spinning wheel kick that put Rockhold on the canvas. Several brutal punches later, Rockhold was out cold and Vitor Belfort was the new top contender in the middleweight division.

Unfortunately for Vitor, just two months later Anderson Silva would be dethroned by Chris Weidman via a shocking knockout; the UFC opted to grant Silva an immediate rematch, forcing Belfort to wait for his turn at the title.

Not content to sit idle, Vitor looked to stay busy by taking a fight up at his old stomping grounds of light heavyweight, seeking revenge against an old rival: Dan Henderson.

Henderson, who is one of the most decorated fighters in the sport and the only two-weight champion in PRIDE's history, had previously defeated Belfort by decision nine years prior back in the PRIDE ring.

More recently, Henderson had captured the Strikeforce light heavyweight title, then shocked the world by knocking Fedor Emilianenko out cold up at heavyweight, running up his knockout streak to three; in his return to the UFC, he fought Shogun Rua in one of the greatest fights in MMA history, taking home a close decision after an all-time classic battle of legends.

His 2013 however had not been nearly as fruitful as Vitor's - Hendo had instead lost back-to-back split decisions against former champions Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, both fights being razor-thin losses on the scorecards. Eager to get back into title contention, Hendo accepted Vitor's challenge and the two legends duked it out in Goiania, Brazil.

Known for having a chin made of pure granite, having never been knocked out even when fighting heavyweights despite his middleweight frame, the MMA world was floored along with Hendo as Vitor literally lifted him off his feet with an uppercut as Henderson stepped in to the pocket. Desperately trying to survive, Hendo made his way to his feet only to be floored by a head kick as he did so, forcing the referee to step in and stop the onslaught just 77 seconds into the fight.

Though Hendo protested the stoppage, being dropped twice in the span of a few seconds and falling the way he did, it was safe to say it wasn't looking good for him (they also had a trilogy bout two years later, where Vitor knocked him out in similar fashion). The granite chin of Hendo had finally been cracked, and Vitor re-affirmed his position in line for the next title shot.

Of course, Vitor's career would take a massive hit not long after, as commissions decided to ban TRT outright, and with other drugs that would enable someone using it to come off of it safely also being banned, it forced Vitor and others to come off of it cold turkey if they wished to continue fighting.

To his credit Belfort did so, but it completely devastated his body as a result; by the time he returned to finally partake in his earned title shot in mid-2015, he looked like he had aged twenty years and his body looked positively deflated. He landed a solid flurry on Chris Weidman early, but ultimately was beaten from mount in the first round and never again came close to his 2013 form, which ended up being one last hurrah for an OG of the sport.

9. Jose "The King of Rio" Aldo 2009-10

Victims: Cub Swanson, Mike Brown, Urijah Faber

Like Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and Demetrious Johnson, Jose Aldo enjoyed a disturbingly long run at the top of his division, having been unbeaten for nearly a decade and racking up nine straight title defenses between the WEC and then the UFC.

Like Georges but to a lesser extent, his later reign offered plenty of decisions as Aldo opted not to switch into a higher gear unless he had to (like in his phenomenal second fight with Chad Mendes, which remains one of the greatest title fights in UFC history) - yet in the WEC, he was a finisher of the highest order and one of the most vicious knockout artists in the game.

Paired up with fellow prospect Cub Swanson in a title contendership match, Aldo quite literally exploded into the title picture, needing just eight seconds to dispatch the extremely durable "Killer" Cub.

A ridiculous double flying knee put Swanson down for the count before he could even get going, his orbital bone shattered in the process.

The incredible knockout earned the future "King of Rio" a crack at dominant featherweight king (and future head coach at American Top Team) Mike Brown, who was riding a 10-fight winning streak of his own and had already defended his crown twice.

Brown however had never met someone like Aldo, who absolutely picked him apart everywhere the fight went, blasting him on the feet and even outgrappling the collegiate wrestler, battering him with ground and pound early in the second until the referee was forced to stop the massacre.

At just 24 years old (possibly a few years older, as there's suggestions he may have lied about his age early on thanks to the poor record keeping in Rio), Aldo became a champion and set up a massive showdown with Urijah Faber, the popular former featherweight king who had defended his belt five times before being defeated by Mike Brown.

With Faber's popularity and Aldo's dominance, Zuffa (owners of both the UFC and WEC at the time) put their marketing muscle behind the featherweight showdown and gave it top billing for the WEC's first (and ultimately only) pay-per-view event. The Zuffa brass were effectively using the card as a test - the WEC did great numbers on free TV, but could the smaller weight classes draw on PPV? If they proved to be able, then the UFC would expand their roster to include the lower weight classes that the WEC provided; if not, the promotion would likely continue to be its own separate, "smaller" entity.

