10 big UFC fights that failed to deliver

UFC legend Ken Shamrock has been involved in a few disappointing fights
UFC legend Ken Shamrock has been involved in a few disappointing fights

One of the most frustrating things about watching MMA is the fact that when all the build and trash-talk is over and the fighters get into the cage, you never know what kind of fight you’re going to get.

Sure, some of the most highly anticipated fights in UFC history have delivered in spades – Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz for instance – but others that had just as much hype ended up completely flopping in terms of action.

Here are the 10 biggest UFC fights that failed to deliver.


#10: Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey, UFC 207

Ronda Rousey's comeback in 2016 ended in disappointing fashion
Ronda Rousey's comeback in 2016 ended in disappointing fashion

When Ronda Rousey was finally knocked off the top of the UFC Women’s Bantamweight division by Holly Holm in late 2015, it looked for a while like her MMA career was over. She barely made any media appearances following the loss and despite some talk at the time, an instant rematch with Holm never materialised.

It was a nice surprise then when the UFC announced the return of the former champion in late 2016 at UFC 207, as she was booked against new champion Amanda Nunes in an attempt to regain her title. Immediately the hype began to build, as the UFC put out some incredible trailers to push the show, showing that Rousey was ready for a comeback and appeared to be in tremendous shape.

Alarm bells realistically should’ve rung when it was confirmed that Ronda was not going to do any media prior to the fight, and that she was also still training with questionable coach Edmond Tarverdyan, but for the most part, fans went into the fight thinking she had a great chance of winning. Nunes for her part was barely mentioned by the UFC.

Instead, Rousey was destroyed in seconds by the Brazilian – she simply had no answer for Nunes’s hand speed and punching power, tried in vain to trade blows with her, and was eventually stopped while still standing, basically out on her feet.

You could argue that the fight delivered to an extent as at least it was exciting, but people were paying to see Rousey dump Nunes on her head and armbar her, not look worse than she’d done in the Holly Holm fight. In that sense, it was a huge disappointment.

#9: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos, UFC on Fox 1

The first meeting between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos ended anticlimactically
The first meeting between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos ended anticlimactically

When the UFC signed its television deal with Fox in 2011, it was a huge accomplishment for the promotion and its parent company Zuffa, as it was the first deal with a truly giant network following the explosion in popularity of the sport about six years earlier.

It was no surprise then when they announced a huge main event for the first show on the network – a UFC Heavyweight title fight between champion Cain Velasquez and challenger Junior Dos Santos. Both men were unbeaten in UFC action and had destroyed everyone they’d faced, and so it looked like we would be in for a legitimately titanic battle for the title.

Instead the fight went just over a minute, as Dos Santos landed an overhand right that connected with Velasquez’s temple, putting him down to all fours where he was quickly finished with some follow-up shots.

It was a devastating finish for JDS, but massively disappointing to watch – especially for newer fans watching on Fox, as the UFC had hyped the fight up as a war for the ages, not a potentially quick knockout. Making it worse was the fact that it was actually the lone televised fight of the night. The fight ended up drawing a big rating for the network, but realistically, it was a massive anticlimax.

#8: Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, UFC 143

Carlos Condit's smart gameplan allowed him to beat Nick
Carlos Condit's smart gameplan allowed him to beat Nick Diaz, but didn't entertain the fans

February 2012’s UFC 143 was supposed to see a main event fight between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz for the UFC Welterweight title, but when GSP tore his ACL and was forced onto the sidelines, the UFC brought in Carlos Condit – one of the most exciting and aggressive fighters on their roster – and put together a Diaz/Condit fight for an Interim title instead.

It was genius booking and literally every MMA fan on the planet was salivating about the clash, as both men were known for their intense attitude, incredible aggression, and their ability to put on amazing fights inside the cage.

Unfortunately for the fans, though, Condit and his camp decided they’d rather win the title than simply look to entertain the crowd, and so the ‘Natural Born Killer’ came out with a far more cerebral gameplan – using footwork, movement and a lot of kicks to frustrate and outpoint Diaz from the outside rather than trade off with him.

The fight did have a handful of exciting moments but it never came close to living up to the hype, despite a decision that caused controversy as Diaz and his legions of online fans felt he deserved the win. As it was, Condit’s smarter gameplan led him to a unanimous decision victory, and he went on to fight St-Pierre later that year.

#7: Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson vs. Rashad Evans, UFC 114

Rashad Evans used a grappling-based gameplan to outwit Rampage Jackson in a disappointing fight
Rashad Evans used a grappling-based gameplan to outwit Rampage Jackson in a disappointing fight

The UFC stumbled onto a goldmine in 2010, as the long delay that led into the Rashad Evans/Rampage Jackson fight – they’d been due to fight in late 2009 before Rampage temporarily retired following a dispute with UFC officials – only meant that the fans became more desperate to see the two men lock horns.

