The five best MMA fights at Saitama Super Arena in Japan

TOKYO – On Saturday, the UFC visits hallowed ground in the MMA world: Saitama Super Arena, a 14-year-old multi-purpose venue that sits 20 miles north of downtown Tokyo in Saitama, Japan, and has seen more championship MMA bouts than any other building outside of Las Vegas.

The UFC has visited the venue twice before, but between 2000 and 2007, Saitama Super Arena hosted 25 events promoted by PRIDE, a Japanese-based promotion that in 2007 was purchased by the UFC and saw most of its assets brought into the UFC fold.

A marvel of modern engineering, Saitama Super Arena generally seats around 12,000 people for an MMA event but has been expanded on a handful of occasions to hold nearly 50,000 people.

On Saturday, the UFC will use the more typical setup for “UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Nelson,” which sees sluggers Mark Hunt (9-8-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) and Roy Nelson (20-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) clash in a matchup of two of the heaviest hitters in the heavyweight division, not to mention two of the most iron-chinned fighters in any weight class.

Ahead of Saturday’s event – which also features a stacked lineup that includes Takanori Gomi, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Miesha Tate and streams live on UFC Fight Pass (12:30 a.m. ET) – MMAjunkie looks at five of the greatest MMA fights to ever take place at Saitama Super Arena.

1. Fedor Emelianenko def. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005

While it’s no longer the case, there was a time when the best heavyweights in the world weren’t fighting in the UFC. Instead, they competed for PRIDE, and Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Filipovic were considered the cream of the crop.

While it took several years for the two fighters to finally meet in the ring, when the clash was finally scheduled for Aug. 28, 2005, it was among the most anticipated matchups in the history of the heavyweight division. Featuring fantastic displays of tactics and heart from both men, the two fought for 20 minutes before Emelianenko was awarded a hard-fought decision win. “The Last Emperor” would go on to win 27-consecutive fights but never did set foot in the UFC octagon.

2. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005

While Mauricio Rua would go on to gain fame as a UFC light heavyweight champion, he first burst on to the scene in 2005, when he turned in what remains one of the most impressive calendar years in MMA history, downing Hiromitsu Kanehara, Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona en route to claiming the 2005 PRIDE middleweight grand prix title.

While he downed Arona and Overeem in a single night to claim the tournament win, it was a wild three-round bout with Nogueira that may have been Rua’s most impressive fight of the run. Going back and forth for three rounds, the two Brazilians combined for what was widely considered 2005’s “Fight of the Year.”

3. Wanderlei Silva def. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at “PRIDE 28: High Octane”

Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson were two of PRIDE’s biggest superstars, not to mention two of its most feared knockout artists. On Oct. 31, 2004, the two met in a rematch of their initial 2003 meeting, and the action proved to be among the most intense in PRIDE history.

While Jackson looked primed to end the PRIDE middleweight champion’s 16-fight unbeaten streak with an opening-round barrage, it was a vicious deluge of Silva knees that ended the fight in the second round with a highlight-reel ending that remains among the most memorable in PRIDE history.

4. Mirko Filipovic def. Josh Barnett at “PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute”

While Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic never quite displayed the same form during a 10-fight UFC run, the Croatian kickboxer was one of the most feared strikers in the world during his five years competing under the PRIDE banner. He reached the pinnacle of his success on Sept. 10, 2006, when he defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett to secure the 2006 PRIDE open weight grand prix title.

Not only was Filipovic’s victory over Barnett an impressive first-round stoppage, it came on the same night “Cro Cop” knocked out MMA legend Wanderlei Silva in the tournament’s semifinals, earning the Croatian two memorable victories in one evening.

5. Wanderlei Silva def. Brian Stann at “UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Stann”

Brazilian berzerker Wanderlei Silva fought 13 times at Saitama Super Arena under the PRIDE banner, but he saved something special for his return to the venue as a UFC fighter on March 3, 2013.

Silva and Brian Stann went toe-to-toe in the center of the octagon for nearly two full rounds, bringing the crowd to its feet and harkening scenes of “The Axe Murderer’s” glory days. Stann wobbled Silva on a few occasions, but it was the former PRIDE champ who ultimately scored the knockout win late in the second round. As it turned out, it was the final appearance of Stann’s fighting career.

For more on UFC Fight Night 52, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.