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9. Chris Leben vs. Mike Swick
WEC 9
Jan. 16, 2004 | Lemoore, Calif.

Before they were housemates on the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” they were combatants at one of the early WEC events. Leben’s ferocious punching power came through in the first round, where he dropped Swick with a loopy left hook, but “The Crippler” could not put him away. After finishing off the opening frame on the canvas, Swick stumbled back to his corner; the end, however, was near.

Leben stormed out for the second round and slugged with Swick, who obliged. Leben planted an overhand left on Swick’s jaw, and the taller fighter instantly crumbled in a heap onto his knees and face. Swick was out 45 seconds into round two, and Leben had become the WEC’s first middleweight champion. Leben went on to score plenty of other violent stoppages: Benji Radach, Jorge Santiago, Terry Martin and Wanderlei Silva all felt his wrath.

Number 8 » Wineland-Stone