The WEC's PPV debut was already wildly successful before Aldo and Faber made their walk to the blue Octagon that night, but the two legends delivered nonetheless.

Aldo proved his skill and instilled fear in featherweights the world over with his devastating leg kicks, smashing Faber repeatedly to the point Faber could barely hobble around the cage - though the fight went all 25-minutes, that was a testament to the unbelievable heart and toughness of Faber (who had previously fought to a decision after breaking both hands early against Mike Brown) rather than any lack of ability from Aldo.

It was a masterful performance from a future great and solidified his status as the undisputed best featherweight on the planet, a status he would hold for over 5 years following the bout. Aldo would end his WEC days with a vicious KO over Manny Gamburyan before the WEC was absorbed into the UFC and Aldo was given a shiny new belt, one he would defend a further seven times.

8. Amanda "The Lioness" Nunes 2018-19

Victims: Raquel Pennington, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm

If you're looking for a one-sided beating, it doesn't get much more one-sided than Amanda Nunes' third title defense against Raquel Pennington.

She may not have been the most impressive title challenger, but Pennington sure proved her toughness as she was battered for four rounds by the champion, Nunes outclassing her by a country mile everywhere the fight took place. "Rocky" barely survived the fourth but managed to make it to the stool, where she indicated she was "done" - rather than protect their fighter, her corner urged her to continue and sent her out for more, which to her credit she valiantly did everything she could to try and turn around.

Unfortunately for her, all she got for her trouble was more damage, and midway through the final stanza, a shattered nose and a series of elbows and punches finally forced the referee to put an end to the beating.

Nunes' next opponent was expected to put up much more of a fight - the venerable Cris Cyborg.

One of the best and most imposing women to ever step foot in a ring or cage, Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino was unbeaten in her last 20 fights, the lone loss on her record coming in her pro debut back in 2005. Since then, she had reigned supreme over the women's featherweight division, earning titles in Strikeforce, Invicta, and finally the UFC, finishing 17 of her victims by strikes and being well known for her ferocious power and well-rounded game.

It's not often that two fighters that are at the forefront of the "GOAT" debate get to duke it out, but given Cyborg's esteem and Nunes' dominance at bantamweight with victories over Miesha Tate, Ronda Rousey, and Valentina Shevchenko (twice), the winner of their matchup at UFC 232 would be crowned by most as the greatest female fighter in MMA history.

Nunes moved up to featherweight to challenge Justino for her belt, and as expected, it resulted in fireworks between the two heavy-handed strikers.

Cyborg cracked Nunes early and went into kill mode, only to get rocked herself thanks to her over-aggression. Despite being on wobbly legs, Cyborg threw caution to the wind and continued to try to slug it out with Nunes, a mistake that would haunt her for the rest of her career. Nunes dropped a bomb across Cyborg's exposed chin, and in just 51 seconds Cyborg was left facedown on the canvas.

With that finish, Nunes had cemented her claim to being the female GOAT. Given the ridiculously quick and crazy finish, many hoped to see a rematch between the two, with Cyborg heavily campaigning for a shot at redemption but growing frustrated with the UFC's refusal even after putting a beating on a promising prospect; her tactics (or more accurately, her manager's) ran afoul of the UFC brass and they ended up cutting her from her contract, ending any possibility of seeing the two legends share the cage once more.

Instead, Cyborg was forced to move on and captured Bellator belt, defending it multiple times before more recently adding the PFL championship to her trophy case.

Nunes meanwhile went back to bantamweight to defend that title against former bantamweight queen Holly Holm, who was returning from her own stint at featherweight where she had gone 1-1 (with that loss coming against none other than Cyborg).

The "Lioness" used Holm's own signature move against her, landing a head kick to take out the "Preacher's Daughter" late in the very first round, adding yet another highlight reel knockout to her lengthy list of finishes.

7. Alex "Poatan" Pereira 2024

Victims: Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, Khalil Roundtree

When it comes to the best calendar years in fighting, it's hard to beat Alex Pereira's 2024.

The former middleweight champion and two-division Glory kickboxing champ was coming off another championship moment as he added the UFC light heavyweight belt to his overflowing collection, having knocked out Jiri Prochazka for the vacant strap in Madison Square Garden.

Poatan's 2024 began with the honours of headlining the monumental UFC 300 card against the last light heavyweight champ, Jamahal Hill, who was forced to vacate after an injury to his achilles tendon.

Hill had captured the title by beating down Glover Teixeira, Pereira's mentor and best friend, adding plenty of fuel for Pereira to draw motivation from. Hill's trash talk and sudden disrespect the week of the fight certainly added plenty more fuel, and in retrospect, was a really, really bad move from Hill.

