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Ideally, all UFC bouts would involve equal competition, with one fighter emerging victorious after a hard-earned effort. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes, certain bouts have clear favorites that are expected to demolish their foes without any difficulty. In some cases, a fighter is simply too good.
Oftentimes, these predictions are accurate. Favorites are deemed as such for a reason, and that is frequently reflected in how dominantly they beat their opponents. Hardly anyone, for example, chose Dan Hooker over Islam Makhachev when the pair crossed swords. The two of them occupy different levels.
Doubting a fighter, however, is a dangerous game. Sometimes they prove their detractors wrong by scoring jaw-dropping upsets. This list looks at five times when UFC fighters proved their doubters wrong.
#5. Leon Edwards, UFC 286
Heading into UFC 286, much of the conversation about the headline bout revolved around Leon Edwards' struggles against Kamaru Usman prior to his KO win in the final round at UFC 278. Many predicted a win for 'The Nigerian Nightmare', with some even daring to label the Englishman's prior win a fluke.
Usman himself even spoke about three of the five rounds from their prior fight in a thinly veiled attempt to discredit his rival's win. Thus, by the time the two men locked horns to settle their differences in a trilogy bout, Edwards—a betting underdog—carried all of the pressure on his shoulders.
Cheating aside, 'Rocky' pushed his opponent to the very limit in a far more competitive bout than anyone could have expected. He outstruck Usman with near-supernatural accuracy while showcasing impressive defensive wrestling to retain his title with a majority decision win and prove all his doubters wrong.
#4. Nate Diaz, UFC 196
Conor McGregor's quest for MMA immortality experienced a minor detour after then-reigning UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos withdrew from their planned matchup due to a broken foot. The promotion scrambled for a short-notice replacement before settling on MMA icon Nate Diaz.
Stockton's finest was not held in high regard in terms of his skills. While he has always been serviceable, no one has ever mistaken him for an elite-level fighter. Thus, when he was scheduled to face the Irishman on short notice, no one gave him a chance. If José Aldo fell in 13 seconds, how would Nate Diaz do any better?
Color commentator Jon Anik famously claimed that he would get a 209 tattoo if the MMA cult hero prevailed. Come fight night, Diaz did just that by surviving McGregor's first-round onslaught prior to taking over the fight. He rocked the Irishman en route to securing a submission win as a hit back on his critics.
#3. Sean O'Malley, UFC 280
While most of the attention at UFC 280 revolved around Islam Makhachev challenging Charles Oliveira for lightweight supremacy, a fair amount of attention was given to Sean O'Malley's co-main event clash with Petr Yan. Prior to the pair's bout, almost no one gave 'Sugar' a chance at defeating 'No Mercy'.
Yan's status as a former champion implied that he was at a much higher level than someone whose worst performances came against top-10 opponents. So everyone expected him to suffer the worst beating of his career and take his second professional loss. Instead, O'Malley persevered.
He pushed Yan to the very limit in one of the Russian's most competitive bouts while landing more damaging strikes than his foe, prompting 'No Mercy' to resort to wrestling at various points. In the end, 'Sugar' was awarded a split-decision win and now sits as the number-two bantamweight.
#2. Alexa Grasso, UFC 286
Besides Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko is widely regarded as the most dominant women's fighter in the promotion. Prior to the PPV, her only losses came against 'The Lioness' herself and Liz Carmouche in a bout she was winning before an illegal upkick caused a cut that led to a doctor stoppage.
Before March 4, 'Bullet' was the reigning women's flyweight champion en route to securing an eighth title defense. Her opponent, Alexa Grasso, was widely regarded as an overmatched lamb being prepared for slaughter. However, once the pair locked horns inside the octagon, Grasso proved her mettle.
She troubled Shevchenko in the pair's kickboxing exchanges to such an extent that 'Bullet' resorted to takedowns to regain control of the bout. In the fourth round, however, Grasso secured a quick back-mount after an ill-advised spinning back-kick from Shevchenko. Seconds later, she claimed victory with a face crank.
#1. Julianna Peña, UFC 269
Amanda Nunes is the greatest women's fighter in MMA history. She owns countless accolades, including the fact that she has defeated countless champions throughout her unrivaled run. All-time greats like Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey all fell before her in spectacular fashion.
Thus, hardly anyone gave Julianna Peña even a sliver of a chance against 'The Lioness'. Why would they? She had 10 wins and four losses leading up to their matchup. Worse still, she was on a one-fight win streak after rebounding from a submission loss to Germaine de Randamie, a kickboxer.
What hope did a fighter on a one-win fight streak, abysmal record, and submission loss to a kickboxer have against the WMMA GOAT? It turns out that everyone was wrong as 'The Venezuelan Vixen' scored the biggest upset in WMMA history by defeating 'The Lioness' via rear-naked choke in the second round at UFC 269.
