Stop me if this sounds familiar.

One of the world’s premiere MMA organizations has fallen on hard times. They have lost their television contract. They are losing some of their top fighters to rival promoters. They plan to begin doing shows on other continents to increase revenue. By the end of the year, the promotion will be sold to a Nevada-based company named Zuffa.

No, I’m not talking about PRIDE FC’s plight during the last year. I’m talking about the Ultimate Fighting Championship as they entered what is now called “The Dark Days.” Despite all the negatives surrounding the promotion, the fighters in the ring still put on some great performances. What follows is a top ten list of the best fights from the UFC’s “Dark Days.”

10. Tedd Williams def. Steve Judson. In the annals of Mixed Martial Arts, Tedd Williams will be best remembered as a trainer. His opponent at UFC 24, Steve Judson, will be remembered for the stunning KO he suffered at UFC 22. On March 10, 2000, these two fought in an unlikely main event. Though both were known for their grappling skills, the fight was contested on the feet. After some exciting exchanges, Williams secured the referee stoppage.

9. Kevin Randleman def. Pete Williams. At a time when the previous two heavyweight champions of the UFC had vacated their titles, Randleman and Williams were determined to be the best of the rest. With both fighters having defeated former champions in their debuts, the choice made sense. From the opening bell, Randleman put the heat on Williams. Though he took control for a few minutes at the end of round one, Williams was never winning the fight. Randleman took a unanimous decision.

8. Pedro Rizzo def. Tsuyoshi Kohsaka. Rizzo entered this fight undefeated in the UFC, and was fighting a home country favorite. Kohsaka was 3-1 in the organization with his only loss coming to a retired champion. It could be argued that this fight could be for the vacant title. As it was, it was a clear number one contender bout. Rizzo would systematically dismantle Kohsaka. Eventually, Rizzo’s trademark leg kicks left Kohsaka kneeling on the canvas and not defending himself.

7. Randy Couture def. Kevin Randleman. Though Randy Couture had already won the UFC heavyweight title in his career, he had vacated his belt and lost twice over seas prior to this title fight. Randleman came into the bout having already defended the title once, and looking to add another. Randleman supporters said that he would be younger, more athletic, and a better wrestler. Whether these assertions turned out to be true or not would be irrelevant. Couture did what he would make a career of doing by defeating an opponent he was not supposed to defeat.

6. Yuki Kondo def. Alexandre Dantas. Despite a mixed record, Kondo came into this fight with a huge amount of experience fighting in Pancrase. His opponent, Dantas, was making his MMA debut. Dantas was, however, renowned as a Brazillian Jui-jitsu specialist. Both fighters kept the pace going for most of this memorable contest. It would Kondo’s experience and cardio that allowed him to eventually pound out a TKO victory. Dantas would only fight once more in MMA, also for the UFC under Zuffa ownership.

5. Jens Pulver def. John Lewis. This fight was 15 seconds that put Jens Pulver on the map. Though he had had success earlier in his career, KOing John Lewis marked the beginning Jens Pulver being a marquee fighter for the UFC. Lewis was the much bigger name coming into the fight, having fought some of the most respected fighters in the world. The quick knock-out would be the end of his competitive career in MMA. Outside the cage, Lewis would go on to be a trainer and promoter.

4. Josh Barnett def. Gan McGee. Noteworthy for being the only fight in UFC history to be competed under the Super-Heavyweight class under the unified rules, it turned out to be fairly high paced and well fought. Josh Barnett was making his major MMA debut after having won a star-producing tournament in SuperBrawl. It was IFC veteran Gan McGee, however, who would get the upper hand in the first round. Fatigue proved to be too much; and Barnett took control to earn the TKO in the second.

3. Dennis Hallman def. Matt Hughes. Hallman and Hughes had met as undefeated prospects in an Extreme Challenge event, with Hallman scoring a quick submission victory. Entering the rematch, Hughes had won 18 in a row while Hallman had seen defeat four times. Proving that there are just certain fighters who have another fighter’s number, Hallman scored another submission victory in 20 seconds. Since their rematch, Hughes has become a multi-time UFC champ and Hallman has found relative obscurity. Dennis Hallman might call himself “Superman,” but against Hughes he plays the role of kryptonite.

2. Jens Pulver def. David Valasquez. Two young fighters from good camps in the lighter weight classes is often a recipe for a great fight. Pulver and Valasquez did not disappoint. The fight would not be extraordinarily significant in either fighter’s career, but the in-ring action stood for itself. Featuring well fought striking and grappling exchanges, the two round fight showed fans some of the best of what MMA could be.

1. Tito Ortiz def. Wanderlei Silva. Though I’m sure many will scream about the lack of action in this plodding contest, the historical significance of this affair is undeniable. Fighting for the belt that Frank Shamrock had vacated, Ortiz and Silva would unknowingly be shaping the MMA landscape for the next 5 or 6 years. Ortiz won the unanimous decision and would become the face of the UFC. Silva, on the other hand, would have to find fights elsewhere. Luckily for him, he found a home in Pride. There he would become an even longer standing champion than Ortiz was in the UFC. If the result of this fight had been different, the world of MMA today would be different.