If you've been living under a rock, you may not know that Pereira absolutely posterized Hill at UFC 300. On an epic night of fights, Poatan once again stole the show, though Hill should be credited for enabling part of what made the finish such a spectacle.

After a feeling out process and some low kicks/body jabs from Pereira, Hill landed a low kick of his own (the only significant strike he landed in the fight) - but it was to Pereira's cup. Referee Herb Dean stepped in to halt the action, but not wanting to waste any time, Pereira put up a hand to wave Dean off and force the action to continue. No doubt annoyed with being kicked in the jewels, Pereira stepped forward to unleash the first headshot he had attempted all night.

Hill, having attempted his own punch that missed, was instead absolutely crushed by Pereira's trademark left hook, crashing to the canvas like a sack of potatoes. Several vicious follow up shots ensued before Dean stepped in to stop the action, and here's where karma came into play - as revenge for Hill's needless shit talking, Pereira decided to turn Hill into a meme.

Copying the infamous Khaby Lame gesture to mock his fallen foe, Pereira had his viral moment and grew his star status at the expense of his mouthy victim.

Just two months later, Pereira would step in on short notice to save International Fight Week's UFC 303 after Conor McGregor pulled out of his fight with Michael Chandler over a broken toe (ironically, Pereira himself fought at UFC 303 with a broken toe).

Stepping in to face him was Jiri Prochazka, who was coming off an impressive bounceback KO over Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 300, and who believed the ref stepped in too early in his first fight against Pereira.

The second meeting erased any doubt that may have lingered, as Poatan picked Jiri apart, flooring him at the end of the first round with his trademark left hook before the bell saved Jiri from further damage.

After the short break where Prochazka still seemed out of sorts, Poatan immediately got back to work and executed his wounded prey with a nasty head kick, a brutal end to a fight that was arguably over when Jiri fell the first time.

Pereira returned to Salt Lake City, Utah just a few months later to defend his title a third time in a single calendar year (it was also just 11 months after he captured his belt in the first place), this time against fearsome striker Khalil Roundtree Jr., who was riding a five fight winning streak with four of those wins coming by knockout.

After a dull and disappointing card that wasn't helped by some horrendous judging, Pereira and Roundtree stepped up to save the night by delivering an all out war. He may have been counted out by many fans, but Khalil proved he belonged and even dropped Pereira momentarily by countering a missed kick, taking the first two rounds as his power punching and counters gave Pereira plenty of problems.

In the third however Poatan found his groove and began ramping up the pressure, setting a high pace that slowly but surely began overwhelming the challenger, his heavy combinations and kicks taking their toll on Khalil as he struggled to keep up.

The fourth quickly became the Pereira show as he entered into a flow state, dodging Khalil's attempts to keep him at bay while battering him with massive combinations and turning his face into mincemeat.

Roundtree surviving as long as he did was astounding, every punch he absorbed reverberating around the arena as his nose caved in and his eyes swelled shut.

After a cracking combo of hooks to his gut followed by a heavy uppercut upstairs, Khalil finally succumbed to the onslaught and Poatan had his third knockout and title defense of the year.

6. Khabib Nurmagomedov 2018-20

Victims: Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje

Khabib Nurmagomedov is certainly one of the best lightweights to ever compete in the sport, but his vaunted 29-0 record is admittedly extremely thin on championship caliber opposition.

At 26-0 he was the lightweight champion, yet had still not faced a single opponent ranked in the top five at the time they competed.

His original opponent at UFC 223 - the interim champ Tony Ferguson, who was on an incredible streak of his own - was forced out due to a torn ACL he received tripping over a wire during an interview for the UFC, proving the match-up between the two lightweights was legitimately cursed. Tony and Khabib had been scheduled to fight not once, not twice, not three times, but four times at that point, and each time one of the two was forced out due to injury or in the case of Khabib a problem cutting weight.

To add insult to injury, the final cancellation came on April 1st, turning what many thought was just a cruel joke into the harsh reality of MMA.

Sitting featherweight champion Max Holloway stepped up to the plate, only for the New York doctors to refuse to allow him to cut any more weight and pulling him from the fight on weigh-in day, stating that it was unsafe for him to continue the cut.

Instead, Al Iaquinta, a fringe top-10 lightweight who was already competing on the same card, was tapped to step into the main event and save the show. "Ragin" Al put in a respectable performance given the circumstances, though Khabib would ultimately take home a comfortable, if unremarkable, decision victory to take the vacant title.

