For a long time, this was arguably the biggest fight that could be made in all of mixed martial arts.

Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva had for many years dominated their respective weight categories in the UFC and PRIDE but were kept apart from one another by virtue of being contracted to different promotions, and all the contractual baggage that comes with it. However, following the UFC’s purchase of Japanese organisation PRIDE in 20o7, much of those obstacles cleared — and six or so months after the deal was formalised, the much anticipated Liddell vs. Silva bout was made official.

While some of the sheen was taken away from the fight due to both fighters losing their last two contests (Liddell to ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Keith Jardine and Silva to Dan Henderson and Mirko Cro Cop), what followed was an outstanding brawl between two of the sport’s most blood n’ guts strikers, and arguably the finest fight of the year.

Check it out in full below.

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