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MMA and UFC fights, just like street fights, are extremely violent and brutal for several reasons. Both are multi-dimensional with strikes of all kinds involved, be it knees, kicks or elbows. That said, there are key differences between the two. Unlike street fights, MMA fights have certain rules and time-limits.
Therefore, it's key for fighters to abide by the rules and deliver within the given time to come out triumphant. Many MMA bouts are stopped with either of the involved fighters getting submitted or knocked out inside the allotted three or five rounds. However, some fights go on until the very end and are decided by the cage-side judges, leaving room for a haunting question: what if there was no time limit?
In this article, we take a look at five UFC fights that could have had different results had there been no time limit.
#5 - Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra - UFC 98
Matt Hughes went against one of his fiercest rivals Matt Serra at UFC 98 in 2009. Hughes, known as the 'Gracie Killer', was considered the favorite going into the fight against Gracie Jiu-jitsu black belt Serra.
Hughes was knocked down early in the first round but did well to avoid getting tagged and recovered in time. Serra gave Hughes a difficult time inside the octagon throughout the fight, rendering his takedowns useless and connecting with big right hooks at every opportunity.
The third round saw Serra reverse a takedown on Hughes and threaten him with a kimura. However, as time ran out, Serra's attempt could not come to fruition. The fight was adjudged in the favor of Matt Hughes, but had there been no time-limit, Hughes would likely have been defeated by a "Gracie".
#4 - Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson - UFC 205
Stephen Thompson challenged Tyron Woodley for the UFC welterweight title in 2016. The five-round bout was one of the craziest events in the history of the organization, with 'Wonderboy' getting hammered by Woodley but refusing to go down.
Although Woodley dominated in the early rounds, Thompson kept coming back with spinning kicks and elbows of his own. After calculated and equally punishing exchanges in the first three rounds, there was no clear winner. The fourth round saw Woodley trap Thompson in a tight guillotine, which was broken after a struggle that lasted nearly a minute.
'Wonderboy' started the fifth round strong, landing precise combinations on Woodley. Although Woodley had moments of his own, there was little action from him compared to the earlier rounds, making it a dominant round for the challenger.
The match was adjudged a majority draw, helping Tyron Woodley retain the title. However, had there been one more round, there's a high chance 'Wonderboy' would have left the cage as a winner.
#3 - Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz - UFC 202
Conor McGregor was given a rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 202, five months after getting submitted by the Stockton native at UFC 196 in 2016. The fight started with Conor McGregor looking sharper than ever, tagging Diaz left, right and center.
Every time Diaz tried to come inside to land his combinations on McGregor, he was punished with vicious counter-lefts. After getting cut in the first round, Diaz looked to be in danger. However, with the second round coming to a close and the Irishman starting to fatigue, the 'Stockton Slugger' started to dominate.
Diaz started bombing McGregor. The gritty fan-favorite landed a higher volume of punches and, as a result, McGregor was mostly on the run.
The fight was eventually taken to the judges who gave it in favor of 'Notorious'. However, had there been no time limit, Diaz would have almost certainly slashed his rival into submission or a TKO.
#2 - Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks - UFC 167
UFC 167 was Georges St-Pierre's last MMA fight before taking a four-year hiatus from the sport. Some experts believe 'Rush' stepped away from MMA because of the punishment he took from Johny Hendricks at UFC 167.
The bout started with dual exchanges between the two fighters but Hendricks soon started thrashing the defending champion. While GSP is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, his only weakness was Hendricks, at least that's what the story of UFC 167 was.
Although St-Pierre had more significant strikes in the fight, Hendricks was largely unfazed by the champion. Meanwhile, 'Bigg Rigg' almost turned St-Pierre's face into a pulp. By the start of the fifth round, GSP had multiple cuts on his face while Hendricks was bobbing his head and singing a song.
The decision was adjudged in favor of the Canadian and is considered one of the most controversial decisions in UFC history. Even Dana White was left fuming by the decision. If there had been no time limit in the fight, Hendricks could have defeated one of the greatest MMA fighters ever.
Also read: 10 worst judges' decisions in UFC history
#1 - Leon Edwards vs. Nate Diaz - UFC 263
Welterweight contender Leon Edwards went against one of the greatest MMA legends in Nate Diaz at UFC 263. It was the first non-title and non-main event five-round fight in UFC history. As expected, Diaz was bombed early on with combinations and stinging leg-kicks by the Englishman.
However, the Stockton-born fighter was unfazed like usual. He was engaging in antics of his own, turning away from 'Rocky' and mocking him every now and then. When subjected to hard strikes from Edwards, the 'Stockton Slugger' started to bleed quickly but didn't let it affect the pace of the fight.
'Rocky' continued to put on a striking clinic and won his ninth-straight fight in the UFC, defeating Diaz via a unanimous decision. However, much of the talk following the bout was about Diaz's near comeback win.
Diaz rocked Edwards in the last minute of the final round with a devastating cross-left strike that landed on the button. Edwards avoided getting KO'd by clinching and escaping Diaz's range until the final horn. Had there been more rounds in the bout, or no time limit, fight fans would have been treated to one of the greatest come-from-behind wins in MMA history.
Dana White said at the post-fight conference-
"His (Nate Diaz's) leg was done in the first round, he went five rounds taking leg kicks, bleeding out of both sides of his head...He was still doing what the Diaz brothers do. He was working the whole fight to get into his head and try to make him make a mistake, and then he eventually caught him in the fifth round. He’s unbelievable. He’s gonna be asking us for a six-round fight next time."