That title was vacant of course due to Conor McGregor's foray into boxing; after losing against Floyd Mayweather in the ring, McGregor finally came back to the sport that made him, setting up a massive showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The fight was made all the more massive due to McGregor's stardom and his infamous dolly incidident the week of Khabib's title victory.

The fight would become the biggest selling PPV in UFC history, and ironically was the first time Khabib actually stepped into the cage with a top-5 ranked opponent despite holding a title - yet the champion made it clear he was on an entirely different level than the brash Irish shit-talker.

The first round saw Khabib take Conor down and spend almost the entire round on top, with Conor unable to get to his feet, though he was able to limit Khabib to very little damage in the opening stanza.

The second round turned into a beatdown as Khabib shockingly dropped Conor with an overhand right, then spent the rest of the round pounding on Conor from the top position.

The third saw Khabib seemingly take a round off, likely to conserve energy after the pace he put on in the second, McGregor landing some pot-shots on the feet as Khabib was content to simply jab, though he eventually took Conor down for some control time. The fourth however saw him return to his dominance, grounding Conor easily and snatching a rear-naked neck crank to force Conor to submit midway through the round.

Chaos would ensue afterward as Khabib then went after Conor's corner and triggered a melee, resulting in him receiving a 9-month suspension and $500,000 fine.

His next fight in Abu Dhabi would come with a great deal less controversy as he faced interim lightweight champion Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier, an air of respect replacing the blood feud that had encapsulated Khabib's last outing.

Nurmagomedov's smothering grappling would become the clear story, as Poirier valiantly tried to defend Khabib's relentless blanketing and avoided taking too much damage, but kept looking for a guillotine choke which sacrificed position to the superior grappler. In the third, Poirier jumped on one such guillotine that even Khabib later admitted was extremely tight, but the champion was able to survive Poirier's hail mary effort and used it to gain top position, submitting Poirier just moments later via rear-naked choke.

A fifth-scheduled fight against Tony Ferguson would fall apart once again at UFC 249 - this time, the COVID-19 panic trapped Khabib in Russia and instead, Justin Gaethje stepped in to square off with Ferguson in Florida, beating Tony from pillar to post to capture an interim lightweight title via a fifth round TKO that would begin a tragic losing streak for "El Cucuy".

Owner of four-straight knockouts, Gaethje earned a crack at the undisputed title opposite Khabib, and was able to avoid Khabib's grappling for most of the first, instead able to land some punishing leg kicks while Khabib landed some solid punches and chased down his opponent, eventually taking Gaethje down at the end of the round.

In the second, Khabib was able to ground his prey early and a panicked Gaethje was no match for "The Eagle" on the floor, getting trapped in a triangle choke and forced to tap out for the first time in his career.

There may have been many controversies surrounding the streak between the McGregor fiasco and the failed matchup between Tony and Khabib, but Nurmagomedov's dominance in the cage over his last three fights cemented his status as one of the greatest lightweights in the sport's history.

Unfortunately, due to the death of his father, Khabib would retire following the Gaethje fight at just 32 years old. His lack of longevity and small list of championship-opposition by the end of his career leaves him far away from any GOAT talks from serious fans and pundits.

5. Charles "Do Bronx" Oliveira 2021-22

Victims: Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje

While MMA fans are still in mourning over his crushing defeat at the hands of Ilia Topuria not two weeks ago, it's the perfect time to revisit Charles Oliveira's legendary title run.

Once a seemingly failed prospect who was relegated to the mid-card after weight cutting issues and a stint that saw him with just one win in four outings, Charles Oliveira turned his career around in an incredible way after the birth of his first child.

"Charlie Olives" as many of his fans call him, went on an absolute tear through the lightweight division - four straight submissions, then two straight knockouts, then a submission over Kevin Lee, and finally a dominant decision victory over Tony Ferguson earned Oliveira a crack at the lightweight title following Khabib's retirement.

Gone was the slick but timid grappler - in his place was an aggressive marauder who kept coming forward until his opponent wilted from the pressure and gave him their neck (or their chin).

Facing off against former 3-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who was on an impressive three-fight knockout streak of his own, Oliveira showed off his slick ground game early, but midway through the opening stanza was tagged big time by the heavy-handed Chandler and dropped to his knees.

Earlier in his career, Oliveira was known as a man who would find a way out when the going got tough, but in more recent years, Oliveira had proven his durability and tremendous heart in addition to his hyper-aggressive style and remarkably well-rounded skill set. As Chandler swarmed for a finish, Oliveira managed to hang on and survive the onslaught, using his jiu-jitsu to keep himself relatively safe and make it to the second.

