The UFC returns to Perth on September 27, hoping to create even more incredible memories in the octagon.
Australia has always been a hotbed of fandom for the UFC, producing some of the most iconic events in the promotion’s history.
Ahead of UFC Perth, we’ve chosen the five most memorable moments to take place Down Under, including the end of one of the UFC’s most dominant reigns in front of a record crowd in Melbourne, plus many more.
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5. Mark Hunt’s walk-away knockout of Frank Mir set up a clash with Brock Lesnar
Months before he took on Brock Lesnar at UFC 200, Mark Hunt coolly ended another former UFC Heavyweight champion with just one punch in Australia.
Hunt flattened Frank Mir on March 20, 2016, when they faced off in Brisbane, with the bout barely lasting three minutes from the opening bell.
The Kiwi fighter managed to block all of Mir’s attempted takedowns before knocking him out with one punch in the first round.
As soon as Mir began to fall, Hunt nonchalantly walked back to his corner, hitting one of the most impressive walk-off knockouts in UFC history.
4. UFC Sydney in 2014 saw all 11 fights end in finishes, including Luke Rockhold vs Michael Bisping
The UFC Fight Night 55 event had a fantastic card, but nobody expected just how spectacular the fights would be up and down the show.
The 11-fight card, which included 4 main card bouts, didn’t see a single decision made by the judges.
Every single fight, from Marcus Brimage’s opening first-round KO against Zhumabek Tursyn to Luke Rockhold’s submission win over Michael Bisping, ended with a finish that got the crowd on their feet.
This still holds the record, as no other event has had as many finishes at UFC Fight Night 55 managed in Sydney.
3. Cain Velasquez finished a UFC legend in two minutes in the UFC’s debut in Australia
The UFC ended its first show in Australia with a fantastic bout between two absolute legends of the fighting game.
UFC 110 marked their first trip down under, and fans were treated to a clash between Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Velasquez had one eye on a fight with Lesnar when he took the fight, although he remained focused on the job at hand.
That was clear when he knocked out Nogueira with a one-two punch combination just two minutes into the fight, setting up the fight with the former WWE Champion.
2. Mark Hunt went to war with Bigfoot in Brisbane
In the UFC’s debut in Brisbane back in 2013, Hunt went to war over five rounds against a six-foot-four monster in Antonio Silva in a fantastic brawl.
It was a battle between two giants of the Heavyweight division, which somehow lived up to the lofty expectations of hungry fight fans.
It ended in a rare majority draw decision, but the fans ended up winning. The heavy slugfest went all five rounds, both men taking huge hits and carrying on in a brutal war.
It is remembered as one of the great UFC fights, even if nobody walked out the winner that night.
1. Ronda Rousey’s dominant streak was ended by Holly Holm in Australia
Australia has played host to many incredible fights in the past, but none come close to the absolute shock that was Ronda Rousey’s clash with Holly Holm at UFC 193.
More than 56,000 people packed into the Docklands Stadium in Melbourne on November 14, 2015, to witness the end of an era.
Rousey had never tasted defeat in her career, and the UFC Women’s Bantamweight looked full of confidence in the build-up to this clash.
However, what followed was arguably the biggest upset in UFC history when Holm stunned Rousey with a right hand before knocking her out cold with a head kick, ending her legendary title reign as the Australian crowd exploded, knowing that they had just witnessed history.