- Benson Henderson edged out Donald Cerrone in an epic five-rounder at WEC 43, while Mackens Semerzier came out of nowhere to score the upset of the year over Wagnney Fabiano.

- Chuck Liddell’s storybook run on “Dancing With the Stars” came to an abrupt end when his country-fried two-step failed to win over the judges.

- Half-crazy UFC vet Wes Sims was quickly choked to sleep by Justin Wren on Wednesday’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter, extending Team Rashad’s undefeated reign of destruction.

- “The Simpsons” devoted an entire episode to MMA, in which Marge went from killjoy protester to ass-kicking cage-fighter.

- Brock Lesnar was as big and scary as a baby as he is now, and Nick Diaz had lost all ability to give a fuck by age six.

- We met Mika Nagano, one of Japan’s sexiest MMA fighters.

- After contract negotiations with the UFC fell apart, veteran fighter Dan Henderson is jumping ship to Strikeforce.

- Leaner and meaner, Ben Rothwell laid out his plan to beat Cain Velasquez at UFC 104 next Saturday.

- If Tito Ortiz is your favorite fighter, you are either Jenna Jameson, Donald Trump, or Tito Ortiz. No exceptions.

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Strikeforce announced that Fedor Emelianenko’s first opponent in their organization would be undefeated brawler Brett Rogers. Fedor responded to the news with a piss-poor jump-rope display.

- Gina Carano came out of hiding to thank her fans and give props to the woman who wrecked her two weeks ago. Speaking of Cris Cyborg, the Strikeforce women’s champ will be helping to revive the once-fearsome Chute Boxe name with her own gym in California.

- Shane Carwin doesn’t like Brock Lesnar’s attitude, *or* his taste in light beer.

- Could the UFC have a network television deal in the works?

- We watched the fastest knockout in MMA history, a kickass DREAM highlight reel, and Tito Ortiz’s latest lunkheaded video blog.

- New UFC Octagon Girl Natasha Wicks hasn’t given up her day job as a golf-caddy.

- Chuck Liddell began his training for “Dancing With the Stars.” God help us.

- UFC 102 goes down Saturday night in Portland. Check out our analysis of the card here and here, and come back to CagePotato.com at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT for our liveblog of the pay-per-view broadcast.

With UFC 100 a week away on July 11, I decided to look back at what got the UFC to this point. Here is my take on what I believe are the 10 most significant fights in UFC history, helping the company become what it is today.

1. Stephan Bonner vs. Forrest Griffin – Ultimate Fighter Finale 1: This fight was not only the most memorable fight to watch, but may also be the fight that really pushed the UFC into the next level of mainstream popularity. Following the debut season of The Ultimate Fighter, a show which UFC President Dana White and co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta funded out of their own pocket, the finale took place live on Spike TV, which was airing live fights for the first time in the history of cable television. The UFC knew it needed something big to happen to not only keep a cable television deal, but earn future advertisers, and also prolong its reality show for future seasons. Bonner vs. Griffin delivered just that. The two fought to the very end and both were so even, it was impossible to decide a clear winner for most fans. The fight at one point drew 10 million viewers, which was just what the UFC needed. The back-and-forth, non-stopped action gave the UFC an identity to fans that had never seen it before and got the ball rolling that has allowed the UFC to snowball into what it is today.

2. Chuck Liddell vs. Randy Couture 2 – UFC 52: Just a weeks after the Griffin-Bonner classic, the UFC followed up with The Ultimate Fighter coaches facing off for the light-heavyweight title. The PPV drew in more fans than ever before due to the success of the reality show and the finale, and the knockout win for Liddell pushed him into being the face of the organization. Liddell’s success would lead to new sponsorship for fighters, making him the first U.S. based millionaire in MMA and begin a new trend for fighters earning money outside the octagon. Liddell would also earn television roles, movie roles, a book deal, and land the cover of ESPN The Magazine during his reign as UFC champion.

3. Royce Gracie runs the table – UFC 1: Obviously UFC 100 couldn’t take place without UFC 1. While the fighting style in the opening PPV is nothing like you will see today, you still have to look at this event and note the historical ramifications. Jiu-jitsu black belt Royce Gracie seemed to be out-sized and out-matched in the eight-man tournament, but the smaller Gracie submitted all of his opponents, using technique and patience as opposed to power and force. Gracie’s success inspired others to train jiu-jitsu and helped create the fighters of today.

4. Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie – UFC 60: As I just explained, Royce Gracie was the first legend, but his fighting style wouldn’t survive in today’s UFC, which focus more on all-around ability as opposed to excelling at one aspect. This much was proven at UFC 60 when then-welterweight champion Matt Hughes quickly disposed of Gracie in the first round, putting a stamp on the elder generation of fighters and ushering in the new generation of amazing and athletic fighters.

5. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock 1 – UFC 40: Up until this point, the UFC was still searching for an identity in the sports world. Dana White and the Fertitta brothers had recently purchased the UFC and needed a marquee fight to really draw the attention of fans. Shamrock and Ortiz would do just that, as the established names of both fighters presented a “dream fight” to many fans and outside spectators. The two would get plenty of media attention prior to the fight, appearing on Fox Sports Best Damn Sports Show as well as ESPN. The weigh-ins for the fight were aired on television for the first time in UFC history as well. This fight would be the prelude to the big MMA explosion that would come years down the line.

6. Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Rampage Jackson – UFC 86: This light heavyweight title fight may not stick out as significant to some, but in my opinion, this fight really exemplifies what the UFC has created with its reality show The Ultimate Fighter. At UFC 86, Griffin, the winner of the first season, became the first cast member that has never fought in the UFC prior, to win a UFC championship. Griffin’s win proved that the reality show was developing future UFC stars. It is hard to look at a UFC PPV card these days without seeing it littered with former Ultimate Fighter cast members. Griffin’s legitimized all of the fighters that have been on the show and proven that they were not just reality stars.

7. Rampage Jackson vs. Dan Henderson – UFC 75/ Henderson vs. Anderson Silva – UFC 82: Again, you may wonder why these fights are on the list, but the historical significance is huge. This was the first time that a UFC champion faced a Pride champion to unify the two titles. The argument for years was which organization was better, UFC or the Japan based Pride Fighting. Well, with Pride going under and the UFC purchasing some of the roster, we were finally able to answer some of these questions. The fights themselves may not have lived up to the hype, but crowing a undisputed champion is something for the history books.

8. Chuck Liddell vs. Tito Ortiz 1 – UFC 47: Again looking to hit a home run, UFC 47 presented the Chuck vs. Tito fight that UFC fans were craving for years. The fight wasn’t for a title, but got the media attention of one. Celebrities like George Clooney and Juliette Lewis attended the live fights, which was the first time the UFC drew fans of that caliber to their live shows. Liddell’s knockout win was the beginning of his career boost, but still not as important as his win over Couture.

9. Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture – UFC 91: In this fight Lesnar won the UFC heavyweight title in just his third UFC fight. The reason I put this fight on the list is because Lesnar has been a huge draw for the UFC. His presence on UFC cards has drive up PPV buys each time he fights. Lesnar jumped to MMA after a career in professional wrestling, and his presence in the UFC brought a whole new fan base from his backing in the WWE. Lesnar has quickly become one of the most popular fighters in the world for that very reason and has started a trend of pro wrestlers looking to get into MMA, which could mean big things for the UFC. Already, Bobby Lashley has made a similar jump and has looked like he could be a future UFC fighter.

10. Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans – UFC 98: The Machida-era started just a little over a month ago as the undefeated fighter beat previously unbeaten Evans by knockout in the second round for the UFC light heavyweight title. Machida is the lone UFC fighter to have a truly karate style approach to fighting. Machida is elusive and defensive in his fighting, but accurate and deadly with his strikes when he throws them. The reason I consider this fight to be so significant is because Machida’s win breathes new life into karate. Already people have started to look more into karate for a form of fighting. Karate is no longer something your kids just do for self defense, it is now becoming an effective fighting technique thanks to Machida. Machida could start a new trend of fighters and be a revolutionary fighter in UFC history.

–Written by TSR MMA contributor Drew Ellis

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Gina Carano (above photo) looks pretty hot as a pin-up girl.

- Toby Imada pulled off the most epic submission in MMA history against Jorge Masvidal at last weekend’s Bellator event.

- Hatsu Hioki, Marlon Sandro, Michihiro Omigawa, and Masanori Kanehara advanced to the semi-finals of Sengoku’s featherweight grand prix.

- Team U.S. and Team U.K. split a pair of quarterfinal fights, while a bounty offered for knocked-out teeth hilariously backfired on Wednesday’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter. Plus, will Rampage Jackson return for season 10?

- With Houston Alexander’s hand injury, UFC 98 becomes the second-most-cursed card in UFC history. Nevertheless, the show must go on, and Matt Serra has taken over video-blogging duties to promote it.

- Two new people will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame the day before UFC 100 in July. The smart money’s on Charles “Mask” Lewis and Chuck Liddell.

