On April 9, 2005, two mixed martial artists who weren't very well known at the time entered the octagon for a fight that would become one of the most famous in UFC history.
Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar were the finalists of the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter," a reality TV show where up-and-coming fighters competed for a chance to get a contract with the UFC.
Griffin, a boxer and grappler and former police officer, was the more experienced of the two fighters, with a 13-3 record. Bonnar, a kickboxer who used to wrestle, was making his first fight in the UFC. But he had already shown his toughness on "The Ultimate Fighter."
The fight between Griffin and Bonnar was the main event of "The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale." It took place at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both men came out aggressively at the start of the fight, and the entire fight was extremely competitive and exciting.
The fight was a back-and-forth battle, with both men landing big blows and wrestling for the upper hand. Through three rounds they exchanged blows and grappled for position, with neither man backing down or showing any signs of quitting. The amount of heart and determination exhibited by both fighters is amazing to watch.
Griffin was the winner in the end by unanimous decision. However, due the strength of Bonnar's performance, both men were awarded contracts with the UFC.
Since then, UFC president Dana White has called the fight "The Fight of the Decade," and many people think it was one of the most important fights in the sport's history. It shows how much Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar cared and how determined they were. They both gave everything they had in the octagon that night and helped change the future of mixed martial arts.
Watch the full fight below: