7. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia
In only his second fight in the UFC, former PRIDE legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira found himself in an interim heavyweight title fight with Tim Sylvia, who had lost the belt just a year earlier. ‘The Mainiac’ started the fight strongly, dropping Nogueira in the opening round. But the Brazilian survived and made it to the second round. There, he would start to have some success before being rocked again.
By the third round, Nogueira seemed to be staring defeat in the face. But after being clocked in the face yet again, he finally managed to get the fight into his world by pulling guard. He then swept on top, and as Sylvia tried to get back sunk in a guillotine choke. It forced a swift tap. Nogueira had claimed the interim heavyweight strap.
