5 UFC fights you need to see if you are a new MMA fan

For die-hard fans, this list might be controversial. Everyone's list is going to look a little bit differently and that's ok. This is my personal list of five great fights new or casual fans might enjoy. It's in no way the best of all time, so don't come at me. In fact, I want to hear your five too, let me know on Twitter or Instagram what your five fights are.

Now that we got that out of the way, here are five fights that I think everyone can enjoy, even if you don't know the backstory or historical significance. I picked a variety of fights - something for everyone. I wanted people to see hard-fought wars, vintage brawls, quick knockouts and even a bit of pain.

1. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar

This is a no-brainer. In fact, when I first started getting into MMA someone told me I had to watch this fight. I remember watching it at work on my computer with my headphones in and I knew my life would never be the same. Boy was I right. It's always the first fight I tell someone new to watch because it's good, classic, MMA fun and if they like it, there's some historical signifigance and backstory to follow up with.

2. Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren

This one might surprise some of you, but hear me out. New fans may not want to sit through a 25-minute fight, or even a 15-minute fight. But everyone can sit through the Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren fight. A lot of new casual fans just want that quick knockout clip and they want to see something flashy (that's why Power Slap clips all go viral). This one gives the quick bonus, the insane/unbelievable moment plus it gives a lot of post-knockout content which is key to a lot of fans enjoyment. I was cage side for this fight and I can still remember the sound of the knee and everyone outside the cage scrambling to get Askren help.

3. Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald

This is another no-brainer selection. This fight was one of the first UFC fights I ever photographed. You can even spot me in the video above if you look closely. This fight has everything. It has lots of action, tons of blood, between-round animosity, iconic moments, and a finish. There's a reason it's a UFC Hall of Fame fight. This is one you shouldn't show your friends if they are squeamish though, it's like a horror film.

4. Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs. Weili Zhang

This is, hands down, one of the best women's MMA fights in the UFC of all time. It won Fight of the Year when it happened and it's easy to see why. These two absolute monsters showed that women can brawl, and women's fights can be exciting and good. This is a great one to show a fan interested in women's divisions, a female fan wanting to see someone like them, or even the hater who thinks women can't fight.

5. Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz

Here's where my pick is getting super controversial. ome new fans want to see someone get hurt. It's like a car accident, you just can't look away. I didn't include the video for this one on purpose. It's hard to watch, but this is the clip you'll want to show someone looking for something nasty. All of us who have seen the fight already know the moment I am referring to, the leg break heard around the world.