5 "freakshow" MMA fights that captured everyone's imagination

The sport of MMA has always drawn interesting characters. While elite athletes and high-performance training lead to engaging clashes in the UFC and other top-level promotions, there are many fights at the other end of the spectrum.

Either due to size differences between opponents or due to general discrepancies in skill level, many "freakshow" fights have caught the eyes of rabid MMA fans across the world.

Here are five such fights that captured everyone's imagination.

#5 Bob Sapp vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

This might not be as "freaky" as the other fights on this list, given that both Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Bob Sapp were proven athletes (albeit in different sports). But although they were only two inches apart in height, Sapp weighed in around 100 lbs heavier than Nogueira on fight night under the PRIDE banner.

The Brazilian knew he'd be in for a stern challenge against an opponent who'd knocked out both of his previous opponents in the first round, but it was clear that he had a massive skill advantage. Sapp had his moments during the fight, including a devastating piledriver, but 'Minotauro' capitalized on the American's poor cardio to lock in an armbar in the second round.

Nogueira had to dig deep for the win, which could have easily cost him his career.

#4 Darina Madzyuk vs Grigory Chistyakov

Under the "Our Business" banner in Russia, female bantamweight Darina Madzyuk took on male super heavyweight Grigory Chistyakov in November 2020.

Chistyakov, a blogger by trade, came into the fight weighing almost 400 lbs more than his less fancied opponent. But Madzyuk showed that skill beats size, overcoming an early grappling exchange to rain bombs down on Chistyakov and causing him to tap out to strikes in the very first round.

The event was certainly one of the most bizarre MMA fights ever, especially since it was a cross-gender bout.

#3 'Akebono' vs 'Giant' Silva

Paulo Cesar Silva, nicknamed 'Giant' for obvious reasons, last competed in December 2006, when he took on Chad 'Akebono' Rowan under the K-1 banner.

At 7'2", Silva had a six-inch height advantage over 'Akebono'. But the Japanese fighter (well, if you can call him that, for he had a 0-3 record at the time) weighed in at 550 pounds, over 150 pounds more than his opponent.

Silva notched up the second win of his professional career in the fight, with a kimura attempt around a minute into the first round. But for the short while that the fight lasted, it was a painful display of men trying to fight the constraints of their respective bodies rather than the opponent in front of them.

#2 Keith Hackney vs Emmanuel Yarborough

Keith Hackney vs Emmanuel Yarborough at UFC 3

UFC 3, which obviously featured names like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, saw taekwondo practitioner Keith Hackney take on sumo wrestling champion Emmanuel Yarborough.

Yarborough, taking part in his first professional fight, weighed in hundreds of pounds heavier than his opponent. Surprisingly, Hackney got 'Manny' to the canvas with what appeared to be a slap, after which Yarborough recovered to deal some damage of his own.

A hilarious moment ensued, where Yarborough chucked Hackney out of the cage. But the 5'11" light heavyweight had the last laugh, as he rained down hammer fists on the 6'8" Yarborough to prompt the referee to call a stop to the contest.

#1 Hasbulla Magomedov vs Abdu Rozik

Interestingly, this contest doesn't feature a size difference between the two fighters, but instead between them and other regular MMA fighters.

Hasbulla Magomedov and Abdu Rozik, both around three feet tall, have made waves on social media over the last few weeks. The former, an 18-year-old nicknamed 'Mini Khabib', is a social media star who intends to become a theologian. Rozik, of the same age, is a singer.

The duo have reportedly already fought, but the result of the bout - which has been called unethical by a section of the MMA community - hasn't been made public. Hasbulla and Rozik have been seen taking part in many other interesting challenges though, much to the amusement of fans across the world.