5. Sonnen vs. Wanderlei
The grudge match to end all grudge matches. The culmination of Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva's coaching gigs on The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 was a match in the making for over a year, dating back to when Sonnen would infamously stated in a post-fighter interview "Wanderlei Silva, 6-foot tall and 205-pounds. Boy, until I met you, I didn't know they could stack crap that high." There were off-set confrontations, insults traded through the media, and an on-set brawl at TUF Brazil 3. Sonnen's genuine likeability as a coach saw him win over Brazilian fans, while Silva tarnished his image with his childish actions. And in the end, Silva ran from a drug test leading up to their UFC 175 bout, while Sonnen failed a drug test of his own and retired. It was a fight that never really mattered, not to the light heavyweight division. No belt was on the line, neither fighter was getting much out of it - but it was a fun fight. It would have made a lot of money. More people were talking Silva/Sonnen than Weidman/Machida when it came to UFC 175. It probably had Dana White seeing dollar signs, and Silva went on record this week to claim it would have been his biggest payday. Now it's a fight we'll never see.