Determined to exact revenge, Oliveira immediately poured on the pressure in round two, flooring Chandler with a beautiful left hook; now it was Charlie's turn to swarm for a finish, and after eating several big shots, Chandler tried to run out from against the cage, only to eat a series of left hooks which put him on the floor and ended his title bid early.

It was a beautiful comeback and an emphatic knockout to extend his remarkable career resurgence with a 9th straight victory, all but one coming via finish.

Next came Dustin Poirier, who has coming off of a thrilling war with Dan Hooker and back-to-back victories over Conor McGregor.

Able to defend Oliveira's takedowns early, Poirier engaged the champ in an absolute war as Oliveira pressured the challenger from the opening bell, who was more than happy to oblige. "The Diamond" managed to drop Oliveira in that opening round, following up but deciding it was better to instead let Oliveira back up to his feet when he realized the champ wasn't near being finished.

The second round saw Oliveira manage to take Poirier down where he dominated the former interim champ, landing solid shots and looking for a submission as Poirier looked simply to survive to the next bell. Early in the third, Oliveira's persistence paid off as he was able to lock in a rear-naked choke and force Dustin to admit defeat.

For his second title defense against Justin Gaethje, controversy hit as Oliveira missed weight by half a pound, though there were major doubts as to the accuracy of the scale based on multiple fighter's accounts and some odd readings on other fighters - regardless, only Gaethje was eligible to win the title, with Oliveira being unceremoniously stripped of his belt before stepping into the Octagon.

The fight would last less than three-and-a-half minutes, yet provided an all-out, action-packed war nonetheless, Oliveira just as determined to defend his crown whether it was official or not.

The two warriors stood and chucked bombs at each other from the opening bell, with Gaethje knocking down the champ in an early exchange with an uppercut, but Justin refused to follow the decorated BJJ ace to the floor, instead letting Oliveira back up to continue the slugfest.

Later on, Oliveira would score a knockdown of his own courtesy of a right hand, and unlike his opponent, he wouldn't let his victim off the hook, instead going for a reverse triangle on the floor.

Gaethje was able to get out of that attempt, only for Charles to immediately hop on his back and lock in a rear-naked choke, forcing the tap and securing his position as the best lightweight in the world once again.

Oliveira's title run was one of the most exciting streaks in the history of the sport, and cemented his status as one of the best lightweights to ever put on a pair of four-ounce gloves.

4. Max "Blessed" Holloway 2017-18

Victims: Jose Aldo (twice), Brian Ortega

Following Conor McGregor's flight from the featherweight division, longtime featherweight king Jose Aldo recaptured his crown with a dominant performance against former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar at UFC 200, setting up a showdown with Max Holloway, who himself was riding an incredible 9 fight winning streak.

An injury to Aldo delayed the matchup, leading to the UFC to create an interim featherweight title fight between Holloway and former lightweight champ Anthony "Showtime" Pettis, who in just his second fight in the weight class missed weight and proceeded to be absolutely battered by "Blessed".

With the stage set for a unification bout, Max Holloway took on the "King of Rio" in his home city in Brazil. The fight started well for the Brazilian legend as he cracked Holloway early with a barrage of punches and a heavy knee, but Holloway's unbelievable chin once again loomed large as he was able to withstand the early aggression from the champion.

As the fight wore on, Holloway's pace ramped up to an overwhelming onslaught, forcing the normally cerebral Aldo into a firefight; by the third round, Holloway's output had swelled to an avalanche as Aldo could no longer keep his head above water, Holloway's punches increasingly getting through his defenses and leading to a knockdown late in the third round; though Aldo valiantly tried to survive, Holloway's non-stop barrage left the referee no choice but to save Aldo from any further punishment.

The performance was literally the crowning moment in Max Holloway's already impressive career, the 25-year old earning his tenth straight victory and logging 104 significant strikes landed in less than three full-rounds against one of the greatest defensive strikers in the sport's history.

Max Holloway would return to the cage six months later. Originally slated to face Frankie Edgar, an injury forced Edgar out and on less than a month's notice, Jose Aldo stepped up to get a second chance against the newly crowned Hawaiian champion.

Aldo again found success early, but quickly was sucked into a firefight with Holloway, trying to match output with a man who is renowned for his cardio. The two put on an absolute show in the process, but once again Holloway's sweltering pace overwhelmed the Brazilian legend; in the third round alone, Holloway landed 108 significant strikes (more than the entire 3 rounds combined in their first fight), with 174 over the course of the fight which ended in a similarly vicious third round TKO.

Holloway had definitively beaten the featherweight GOAT twice in a row, but 2018 turned into a frustrating one for the champion.

Scheduled to face Frankie Edgar in March, a leg injury forced Holloway to withdraw; then in April, an out-of-shape Holloway stepped up on just six days' notice to face Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, who had been set to face Tony Ferguson until an ACL tear forced Tony to withdraw.

Coming in heavy given he had no camp or fight scheduled, Holloway had an arduous weight cut and although he insisted he would make it just fine, the New York State Athletic Commission's doctors refused to let him cut any more weight and pulled Holloway from the fight, taking away his hastily cobbled-together chance at becoming a simultaneous two-division champ.

Holloway was then set to defend his featherweight crown against Brian Ortega (who had just knocked out Frankie Edgar) in July, only to be pulled from the fight just three days before the event due to "concussion-like symptoms".

Holloway wouldn't step back into the Octagon until December, where he finally faced off against the undefeated 14-0 Brian Ortega.

The fight would be an absolute beatdown.

Though he did his best to get his own shots in and gave himself every chance to win, Ortega was simply drowned by Holloway's unbelievable pace and sublime boxing offense, a torrential onslaught overwhelming Ortega's defenses and forcing him into a struggle to survive.

Ortega certainly proved his toughness as his face turned into a swollen mess yet he refused to go down, but that toughness simply made him suffer far more damage - the fourth round became perhaps the most vicious beatdown in UFC history, as Holloway landed a record 134 significant strikes in the five-minute span, upping his total for the fight to another record of 290.

Though Ortega somehow managed to make it to his corner, the doctors had seen enough and mercifully stopped him from coming out for the fifth, preventing him from taking any more career-altering damage.

It was yet another incredible performance from the Hawaiian champion that extended his winning streak to an astounding thirteen.

3. Jon "Bones" Jones 2011

Victims: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Lyoto Machida

When it comes to controversy, Jon Jones is the undisputed GOAT.

Even ignoring his personal life exploits, his in-cage accomplishments are mired in controversy and asterisks, from PED usage throughout his career to his notorious eye gouging; while some declare him the sport's GOAT, others point out the litany of bloated middleweights and aging legends struggling to stay healthy on his resume, not to mention his departure as soon as the new wave in the division started to be able to match his athleticism.

That being said, when it comes to impressive three-fight winning streaks, Jones' capture of the title and first two defenses still deserve praise when we talk about legendary streaks.

After beating down Ryan Bader to start his historic 2011, Jones would step in for injured teammate Rashad Evans on short notice at UFC 128 to face off against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the light heavyweight title.

Shogun was coming off a stunning first round knockout over Lyoto Machida to capture UFC gold the year before, a fight in which he again blew out his ACL which forced him into yet another knee surgery.

Opening the bout with a flying knee which cracked Shogun, Jones utterly decimated the PRIDE legend in the Octagon, throwing him to the floor and battering him on the ground, nailing him with vicious knees and elbows on the feet, in what arguably remains the most diverse and impressive performance of Jones' career.

It was only Shogun's toughness and heart that kept him in the fight to the third round, but eventually Rua was simply overwhelmed and succumbed to strikes midway through the third.

For his first defense, Jones faced another PRIDE legend and former UFC champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Jackson had won four of his last five, most recently a pair of decisions over Lyoto Machida in a very close bout and then over the durable Matt Hamill.

Though Rampage did well early in avoiding Jones' dominating top game, Jones repeatedly threw what would become one of his signature techniques: the oblique kick.

Slamming into the front of Rampage's quad or knee, the kick isn't a particularly bruising strike, but if timed correctly it can hyperextend one's leg, causing plenty of damage to a fighter's knee. After extending Rampage's leg with such a kick, Jones had a field day against the grizzled vet as Rampage became so worried about having his knee blown out he effectively became a sitting duck.

The oblique kick would later take a backseat to Jones' eyepokes (or the mere threat thereof) in terms of making his opponents scared to close the distance on him, but at this stage of his career, Jones was equally focused on using both tricks to keep his opponents at bay - see both at work near simultaneously against Shogun here.

Jones would utilize his significant reach to break the hesitant Jackson down at range before taking him down and submitting the legend in the fourth, in what was a brilliant tactical performance from Bones.

Then came his next defense against Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida, who was hot off the heels of a vicious crane kick KO over the legendary Randy Couture.

Machida would give Jones the toughest test of his young career, rocking him with a swift flurry in the first, but Jones kept his composure and was able to get back to keeping Machida at range.

Late in the second, Jones brilliantly timed one of Machida's trademark blitzes and intercepted the karateka's charge with a nasty elbow which rocked Lyoto. In the ensuing scramble, Jones locked up a high-elbow guillotine, which given his arm's tremendous length, rendered Machida unconscious in mere seconds.

The Dragon was out cold before he had a chance to tap and Jones released the choke, letting his unconscious victim collapse lifelessly to the floor face-first in a brutal visual.