- Speaking of UFC 100, a new viral effort has been launched to get the crowd to chant “Fedor!” immediately following the Brock Lesnar/Frank Mir main event, pretty much just to screw with Dana White.

- Despite getting KTFO’d, Benji Radach is appealing his April 11th Strikeforce loss to Scott Smith.

- Your chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to UFC 98 from CagePotato.com ends on Monday!

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Congenital amputee Kyle Maynard’s MMA debut went about as well as we thought it would.

- Clearly bored with the garbage-ass challengers he’s been getting in the UFC’s middleweight division, 185-pound king Anderson Silva will go up to light-heavyweight again to face Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 in August. Meanwhile, Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia will be facing off to determine who really deserves the next middleweight title shot.

- Gina Carano looked hot at Kevin Randleman’s wedding.

- Despite some intense infighting, Team U.S. was able to put its first victory on the board on the last episode of The Ultimate Fighter, while coach Michael Bisping vanished into thin air.

- Japanese promotion DREAM is putting together the greatest MMA freak show in history with their “World Superman Championship,” which will feature steroid-snitch Jose Canseco, pituitary case Hong Man Choi, Bob Sapp, and five more warriors, hopefully fighting to the death.

- Speaking of freak shows, Fedor Emelianenko used his 70-pound weight advantage to toss around Shinya Aoki in a grappling exhibition at the last M-1 Challenge event.

- Less than two months after Nick Diaz and Scott Smith scored victories at “Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz,” the two will be fighting each other at “Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields.”

- Sign of the apocalypse #783: Kung Fu Football.

- Kim Couture’s wife pulled out of her upcoming fight against Miesha Tate, and Tate responded by telling everyone that Kim and The Natural are getting a divorce. Real classy.

- By forcibly retiring Chuck Liddell, is Dana White looking out for his friend’s health or his company’s wallet? Little from column A, little from column B?

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Chuck Liddell stepped into the cage (and got knocked out) for the last time, while Anderson Silva and Thales Leites put on one of the most boring title fights in UFC history at UFC 97 last Saturday. Regarding the Silva/Leites scrap, UFC prez Dana White said “I’ve never been embarrassed of a UFC fight like I was tonight,” while Silva’s manager tried to do damage control.

- The Iceman may be retired from the fight game, but it seems like his acting career is taking off. Meanwhile, Andrei Arlovski is going to appear in the next Jean-Claude Van Damme joint.

- Nick Osipczak put the Brits up 1-0 with his crushing head-kick knockout of Mark Miller on Wednesday’s episode of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

- Gina Carano does it for love, not money. Yeah, right.

- Pro wrestler-turned-fighter Bobby Lashley will be colliding with cartoonish brawler Bob Sapp in a June pay-per-view event that will also feature Affliction’s vice-president actually fighting on the card.

- Congenital amputee Kyle Maynard makes his MMA debut tomorrow night. But will it be a triumph or an ill-advised freak show?

- Speaking of freak shows, lightweight grappling-genius Shinya Aoki and world’s-best-heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will be tangling in a “special sparring exhibition” next week in Tokyo. Ah, what’s a 70-pound weight-difference between friends?

- Enter our “Underground Heroes” giveaway and win a pair of tickets to UFC 98! And if you’re going to the May 23rd event, be sure to check out our fan’s guide to Las Vegas.

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- The young angry lion took out the old braces-wearing lion at Strikeforce’s kickass “Shamrock vs. Diaz” event. In the aftermath, Cristiane “Cris Cyborg” Santos lost some respect and Nick Diaz thinks he’s ready to box Roy Jones Jr.

- Junie Browning’s even dumber and drunker brother Rob left The Ultimate Fighter as quickly as he arrived. And everyone rejoiced.

- Speaking of MMA on TV, “Bully Beatdown” may be as fake as “The Hills.”

- Tickets to the UFC’s historic 100th show sold out in a matter of hours. Scalped tickets are going for up to $24,000. Seriously.

- Sorry Chuck, but if your biggest problem is all the porn stars trying to party with you to advance their own careers, you don’t have that many problems.

- Bellator Fighting Championships: The most interesting MMA league that nobody seems to care about.

- Tune in to CagePotato.com tomorrow night starting at 10 p.m. ET for live results of UFC 97: Redemption. Will Mauricio “Shogun” Rua show up in shape for his do-or-die fight against Chuck Liddell? Does Thales Leites have a chance in hell of stealing the middleweight belt from Anderson Silva? Are there any other fights on this card genuinely worth getting exciting about?

- Also, if you want to win a DVD of “Never Surrender” (starring BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Anderson Silva), enter our latest caption contest!