Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a wonderful sport featuring hard-working and highly skilled martial artists going toe-to-toe with one another. Top MMA organisations such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator, RIZIN FF, One FC, etc provide us with elite fighters putting on spectacular performances on a regular basis.
However, as the saying goes- ‘There are two sides to every coin’. Similarly, in MMA there are several top, mid-tier as well as regional level competitors who represent the polar opposite of what an ideal martial arts practitioner should be.
From steroid usage to illegal tactics inside the cage, these fighters take the low road. Let’s take a brief look at a few such cowardly MMA fighters:
#5 Vitor ‘TRTitor’ Belfort
Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort (25-13) is a former UFC Light-heavyweight champion and UFC 12 Heavyweight tournament winner; with an MMA base of boxing, kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ).
Vitor is a clean fighter, 95% you guys! The poster-boy of steroids not only in the UFC but in all of MMA, Belfort has gone through more physical transformations over the years than any other fighter in the sport.
From his early days fighting as a roided-up monster and tearing through the opposition to win the UFC 12 Heavyweight tournament; to his current frail, Post-USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) dad-bod, Vitor has done it all.
Also read: 5 Martial Arts that are underutilised in MMA
We as fans have witnessed all versions of ‘The Phenom’ and with his upcoming Middleweight fight against Mexican-American (bloated) Welterweight prospect Kelvin Gastelum, at UFC Fight Night 106 next month; prepare yourselves to witness yet another version of the Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) loving MMA legend.
Now although Belfort has given us several memorable performances over the years in several notable MMA organisations, we can’t deny the existence of a huge asterisk next to each and every one of his accomplishments.
Belfort has cheated his way to the top on several occasions and despite the recent USADA wave in the UFC, would most likely find a loophole to continue cheating.
Vitor Belfort’s love for steroid-cocktails has landed him the 5th position on our list.
#4 Alexander Emelianenko
Alexander Emelianenko (23-7) is a Russian MMA fighter and multiple-time Sambo world champion, with an MMA base of Sambo, Judo and Boxing. He is the younger brother of MMA legend Fedor ‘The Last Emperor’ Emelianenko.
Alexander Emelianenko was accused of having assaulted and raped his former housekeeper Polina Stepanova, on May 2nd 2014, as well as of stealing her passport. On May 19th 2015, he was found guilty and sentenced to four and a half years in prison along with the equivalent of a 1000 USD fine.
He was released on parole in 2016 and along with members of his team, declared that he would return to pro-MMA competition in 2017.
Police investigations revealed that he had threatened to kill Stepanova and her son if she reported his misdeeds to the authorities.
However, owing to their wealthy family background and the Emelianenko family’s political connections in Russia, the cowardly MMA veteran is still roaming the streets without any fear in the world.
Alexander Emelianenko is the antithesis of his brother, the great Fedor ‘The Last Emperor’ Emelianenko and deserves zero respect for his cowardly acts.
#3 Gabi Garcia
Gabi Garcia (4-0) is a world champion BJJ savant and a giant of a woman, with an MMA base of BJJ and Muay Thai. She made her MMA debut at the 2016 New Year’s Eve RIZIN FF World Grand Prix.
From December 31st 2015 to December 31st 2016, Garcia fought four back-to-back outmatched and unskilled opponents, pounding them into oblivion. Now although Garcia boasts MMA wins by KO (2) and submission (2), the legitimacy of her opposition is not only highly questionable but downright disgusting.
Standing at more than 6’1” tall, Garcia differs from other Heavyweight female fighters in the sense that despite possessing some of the best athleticism in Women’s MMA (WMMA), she chooses to fight inferior opposition time-and-again.
Now granted that top MMA promotions like the UFC don’t have a Women’s Heavyweight division, her team and promoters could have most certainly found better opposition for her than the 50-year-old former pro wrestler and MMA fighter Yumiko Hotta, whom she outweighed by more than 80 pounds.
Gabi Garcia’s string of freak-show fights against outmatched opponents lands her the 3rd spot on our list.
#2 Rousimar Palhares
Rousimar ‘Toquinho’ Palhares (18-8) is a Brazilian MMA fighter and former WSOF (World Series Of Fighting) Welterweight champion; with a base of BJJ. Palhares is considered to be one of the, if not the, dirtiest fighters in the sport of MMA.
In 2012, Palhares tested positive for elevated testosterone levels after his fight with Hector Lombard, resulting in a 9-month suspension. Furthermore, in his UFC 111 and UFC Fight Night 29 bouts against Tomasz Drwal and Mike Pierce respectively, he was criticised for holding on too long to his fight-ending submissions.
After being suspended from the UFC owing to the aforementioned drug test failure and submission-controversies, he took his unsportsmanlike conduct to the WSOF, holding on to submissions against Jon Fitch as well as Jake Shields at WSOF 16 and WSOF 22 respectively.
Palhares is not only known for his steroid test failures and his submission-scandals, but also for maintaining an excellent poker face throughout all these controversies, repeatedly denying any wrongdoings on his part.
Our beloved Paul Harris is always innocent, regardless of what you or I may say and regardless of all the videotaped in-fight evidence suggesting the contrary.
Rousimar ‘Toquinho’ Palhares aka the ‘Brand Ambassador of Good Sportsmanship’ Mr Paul Harris and his acts of cowardice have landed him the 2nd spot on our list.
#1 Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino
Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino (17-1-1) is a former Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight champion, current Invicta FC Featherweight champion and is widely considered to be the favourite to win the newly inaugurated UFC Women’s Featherweight championship, if and when she fights current UFC champ, Germaine De Randamie.
Having competed in professional Muay Thai, kickboxing and grappling competitions, she has an MMA base of Muay Thai, kickboxing and BJJ.
In August of 2009, Cyborg faced MMA pioneer and Hollywood superstar Gina Carano in the first women’s main event in a major MMA promotion (Strikeforce), winning the fight by TKO. However, in 2012, it was revealed that Cyborg had tested positive for Stanozolol, a banned anabolic steroid.
The test was taken the previous year at the time of her Strikeforce fight against Hiroko Yamanaka and resulted in Justino being handed a 1-year suspension and a $2500 fine.
Most recently, in December of 2016, Justino was notified of a potential USADA (United States Anti-Doping) doping violation. Cyborg and her team appealed the allegation, stating that she had taken the substance in order to safely recover after a bad weight cut around the time of her UFC matchup against Lina Lansberg.
As of now, her suspension has been lifted and she has been cleared to compete in MMA once again.
In spite of being caught cheating time-and-again, Cyborg keeps being reinstated into pro MMA competition.
Furthermore, she has made a career out of challenging natural 135 pounders to come up in weight and fight her, something she herself has previously refused to do against her good friend and training partner, Heavyweight slugger Gabi Garcia.
Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino’s pathetic habit of targeting smaller fighters and her multiple drug test failures land her the top spot on our list.
From Vitor’s constant cheating ways to Alexander Emelianenko’s despicable acts of cowardice; Gabi Garcia’s fear of fighting real competition, to Mr Paul Harris’ sociopathic self-conduct, only Cris Cyborg can top our list of freakish, cowardly fighters.
Keep up with our tradition and tell me about fighters that you feel could’ve made our list.
Keep training and remember - MMA is not just about winning, it’s about skill, passion, respect and bravery as well!
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