Doo Ho Choi and Cub Swanson put on a fight for the ages (Video)

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The Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame boasts a who's who of the promotion, from early pioneers like Mark Coleman and Matt Hughes to all-time greats like Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. However, there are some names that casual fans might not recognize and that is the beauty of the Fight Wing. Every now and then two combatants that don't have the name recognition of their peers put on the type of performance that leaves a lasting legacy on the sport. On Dec. 10, 2016, at UFC 206 Doo Ho Choi and Cub Swanson left such a mark.

Choi, a highly touted prospect, immediately made a splash upon entering the UFC, knocking out his first three opponents in the first round. Riding the high of his knockout of Thiago Tavares and a 12-fight win streak, he called out Swanson. A veteran of 30 professional mixed martial arts fights, Swanson had shared the cage with Jens Pulver, José Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Max Holloway. After earning a unanimous victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri, Swanson accepted the fight.

The crowd in the former Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada was electric as both fighters made their way to the Octagon. Without a touch of gloves, the fight was underway. Choi came out on fire, landing an early right hand and vicious knees from the clinch. As Swanson settled in he started attacking the lead leg of Choi, hoping to neutralize some of his concussive power. Choi continued to move forward throughout the round, with Swanson initiating an exchange any time the distance was closed. It was a stark contrast of styles with Choi attacking with a very traditional style, while Swanson used an array of unorthodox kicks and looping punches. With just under a minute left Choi found a home for his right hand, landing both on the body and the head. Choi defended a Swanson takedown as the round came to an end. After a close opening five minutes, Choi showed that he belonged at the top of the featherweight division.

Watch Cub Swanson vs. Doo Ho Choi for free

The second round started with Swanson following the advice of his corner and pressing forward, trying to force Choi to fight off of his back foot. About a minute into the round Swanson landed a series of hooks that momentarily dropped Choi along the cage. In the ensuing melee, Choi was able to catch Swanson and the tides turned. With his foe leaning against the cage, Choi started teeing off with shots and it looked like the end was near. However, Swanson was able to initiate a clinch and ultimately succeeded in taking Choi to the ground. After being the victim of a nasty elbow, Choi returned to his feet. There were still two minutes to go in the round.

Swanson, growing in confidence, continued pressuring Choi, even throwing a cartwheel kick. Then with about 50 seconds left Swanson hurt Choi again. What followed was a wild flurry from Swanson that included a spinning back elbow that landed clean. It would appear that Swanson was in control of the fight. Then, almost as if he was awakened by the 10-second clapper, Choi landed a series of knees and punches to end the round.

As both men stood in their respective corners, ready to start the third and final round, the crowd erupted, acknowledging the spectacle that they were witnessing. Swanson and Choi touched gloves to start the round and then they were right back to where they had left off. Swanson immediately cracked Choi with a right hand. Visibly fatigued, Swanson attempted a couple of takedowns that were easily stuffed by Choi. Eventually Choi worked to Swanson's back and was able to force him to the ground. However, Swanson was able to reverse the position and ended up on top. After about a minute the fight returned to the feet and again Swanson badly hurt Choi with a series of unanswered hooks. With two minutes left in the fight and the result of their war hanging in the balance, neither man was willing to back down.

Despite their exhaustion, both men continued to fight tooth and nail. The crowd reached a deafening volume, showering their appreciation down on the two warriors in the cage. With 30 seconds left in the fight both men had landed 97 significant strikes. The fight was about as even as it could be. That all changed in the blink of an eye. Swanson countered a Choi uppercut with a stinging right hook before launching himself forward with a superman punch and then swarming Choi for the final15 seconds. With a spinning back elbow, he knocked Choi to the ground and pounced on him, unleashing heavy ground and pound until the final buzzer.

Choi was so battered by the end of the bout that he was still being tended to by the cage side physician when Bruce Buffer announced Swanson had won by unanimous decision. The crowd once again showed their appreciation for the history they witnessed as both post fight interviews were hard to hear over their cheering. It easily earned Fight of the Night and was chosen by multiple outlets as the 2016 fight of the year.

After their historic bout, Swanson would come close to a title shot, but never secured the opportunity. Choi's career followed a different path. Mandatory miliary service and injuries would limit him to just three fights in the seven years since that fight. He will look to be victorious for the first time since the aforementioned knockout of Tavares when he takes on "Señor Perfecto" Bill Algeo on July 20. Regardless of how their respective careers have played out, both men had their place in UFC history cemented when their battle was inducted in to the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2022.