The intercepting elbow showcased Jones' brilliant timing and the ensuing guillotine his affinity for finishing fights with his grappling prowess, adding another legend to his resume.

2. Anderson "The Spider" Silva 2011-12

Victims: Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Chael Sonnen

The reason this list was limited to "one streak per fighter" was entirely due to this man.

Anderson "The Spider" Silva had perhaps the most incredible winning streak in MMA history, winning 17 straight bouts (19 if you ignore a DQ for an illegal upkick, that he had reportedly been told was legal by officials before the fight), 16 of those in the UFC, with 10 consecutive title defenses (which should be 11, but one opponent missed weight; nowadays it would still count as a title fight for the fighter who made weight, but that wasn't the case back then) and 15 finishes in that incredible span.

He still holds the record for longest UFC winning streak at 16, which is even more remarkable considering all but three of those were in title bouts, with two of those three coming at a higher weight class.

Out of that unbelievable run, you can make arguments for several trios being his most impressive three-fight streak, and I struggled to pick out which should be number one.

His first three UFC bouts made a strong candidate - coming in as an unknown (to the UFC audience at the time) to face fan favourite Chris Leben in a contendership bout, only to utterly demolish the iron-chinned Leben in just 49 seconds; his brutal muay thai clinic on then-champion Rich Franklin, who he knocked out in under three minutes to capture the UFC middleweight championship; then his "non-title" defense against grappling ace Travis Lutter who came in at 187, who Silva put into a triangle and proceeded to viciously elbow into submission in the second round.

His next three bouts are equally strong - he absolutely skewered longtime contender Nate Marquardt with a first round knockout; once again viciously mauled Rich Franklin and finished him with knees again in their rematch; and then rocked and submitted two-weight PRIDE champion Dan Henderson to unify the PRIDE and UFC middleweight titles.

You can even swap out Marquardt's win and replace it with Silva's next fight after Henderson, a fight up 20 pounds to take on a then-contender and knockout artist at light heavyweight, James Irvin, who he easily knocked out in just 61 seconds.

In the end however, his most impressive trio of victories came later in his lengthy title reign, beginning with his showdown against fellow Brazilian striker and legend in his own right, Vitor Belfort.

Returning to the UFC after years competing in PRIDE, Cage Rage, and Affliction, Vitor Belfort had already found a new home for himself down at middleweight with two straight vicious KOs in Affliction. Former champ Rich Franklin welcomed him back to the UFC fold, yet the grizzled vet was quickly dispatched in just three minutes by the returning "Phenom".

With his sharp hands and power, Vitor was expected to be a real threat to Silva's throne and was one of few that fans believed could give Silva trouble on the feet, yet their highly anticipated showdown met multiple delays - injuries to Silva pushed back their fight, only for Belfort to then get injured himself and sidelined while Silva turned back Demian Maia and Chael Sonnen.

The latter name of course would famously given Silva all he could handle for over four rounds, battering Silva from pillar to post thanks to his elite wrestling, furious pace and constant ground and pound, only for Silva to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat courtesy of a triangle choke in what was to this day one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

With Sonnen then serving a year suspension thanks to some inhumanly high testosterone levels, the fight between Silva and Belfort would finally take place at UFC 126.

The striking showdown was incredibly tense while it lasted, every viewer knowing it could end at any moment in violent fashion - yet Silva quickly proved to be a level above the challenger.

Vitor attempted multiple combinations on the champ, yet Silva effortlessly moved just out of the way to make the celebrated hands of Belfort fall short.

Catching a kick, Vitor went for the trip and looked to capitalize with a massive left hand, only for Silva to roll with it like he was in the matrix and swiftly return to his feet as Vitor hit nothing but air.

The next engagement would be etched in MMA history as Anderson unleashed the perfect tool against Vitor's wide, powerful stance - a simple front kick straight up the middle.

Silva's kick landed flush with Belfort's chin and sent him to the ground, somehow still (barely) awake. A few pinpoint punches on the ground later, Belfort was out cold and Silva had officially defended his title for the eighth time (unofficially the ninth).

The iconic knockout remains one of the greatest in the sport's history and would even become Anderson's logo for his personal brand.

Anderson followed it up by taking on Yushin Okami, a large middleweight known for his suffocating grappling and for being a tough outing for anyone in the division. Okami also technically held a win over the champion (the afforementioned illegal upkick DQ). Anderson made Okami look like an amateur in their title bout, easily picking him apart and dropping him twice before finishing him with strikes on the ground.

And then came the rematch with Chael P. Sonnen.

Following his suspension, Chael earned his rematch with a submission over Brian Stann and a gruelling decision victory over Michael Bisping, trashing the champion every time he was presented with a mic.

Despite the constant antagonism, Silva refused to play Chael's game and in their rematch, a very different fight took place.

Chael was able to ground Silva quickly in the opening round, which had many fans feeling a sense of deja vu - if Silva couldn't keep Chael off of him, he was in for another long night. But this time, Silva completely locked down Sonnen's offense, stifling his normal constant output and forcing him to simply lay in top position, doing virtually no damage; Silva may have been taken down, but he showed he was not going to accept a beating like he had in the first fight.

The second round became the Silva show as he stuffed Chael's takedowns and began to dig in shots as Chael desperately looked to close the distance. Panic set in as Chael was forced into a striking match with a man on a completely different planet than his when it came to skill, technique, timing, speed, and power. Sonnen then made his final mistake, a sloppy spinning back fist that Silva effortlessly evaded as the momentum caused Sonnen to fall to the floor.

Sonnen covered up against the cage, hoping to avoid punches so he could return to his feet; instead, Silva then showed his impeccable eye for the finish as he launched a knee at Sonnen's solar plexus, folding him like a lawn chair. Some follow up shots proved Sonnen was in no condition to continue and just like that, Silva's greatest rival had been dispatched with disturbing ease.

The win would turn out to be Silva's final successful defense of his title, as he would step in at 205 to put on an absolute clinic on the late Stephan Bonnar to save a card ravaged by injuries, and then his fateful matchup with Chris Weidman would end the remarkable reign of the Spider.

1. Ilia "El Matador" Topuria 2024-25

Victims: Alex Volkanovski, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira

The trio of fights that inspired this article - perhaps there's a bit of recency bias baked in, but it's hard to see any past streak of three that surpasses "El Matador's" current KO spree.

You could maybe argue that Volkanovski returned too quickly after being knocked out on short notice against Islam Makachev at lightweight, as he was just four months removed from his KO loss; you could argue Charles is past his prime, and at 35 it's likely true.

Yet even past his prime Oliveira is still one of the top few lightweights on the planet and an extremely tough outing for anyone, and Volkanovski has since proven to still be the best featherweight on the planet not named Ilia Topuria.

How clean Volk was hit by Ilia's right hand, I doubt anyone would have survived; to follow it up with becoming the first man to ever knock out Max Holloway, who had perhaps the greatest chin in the sport's history and was coming off arguably his best career performance, a domination of Justin Gaethje at lightweight than ended in a shocking KO, was just asinine.

After the back-to-back legend slayings, he followed it up with a move up to lightweight (which he had hoped to face off against Islam Makachev, only for Makachev to move up to welterweight) to face one of the toughest lightweights on the planet - in spite of Oliveira's size advantage, Ilia not only defended Oliveira's attempts to take him down, but threw Oliveira onto the floor, then avoided a leglock, then knocked Oliveira dead with one punch, something no one in Oliveira's lengthy career had managed to do.

He's the man known for getting knocked down and always getting back up - eventually, that toughness and durability would have to give way to reality, sure, but to dispatch Oliveira in the manner in which Ilia did? It was just pure violence made possible by beautiful technique and ungodly power.

Time will tell who Ilia's next victims turn out to be, but here's hoping the UFC keeps the fan favourite legends far away from the new lightweight king in the future, I'm tired of seeing my heroes getting knocked into another dimension.

Honourable Mentions

• Dan Henderson 2011

  • Defeated Rafael Cavalcante by knockout, 205 Strikeforce Championship

  • Fedor Emilianenko by knockout, heavyweight

  • Shogun Rua by decision, fight of the year

• Daniel Cormier 2018

  • Volkan Oezdemir by TKO, 205 UFC Championship

  • Stipe Miocic by knockout, HW UFC Championship

  • Derrick Lewis by rear-naked choke submission, HW UFC Championship

• Kamaru Usman 2021

  • Gilbert Burns by knockout, 170 UFC Championship

  • Jorge Masvidal by knockout 170 UFC Championship

  • Colby Covington by decision, 170 UFC Championship

• Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier 2018-19

  • Justin Gaethje by knockout

  • Eddie Alvarez by knockout

  • Max Holloway by decision, interim 155 UFC Championship

• Francis Ngannou 2019-21

  • Junior Dos Santos by knockout

  • Jairzinho Rozenstruik by knockout

  • Stipe Miocic by knockout, HW UFC Championship

• Anthony "Showtime" Pettis 2013-14

  • Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone by knockout

  • Benson Henderson by armbar submission, 155 UFC Championship

  • Gilbert Melendez by guillotine submission, 155 UFC Championship