2. UFC 47
Peak Chuck vs. Peak Tito. If Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock was the UFC’s first rivalry, Chuck and Tito was the first one that really saw the sport start to cross over into the mainstream.
The pair had previously been friends and stablemates, managed by a little-known (at the time) Bostonian by the name of Dana White. But years later, after an acrimonious split between, they ended up as bitter rivals who both wanted the same thing, the UFC title.
Randy Couture had the belt after outpointing Ortiz in September 2003, and “The Iceman” and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” faced off for the right to move one step closer to a fight for the gold.
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Next up: The night that changed it all.