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The UFC is a source of inimitable entertainment in the combat sports world. The promotion offers a variety in terms of finishes—knockouts via spinning elbows, head kicks, etc., and submissions via kneebars, guillotine chokes, and more—that the likes of boxing, kickboxing, and competitive grappling can't compete with.
Compared to other MMA promotions, Dana White's banner has superior competition due to its breadth of elite-level mixed martial artists. Unfortunately, human error is unavoidable, and in a sport that involves athletes hitting each other in the head, moments of questionable decision-making can occur.
Throughout the promotion's history, fighters have made decisions that can seem counterintuitive to their intentions inside the octagon. Michael Chandler, for example, is commonly criticized for his supposedly low fight IQ. This list looks at five different instances where fighters made bizarre decisions in the cage.
#5. Petr Yan at UFC 259
Former bantamweight titleholder Petr Yan was once heralded as the world's greatest 135'er. Unfortunately, his recent run of form is not indicative of the heights that fans and analysts alike expected of him. The Russian star is currently on the wrong end of a three-fight losing streak.
Worse still, he has four losses in his last five bouts. This rough patch began after an inexplicable decision he made at UFC 259. At the time, 'No Mercy' was the newly crowned bantamweight champion. His opponent was Aljamain Sterling. After a competitive first round, he began dominating 'Funk Master'.
As the fight drew to a close, everyone was certain that Yan would emerge victorious. But in the closing seconds of the fourth round, he landed an illegal knee on Sterling's head while the latter was on the ground. This led to a disqualification loss for 'No Mercy' as he became the first UFC champion to lose his title via DQ.
#4. Michael Chandler at UFC 262
Michael Chandler is arguably the most exciting lightweight in the world. Only Justin Gaethje can challenge him for that title. Unfortunately, being an exciting action-fighter is often due to questionable decision-making. Such fighters regularly sacrifice their well-being to put on a show for the fans.
They step forward without fear in pursuit of a knockout. Neglecting one's defensive striking is one thing, but three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has gone beyond that. At UFC 262, he faced Charles 'do Bronx' Oliveira for the vacant 155 lbs throne and seemed well on his way to claiming victory.
During the bout, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist mounted Chandler's back as he searched for a rear-naked choke. 'Iron' managed to work his way back to his feet with his foe still clinging to his back. Instead of escaping, Chandler made the terrible decision to slam himself back down to the mat.
Doing so with a BJJ black belt on his back was outrageously risky, as was even noted by Joe Rogan. While 'Iron' wasn't submitted, it was an ill-advised move.
#3. Glover Teixeira at UFC 275
Glover Teixeira defeated Jan Błachowicz to capture the UFC light heavyweight title and become one of the oldest champions in the promotion’s history. He then faced Czech striking specialist Jiří Procházka in his first title defense. Prior to the bout, various predictions were made by analysts and fighters.
Everyone was under the impression that Procházka would have an advantage in the striking department. During the bout, however, the Brazilian great managed to find success in the kickboxing exchanges with the Czech national Muay Thai champion. During the fifth round, Teixeira rocked his foe with an overhand right.
Procházka stumbled towards the fence on the verge of unconsciousness. Instead of following up his blow with a knockout, Teixeira made the shocking decision to attempt a guillotine choke. His grip immediately broke as he flopped to his back, not only allowing his foe to recover but giving him a dominant position as well.
#2. Ryan Hall at UFC 264
Ryan Hall is one of the most feared submission artists in the UFC featherweight division. The third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has been very vocal about how avoided he has been. Despite his grappling skills, 'The Wizard' doesn't have a reliable method of dragging his foes to the mat due to his weak takedowns.
At UFC 264, he faced undefeated knockout artist Ilia Topuria. Their bout was a clash of styles that pitted a grappler against a striker. Unfortunately, for Hall, he was out of his depth and didn't seem to have a game plan. Thus, he was forced to make not just one questionable decision, but several.
He did nothing besides frequently attempting Imanari rolls, all of which failed and only gave Topuria dominant positions on the ground. No matter how many times he failed, Hall continued flopping around the cage until he was finally KO'd at the end of the first round.
#1. Greg Hardy at UFC on ESPN 6
Greg Hardy is one of several in a peculiar line of failed MMA experiments. The former NFL star signed with the UFC after three professional fights. The power-punching heavyweight has courted controversy throughout his career, whether it be in American football or MMA.
At UFC on ESPN 6, 'The Prince of War' faced Ben Sosoli in the third-last bout of the evening. Barring a disqualification loss to Allen Crowder due to an illegal knee, the future BKFC debutant was undefeated at the time. While he originally emerged victorious against his foe, the result was overturned into a no-contest.
Unfortunately, between rounds two and three, Hardy used an inhaler, which wasn't pre-approved by the MSAC. Using a medical tool between rounds without clearance from the state's local commission was not only reckless, but it also bordered on insanity and cost Hardy a guaranteed win.