The trash-talk between the two was unprecedented, with Rashad labelling Rampage soft and lacking heart, while Jackson accused Evans of being an “Uncle Tom” – one of the most controversial slurs possible. It seemed like fireworks were guaranteed, but despite beginning with a bang, the fight eventually turned into a damp squib.

Rashad surprised Rampage with a jackhammer right hand in the early moments of the fight, but despite having his opponent stunned, he decided to frustrate and tire out the former UFC champ with clinch work and takedowns instead. The action soon slowed to a crawl, and even a late charge from Rampage that saw him knock Evans down couldn’t save things.

Rashad was awarded a unanimous decision but didn’t gain any fans with his performance as the lacklustre fight was blamed largely on his clinch-heavy gameplan. The show drew over a million buys on pay-per-view though, making it a bittersweet success for the UFC.

#6: Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz, UFC 158

GSP promised to go to a
GSP promised to go to a "dark place" to beat Nick Diaz, but the fight was a letdown

When a long-awaited fight between UFC Welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and controversial contender Nick Diaz was announced for 2013’s UFC 158, most MMA fans were buzzing despite Diaz not having fought since a loss to Carlos Condit a year before. It didn’t matter – Diaz was surely the man to force an exciting fight out of the notoriously conservative GSP, who hadn’t finished an opponent in four years.

GSP even talked up the fight more than he did usually, promising to beat Diaz down like nobody ever had before, even suggesting he was willing to go to a “dark place” in his mind in order to find the motivation to take out the challenger.

Diaz claimed St-Pierre was “selling wolf tickets” – basically overhyping the rivalry – but it didn’t matter; the whole MMA world waited with baited breath for the fight.

Sadly, it didn’t come close to delivering the excitement that fans were hoping. Diaz simply had no answer for St-Pierre’s takedowns and ground control, and while he got in some decent combinations as GSP began to tire down the stretch, it was largely a one-sided fight – but not the beatdown that St-Pierre had promised.

The fight still drew a huge buyrate and somehow, neither man’s reputation seemed harmed by it, but compared to the hype it garnered going in, it was hard to label it as anything other than a massive letdown.

#5: Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock, UFC 61

Tito Ortiz's first fight with Ken Shamrock was more entertaining than the anticlimactic rematch
Tito Ortiz's first fight with Ken Shamrock was more entertaining than the anticlimactic rematch

Despite the first meeting between bad boy Tito Ortiz and respected veteran Ken Shamrock being a one-sided beating in favour of Ortiz, the UFC fans were still extremely excited for the rematch that was booked between the two for 2006’s UFC 61.

This was largely because the boom caused by The Ultimate Fighter had bought in a massively new fanbase who hadn’t seen the original fight, but it was also because Shamrock had supposedly torn his ACL leading into the original, and he promised things would be different in the rematch.

Ortiz and Shamrock coached a season of TUF to build the fight, and UFC 61 ended up breaking the promotion’s pay-per-view buyrate record, but the fight simply didn’t live up to the hype.

Shamrock came out aggressively, only for Ortiz to slam him to the ground, where he began to land a series of elbows while inside Shamrock’s guard. Referee Herb Dean decided Shamrock wasn’t defending intelligently and stopped the fight after just over a minute, only for ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ to spring to his feet, protesting that he was fine.

The crowd felt cheated out of a proper conclusion and immediately booed the whole debacle out of the building. The UFC felt so bad about the disappointing fight that they booked another rematch – on free TV this time – and although Ortiz once again finished Shamrock quickly, this time there was no question around it and so the fans were finally satisfied.

#4: Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson, UFC 209

Tyron Woodley's rematch with Stephen Thompson was incredibly dull
Tyron Woodley's rematch with Stephen Thompson was incredibly dull

The first meeting between UFC Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and top contender Stephen Thompson at UFC 205 wasn’t the most exciting fight of all time, but it certainly had its moments – largely a wild fourth round that saw Woodley have Thompson on the verge of being knocked out. ‘Wonderboy’ survived though and did enough for the fight to be called a draw, and so a rematch was booked for UFC 209 four months later.

By the time the rematch came around, the fact that the original fight had lots of slow points seemed to be forgotten, as the UFC did such a good job with their hype videos, which made the first meeting look like an all-time classic. This rematch though was anything but.

Both Woodley and Thompson came out with defensive gameplans – evidently respecting the other’s skills following the first meeting – and so we ended up with what was essentially a 25-minute staring contest, as they refused to engage and spent most of the fight circling around the Octagon while feinting.

