The year 2010 had some very impressive mixed martial arts competitions. Fans were blown away by exciting knockouts, submissions and come from behind victories. Still, out of all these fierce battles which stood out among the rest as the best of the year. Here are a few that will be talked about into 2011 and long after.

3. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen – UFC 117 – 8/7/10

Thursday’s WEC 53 brought a spectacular close to an organization that was known for action packed battles. While the fighters are being brought under the UFC banner, many new challenges and potential fights are available. While the obvious battles wait; such as that to unify the lightweight title, here are some others that would excite the fans and introduce stars of the WEC to the mainstream mixed martial arts fan.

Donald Cerrone versus Cole Miller
Donald Cerrone wasted very little time pointing out whom he would like to face in the UFC as he set his sights on lightweight fighter Cole Miller. Cerrone had just submitted Chris Horodecki with a triangle and was ready to move on. A Cerrone versus Miller matchup would sure to be an action packed battle as both fighters are well versed on both their feet and the mat. Another aspect is that both of these fighters have already begun taking shots at each other via their Twitter pages. Miller offered to “remove one of your arms” while Cerrone simply replied “bring that (stuff) on.” If these two fighters bring as much intensity to the fight as they will the pre-fight hype, fans will not be able to sit down.

As if the World Extreme Cagefighting organization had not provided fight fans with enough excitement during its tenure, WEC 53 was the perfect final act to close down the show. With two title fights, submissions and knockouts, this show was exactly what everyone could have asked for.

Anthony Pettis provided one of the types of sports moments that will hold a spot on highlight reels for years to come. He and Benson Henderson provided fans with an amazing main event for the WEC Lightweight Title. Both fighters went back and forth exchanging blows, takedowns and submissions attempts. Pettis was able to continue pushing the pace and secure more dominant positioning as the fight went one. What shocked fans and MMA experts alike was when Pettis sprang off the cage and landed a right kick squarely to Henderson’s chin. This move dropped the defending champion and allowed Pettis to continue punishing him until the final bell.