Sherdog’s Top 10: Best Title Fights

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8. Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki
Sengoku Raiden Championship 14
Aug. 22, 2010 | Tokyo
In a lesser-known but wildly entertaining scrap, Santiago defended his Sengoku middleweight title against Misaki in an unbelievable 24-minute struggle.

The rematch opened with an even and relatively tame opening frame that saw Misaki get the better of the exchanges. However, the second round set the tone for what was to follow, as the 34-year-old challenger took the neck of a wavering Santiago. The guillotine that Misaki cinched seemed to be the beginning of the end, but the Japanese veteran jumped the gun when he transitioned to finishing the fight by punches. Santiago rebounded with a leg lock late in the round, but referee Yoshinori Umeki stood up the two middleweights when Misaki ended up halfway through the ropes. In the third round, Santiago appeared to have the situation under control after drilling Misaki with a head kick-straight right combination. “The Hitman” somehow weathered a storm of 10 unanswered punches and was carried to his stool by his cornermen; there, he was revived and put in position to make a final push. Round four featured a left hook from Misaki that sent the Brazilian crumpling to the mat. As was the case earlier in the bout, the Japanese star went all-in with punches from top position, following with arm-triangle and rear-naked choke attempts. Santiago, too, persevered. The match became convoluted with 40 seconds left in the fourth, as Umeki issued a phantom red card to the champion for rolling through the ropes. The penalty secured a 10-8 round for Misaki, meaning Santiago needed a finish to retain his title.

As soon as the fifth round began, Santiago began pouring on the punishment. The damage to Misaki’s face told the story, as he took a vicious beating for what seemed like an eternity. All Misaki needed was to last the final five minutes, but his corner chose to throw in the towel with less than 30 seconds remaining. That took the fight out of the judges’ hands and allowing Santiago to leave the building with his title in tow.

Number 7 » Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis