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They say that "Styles make fights". Make no mistake about it. In the UFC, every athlete that competes is on an elite level (minus the occasional special attraction like CM Punk). You can be a champion having dominated a division with a hot win streak, but even then, there are times when you're prone to absolute one-sided destruction.
We've seen this happen many times in MMA, more specifically in the UFC. Champions who dominated their division were absolutely wrecked beyond belief in surprisingly lopsided performances. Whether it's a difference in styles or just incredible work from the dominant fighter, the levels of dominance are what really took people by surprise.
One such example is Cain Velasquez, who got dominated and finished in the very first round by Junior Dos Santos in his very first title defence. However, he would come back and dominate the remaining two fights. Even then, that was nowhere near these levels of dominance that are about to be mentioned.
#5 Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Edson Barboza
Khabib Nurmagomedov had come back from a long layoff. After dominating Michael Johnson in a lopsided affair at UFC 205, he was originally scheduled to face Tony Ferguson for the Interim Lightweight Championship at UFC 209. He faced a severe medical issue and was forced to pull out.
His return would come in UFC 219 in January, where he faced dangerous contender Edson Barboza - a knockout artist and UFC's highlight reel fighter. What happened in the fight was 3 rounds of absolute one-sided dominance by Khabib. He ate a kick but would end up taking Barboza down throughout the fight and smash him with the ground and pound.
Barboza showed a lot of heart, but the expression on his face meant he knew that he was no match for The Eagle.
#4 Amanda Nunes vs Ronda Rousey - UFC 207
In hindsight, it was quite foolish of UFC to promote 207 solely as Ronda Rousey's comeback without giving any promotional push to Amanda Nunes, the champion. Nunes was on a hot streak and Rousey returned after a year in the most anticipated comeback ever.
Turns out that Rousey didn't stand a chance. She didn't even land the slightest bit of offence and practically allowed Nunes to use her face as target practice. The referee had seen enough within 48 seconds of the first round, and Nunes ended up retiring Rousey.
#3 Jon Jones vs Mauricio "Shogun" Rua - UFC 128
Jon Jones was just 23 years old when he took on Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the Light Heavyweight Championship. He had the chance to become the youngest champion in the world.
While Jones was the favourite in many people's minds, no one expected the level of dominance that he displayed. It was three rounds of a one-sided beatdown, and by the third round, a flurry of knees and punches from Jones was enough for the referee to stop the fight, effectively making Jones the youngest champion in UFC history.
#2 Conor McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez - UFC 205
Conor McGregor had the chance to make history at UFC 205 by becoming the first-ever double champion. The featherweight king went to Lightweight to headline Madison Square Garden in a historic card and historic night.
McGregor absolutely decimated Eddie Alvarez from start to finish, taking less than two rounds to finish the Lightweight champion at the time. McGregor was the favourite but he put on an absolute masterclass of a performance on the biggest stage, proving why he's worlds apart as a competitor.
#1 TJ Dillashaw vs Renan Barao - UFC 173
This was the most unexpectedly dominant performance ever. Renan Barao was on a 32-fight win streak (you read that right). He won and defended the Interim UFC Bantamweight Championship before getting promoted to undisputed champion.
Few people gave Dillashaw a chance, but what took place in their first fight was five rounds of absolute destruction by Dillashaw. He would finish him by round five and Barao would never be the same again.
He got another crack at Dillashaw, but it turned out to be an equally lopsided affair like the first time, with Dillashaw finishing him by round four. After that, Barao went on a major skid, never being the same again.
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