5. K-1 World Grand Prix Final 2002 in the Tokyo Dome (12.7.2002): HOOST BECOMES 4-TIME CHAMPION
Attendance: 74,500
K-1 rolled into the Tokyo Dome with a ton of momentum for their tenth anniversary show with a card that was stacked from top-to-bottom. Featured in the tournament that year were K-1 legends such as Ray Sefo, Peter Aerts, Bob Sapp, Ernesto Hoost, Jerome Le Banner, Musashi and Mark Hunt. Both Hoost and Aerts had three tournament wins under their belts, and they were looking for a fourth that night. Even though both men were eliminated in the quarterfinals, Hoost was the fighter the officials called upon when Bob Sapp couldn’t compete in the semi-finals due to an injury he suffered (ironically in his quarterfinal fight against Ernesto Hoost). Hoost would make the most of his opportunity and would go on to meet world-class striker Jerome Le Banner in the finals. By the main event, the crowd was on their feet and roaring after every series of strikes. Hoost played it smart and utilized his counter-strikes and head movement to outsmart Le Banner. Le Banner broke his arm after receiving a brutal kick in the second round, and Hoost finished him off with kicks in the third, earning his fourth K-1 World Grand Prix title.
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4. PRIDE Grand Prix 2000 Finals in the Tokyo Dome (5.1.2000): ROYCE GRAZIE VS. KAZUSHI SAKURABA
Attendance: 38,429
38,429 screaming fans packed the seats in the Tokyo Dome to watch the final stages of the 2000 Openweight Grand Prix. It featured one of the most anticipated fights in the history of mixed martial arts: Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba. While the Japanese crowd in attendance cheered Royce Gracie out of respect during the introductions, it was clear they were 100% behind Kazushi Sakuraba. The always quiet Japanese crowd broke out of character and erupted every time Sakuraba successfully defended a submission, went for a submission, or even when he just cracked a smile letting his fans know he was in no trouble. After over an hour of action (the fight couldn’t be stopped by a referee and couldn’t go to decision as requested by Royce Gracie) the crowd erupted when they saw Royce’s corner throw in the towel. The combination of Sakuraba celebrating, his notorious music blaring in the speakers and the crowd yelling at the top of their lungs made for one of the best atmospheres in MMA history.
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3. PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 in the Tokyo Dome (11.9.2003): LONG LIVE CHUTE BOX… HEYYYYYY
Attendance: 67,460
PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 featured the semi-finals and finals of the Middleweight Grand Prix, now only featuring Chuck Liddell vs. Rampage Jackson and Wanderlei Silva vs. Hidehiko Yoshida. In each room backstage of the Tokyo Dome rested a fighter whose mind was filled with emotions. For Dana White and Chuck Liddell, it was a chance to prove that the UFC was just as good, if not better than any competition Japan had to offer them. For Olympic Gold Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida it was to represent Japan as he was the only native participant in the tournament. For both Wanderlei and Rampage, it was their chance to prove that their unorthadox style of fighting was among the best in the game. Throw in some of the best finishes and you’ll have a crowd that popped with every punch, knee, soccer kick or head stomp that connected that night.
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2. UFC 129 in the Rogers Centre (4.30.2011): BROKEN NORTH-AMERICAN RECORDS
Attendance: 55,725
UFC 129 already had what it needed to make this list before the event even took place; it smashed the North American attendance and live gate records. When fight-time rolled around, you could tell those in attendance were proud to be UFC fans, and even more proud to be Canadian because every cheer for the Canadian fighters that night was just as loud as the last. Despite the fact that there were ten home-country fighters, what sold-out the Rogers Centre was essentially the main-event: Georges St. Pierre defending the title in his home country against the man who was supposed to be his biggest threat to date in Jake Shields. Unexpectedly, the preliminary bouts were just as good, if not better, than the highly anticipated main-event. With moves like flying triangles, spinning back fists, jumping front kicks, nose-shattering standing short elbows and multiple German-Suplexes, UFC 129 was easily one of the best cards in the company’s history.
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1. PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 in the Saitama Super Arena (8.28.2005): LEGENDS COLLIDE
Attendance: 47, 629
47, 629 mixed martial arts fans gathered in the Saitama Super Arena to watch Mirko Cro Cop and then PRIDE Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko duke it out in their prime. They were on a combined 25 fight win-streak (18 for Emelianenko not counting his no-contest, and 7 for Cro Cop) and it was touted as Fedor Emelianenko’s biggest challenge to date. The excitement wasn’t contained only within the arena; even fans at home got chills down their spines when the two legends went toe to toe. Fedor ousted the challenger and walked out of the ring victorious with his belt still draped over his shoulder. Also on the card was the culmination of the exciting 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix where Shogun Rua made history and became the youngest PRIDE Champion. Those in attendance witnessed an energy flow throughout the arena that hasn’t been recreated since.
