10 UFC Events That Changed The Game

10. UFC 91 - Lesnar Becomes The Champ (Leading To Changing Of The Guard)

MMA fans the world over will probably scoff at Brock Lesnar's inclusion on this list, but it's hard to argue with the fact that his presence on any UFC card brought with it a substantial increase in attention.

Never was that more apparent than in the former WWE star's UFC 91 Heavyweight title fight against the champion at that time, Randy Couture.

Many felt that Lesnar didn't deserve the bout as he'd only gone 1-1 in the company. However, this marketing stunt proved to be a Dana White masterstroke and Lesnar's title victory broke the company's record for PPV buys at the time.

The fight got UFC some of that all important mainstream exposure, whilst also exhibiting a real passing of the torch moment. Couture - one of the company's faces - would never find himself in the title picture again post-defeat and Lesnar was positioned as the man to carry UFC into the next stage of their evolution as a promotion.

The rest of the card wasn't bad either, with the likes of Gabriel Gonzaga, Kenny Florian and Demian Maia all winning their respective bouts. However, Lesnar's announcement as a legitimate threat - in convincing fashion - rightly stole all of the headlines.