As an MMA fan, you are bound to have your favourites and those fighters that you just can’t stand. It’s all part and parcel of being a follower of the sport of mixed martial arts and it’s something you learn to appreciate. Celebrate the wins and support your favourite fighters after their losses.
Despite this, there are some MMA fighters who really push people’s buttons and it seems almost impossible for people to have any sympathy for them. Hardcore fans of the sport are known to be extremely difficult to please and quick to judge.
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This has made some fighters into the most hated in the world of mixed martial arts and when these men and women took a loss, their detractors celebrated. Fans cherished the memory of seeing a hated fighter vanquished in a physical contest right in front of their eyes.
So, without further ado, here are the 5 most satisfying losses in MMA:
#1 Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz
Conor McGregor was riding in on the high of his superb 13-second UFC Featherweight Title victory over Jose Aldo and looked prime to take on Rafael dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship on his quest to become the first ever simultaneous World Champion in the history of the promotion.
When dos Anjos succumbed to an injury a few weeks away from their contest, Nate Diaz stepped up to take on McGregor on extremely short notice. No one really gave Diaz a shot and called him lucky to have earned a pretty big day.
How wrong they were. Diaz proceeded to shock the world and pick up a submission victory over the Irishman for an unbelievable victory that was celebrated by thousands of McGregor haters all around the world.
A lot of people were unhappy with the preferential treatment handed out to The Notorious One as well as his brash and cocky attitude and they were more than happy to see him taken down a few pegs at the hands of the younger Diaz brother.
McGregor would, of course, return to avenge his loss against Diaz and then pick up the UFC Lightweight Title from Eddie Alvarez to complete the historic goal he set out to achieve against Rafael dos Anjos.
#2 Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm
Ronda Rousey’s dismantling of the UFC Women’s Bantamweight division brought her unprecedented success and she was the proverbial Golden Girl of the promotion back in 2015. It didn’t look like she was ever going to lose.
In fact, her dominance was so great that a number of people all around the world started putting Rousey on a pedestal like none before her with respected UFC commentator, Joe Rogan, even remarking that she could take out some of the competition from the men’s side of fighting.
All of this attention rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and they waited for years to see the downfall of Ronda come to fruition. Their prayers were finally answered when Holly Holm knocked out the previously undefeated Rousey with a magnificent head kick.
Fans roared around the world at this shock result and they were given further cause to celebrate a year later. After taking more than a year off to recuperate, Rousey’s much-awaited comeback fight was a demolition in the hands of Amanda Nunes. It seems like the Golden Girl has well and truly been vanquished forever.
#3 Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman
Anderson Silva makes a compelling case for the title of Greatest MMA Fighter of All-Time and it’s difficult to argue with the man’s record. The Spider is one of the most dominant men to ever step foot inside the octagon and is a pretty well-respected figure in MMA.
This is why people found it bizarre when he took his rivalry with Chris Weidman too far, even taunting and mocking Weidman in the middle of their fight. This is when everyone turned against him and hoped for a miraculous comeback from Weidman.
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Incredibly, that’s exactly what everyone was treated to as Weidman somehow connected with Silva to knock the great man out of his game and pick up the most improbable of victories. It was a lesson in humility for the experienced Brazilian.
#4 Josh Koscheck vs Georges St. Pierre
Josh Koscheck was a high-level Welterweight fighter in the UFC and is now plying his trade in Bellator thanks to the mauling he received at the hands of Georges St. Pierre. Koscheck was always a gifted fighter but he rubbed people the wrong way with his abrasive personality.
When he went up against the legendary GSP, the Canadian schooled Kos. Rush won both their encounters handily as he demolished Koscheck in both of their encounters. Rush handed out a beating to be remembered and Koscheck was never quite the same again.
Kos has lost 6 out of his last 8 fights and they can all be attributed to the crushing second loss he suffered against St. Pierre.
#5 Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Liddell
Tito Ortiz, despite his status as a great fighter, is one of most hated figures in the MMA world for his insufferable attitude and his overall jerk-like behaviour. Chuck Liddell, on the other hand, is one of the most respected figures to ever step into the octagon and a bonafide legend of the sport.
The two have met twice in their storied careers with The Iceman picking up wins on both occasions, much to the delight of fight fans all over the world. They, in particular, love the fight at UFC 66 which saw Liddell defeat The Huntington Beach Bad Boy via TKO in a bout for The UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.
Chuck Liddell did MMA fans all across the planet a great service by shutting up Tito Ortiz.