Eventually, Woodley landed a huge knockdown in the fifth round and almost put Thompson away in the waning seconds, and that was enough for the judges to award him a decision. Despite retaining his title though, Woodley probably lost more fans than he gained due to the dull nature of the fight – which goes down as one of the most disappointing in UFC history.

#3: Randy Couture vs. Vitor Belfort, UFC 46

Randy Couture lost his UFC title to Vitor Belfort shortly after this moment in a fluke incident
Randy Couture lost his UFC title to Vitor Belfort shortly after this moment in a fluke incident

The initial meeting between Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort – way back in 1997 – had been an absolute barnburner, as Couture had weathered an early storm to destroy Belfort – who some fans considered unbeatable at the time - inside the clinch before putting him away via TKO.

Almost 7 years had passed before the UFC were able to book a rematch between the two, and this time the UFC Light Heavyweight title would be on the line, as Couture had won it from Tito Ortiz a couple of months beforehand. Considering the quality of the original meeting between the two, fireworks were expected.

Instead, we got possibly the most anticlimactic finish in UFC history. Couture charged forward in an attempt to get a clinch, but as he grabbed Belfort, the Brazilian swiped at him with a left hook. The punch largely missed, but the stitches of Belfort’s glove caught Couture’s left eyelid and cut it badly.

Due to the dangerous nature of the cut, the doctors were forced to stop the fight, awarding Belfort a win via TKO after just 54 seconds. It was undoubtedly the worst title win in UFC history – a total fluke that probably wouldn’t be repeated in a dozen rematches between the two.

Belfort’s title reign was short-lived as Couture defeated him to reclaim his championship just 7 months later, but undoubtedly this was one of the most disappointing fights in UFC history – and probably the worst finish to a title fight, period.

#2: Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock, UFC 5

Royce Gracie's second fight with Ken Shamrock was a huge letdown
Royce Gracie's second fight with Ken Shamrock was a huge letdown

The first-ever edition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship was very different from the UFC we know and love today – an eight-man tournament to decide essentially what the most effective style of martial arts was. As everyone knows, Royce Gracie was triumphant after submitting three foes, and thus Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was introduced to the masses.

One of his three victims that night was Ken Shamrock, who in subsequent UFC events quickly rose to popularity due to his marketable look and charisma. Shamrock was absolutely determined to get a rematch with Gracie, but injuries to both men during the UFC 3 tournament prevented the fight from happening.

In order to guarantee it, the UFC booked a ‘Superfight’ between the two at UFC 5, and the hype was off the charts – this was undoubtedly the biggest fight in UFC history to that point. Unfortunately, both men were more determined to prove their superiority than put on an entertaining fight, and what we got was spectacularly bad.

Shamrock took Gracie down early in the fight, but rather than allowing Gracie to catch a submission from the guard position, he stayed conservative, landing minimal strikes for basically the full 30 minutes of regulation time with very little else happening.

As the crowd booed, five minutes of additional overtime were announced, but outside of Ken managing to open a cut on Royce with a right hand, nothing happened there either and eventually, the fight was declared a draw.

The fight remains notorious today as an example of one of the most boring fights in MMA history, and in terms of big fights that turned out to be a letdown, it’s certainly one of the worst offenders.

#1: Ken Shamrock vs. Dan Severn, UFC 9

Ken Shamrock's rematch with Dan Severn is probably the worst main event in UFC history
Ken Shamrock's rematch with Dan Severn is probably the worst main event in UFC history

Ask any longtime fan what the worst UFC main event of all time is and they’ll usually come up with this stinker from UFC 9, way back in 1996. The two had met previously at UFC 6, with Shamrock choking Severn out with a guillotine choke to claim the UFC’s first ‘Superfight’ championship, but Severn had won the ‘Ultimate Ultimate’ tournament in 1995 to earn a rematch. In the end, the UFC fans probably wished he hadn’t.

The event – which took place in Detroit, Michigan – featured some last-minute rule changes which probably contributed to the terrible nature of the fight.

Firstly the Michigan Athletic Commission decided to ban both strikes to the head with closed fists and headbutts and promised to arrest the fighters if they were seen using either. Secondly, they also made the call to ban kicks if the fighters decided to wear wrestling shoes, which both Shamrock and Severn did.

And so what we got was not the exciting rematch the UFC had hyped, but a solid 30 minutes of circling with mean looks, with the odd strike being exchanged between the two. The only part of the fight that even felt close to exciting was a brief period of grappling at the end of the regulation period, which saw Severn come out on top.

It was enough for ‘The Beast’ to earn a decision victory, but realistically there was no true winner in this stinker of a fight. Even more than two decades on, Shamrock/Severn II remains the gold standard for bad UFC fights, and thus it’s easily the big fight which disappointed the most.

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Edited by Shiven Sachdeva