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The UFC is the biggest promotion in the world of MMA. From pay-per-view sales to overall popularity, it rules the roost in every aspect. Naturally, the best mixed martial artists are always looking to sign with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Competition is stiff and fighters are bound to lose at some point. Khabib Nurmagomedov is a unique case of an MMA fighter finishing their career with a perfect record.
While some, like Georges St-Pierre, have taken their defeats graciously and come back stronger, there are others whose reaction to losing has been extreme.
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Fighters say that they don't like making excuses. Yet, after a loss, some make them anyway. However, there are fighters who refuse to even accept a loss. They blame every external (at times, non-existent) factor involved in the fight for the result, from absurd excuses to calling officials biased.
Here are 5 UFC fighters who were in denial after losing a fight.
#5. TJ Dillashaw's unsuccessful attempt at becoming a two-division UFC champion
TJ Dillashaw is a two-time UFC bantamweight champion and a veteran of the division. He captured the title in 2014 against Renan Barao and successfully defended it twice. However, Dillashaw lost his strap to Dominick Cruz in 2016. Undeterred, he rebounded quickly, winning two fights the same year and soon challenged then champion Cody Garbrandt.
He recaptured the bantamweight title after beating Garbrandt in 2017. In 2019, Dillashaw set his sights on the flyweight belt and a chance to become a two-division champion. Both Dillashaw and flyweight king Henry Cejudo had already established themselves as two of the best in the UFC.
The buildup to the fight was bitter, as both fighters claimed to be superior to the other. The pair insulted each other at every opportunity.
Dillashaw and Cejudo go off at each other:
A well-rounded fighter, Dillashaw possesses fast hands and good wrestling. However, he could not put them into practice as Cejudo stopped him in just 32 seconds. 'The Messenger' dropped the bantamweight champ with a hard right hand and proceeded to pummel him with follow-up shots. Dillashaw tried but was unable to recover and the fight was stopped.
The 35-year-old is a durable fighter, but a brutal weight cut of almost 30 lbs may have comprimised his chin. After getting back to his feet, Dillashaw immediately began protesting the stoppage.
Watch TJ Dillashaw's reaction after losing to Cejudo here:
He later accused the referee of stopping the fight early and was adamant that he would have beaten Cejudo had the fight continued. In fact, he went so far as to say referee Kevin McDonald would regret the day they crossed paths again.
Following the loss, Dillashaw tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. He was handed a two-year suspension and lost any possibility of getting a rematch.
#4. Conor Mcgregor's loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229
The biggest rivalry in UFC history was between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. Their fight in 2018 was the highest-selling pay-per-view event in the promotion's history, with a record 2.4 million buys.
The buildup to their historic fight was bitter and sometimes even ugly. McGregor became a double champ in 2016 after beating Eddie Alvarez. Nurmagomedov, who was part of the prelims that night, called McGregor out. However, the Irishman took a long break from MMA. He fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing bout in 2017 and was stripped of the UFC lightweight belt in 2018.
Meanwhile, 'The Eagle' established himself as the most dominant UFC lightweight and captured the title in 2018. It was now Mcgregor's turn to challenge the champ. However, things soon turned ugly after the infamous bus attack at Barclays Center. The Irishman's antics endangered other fighters and he got entangled in legal trouble.
The rivalry turned even uglier in the following weeks, as the Irishman insulted Nurmagomedov's father and his religion. McGregor claimed he would easily knock 'The Eagle' out.
However, on October 7, 2018, it was not the case.
The Russian manhandled the former champ for the majority of the fight. He took him down at will and punished him with ground and pound.
It was only in the third round that McGregor found some success on the feet. In the fourth, normal service resumed. Nurmagomedov took him down again and finished him with a rear-naked choke. Immediately after the stoppage, the Russian jumped the fence and attacked McGregor's teammate, Dillon Danis. A brawl ensued as authorities struggled to get things under control.
Following their fight, McGregor acknowledged the loss but said he had fought with an injured leg. However, as time went on, the former champ constantly made excuses for his defeat. Over the years, he has spewed further vitriol on the Russian on social media. In a now-deleted tweet, he even disrespected Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov after his passing.
McGregor says Khabib ran away:
McGregor has repeatedly claimed that he would beat Nurmagomedov in a rematch and that 'The Eagle' retired because he was scared to face him again. Since returning to the UFC in 2021, the Irishman has lost two straight fights.
#3. UFC legend Nick Diaz's outrageous accusations against Georges St-Pierre
Nick Diaz is a legend of the sport. The veteran has had a long career with its ups and downs. At the peak of his powers, he was the Strikeforce welterweight champion. The Stockton native was a capable fighter, both on the ground and on the feet with his precise striking.
Nick Diaz has fought in many promotions over the years. During his first stint in the UFC, his most notable win was against Robbie Lawler. He returned to the UFC in 2011 and earned a title shot against Georges St-Pierre in 2013.
Some unsavory words were exchanged during the buildup, but it was at the pre-fight press conference when things got personal. St-Pierre compared Diaz to a school bully. Diaz countered by saying how he had been held at gunpoint once as a kid and asked if St-Pierre had ever faced such a situation.
The pair met inside the octagon at UFC 158 in 2013. Diaz did his best, but St-Pierre pressured him, constantly landing numerous takedowns. 'Rush' disrupted his rhythm, outclassed Diaz on the ground, matched him at striking, and won by a clear decision.
Diaz did not take the loss well. He came up with a plethora of excuses, the most outrageous being that he'd been poisoned before the fight.
Diaz explains how he thinks he was poisoned:
On top of this, he even accused St-Pierre of taking steroids. It was another shocking claim, considering 'Rush' has a clean record and has always advocated for independent drug testing.
#2. UFC bantamweight Sean O'Malley refuses to acknowledge his only loss
Sean O'Malley is among the most exciting young fighters in the UFC. The bantamweight is a finisher with quick and accurate striking. He has won four of his last five fights via TKO. He mixes things up with elbows, kicks, and spinning strikes. He also never shies away from trash talk and has grown into a fan favorite.
Out of 16 professional fights, he has lost only one. At UFC 252, he went up against Marlon Vera. Both fighters took a kick-heavy approach. Halfway through the first round, O'Malley appeared to sprain his ankle. He soon started having trouble moving around.
Near the end of the round, he slipped, and Vera started landing hard shots from the top position. 'Sugar' did not defend himself adequately as Vera rained down heavy elbows prompting the referee to stop the fight.
O'Malley responds to first career loss:
'Sugar' later revealed that he was unhappy with the stoppage. There was also much controversy surrounding the injury. Many believed he had simply rolled his ankle, while others argued it was the result of Vera's kicks. However, no one questioned the stoppage as O'Malley was hurt and would only have taken more damage had the fight continued.
Since then he has been in denial about the loss and believes that Vera is an inferior fighter. He said the defeat wasn't even legitimate because he had hurt his leg. 'Sugar' has also used the controversy to promote his brand, dropping merchandise with 'undefeated' and 'unranked champ 15' written on them.
#1. Colby Covington blames everyone but himself for his loss at UFC 245
Colby Covington's rise in the UFC has been slow, but over time he has firmly established himself as a top welterweight. 'Chaos' earned his first title shot after beating former UFC champions Robbie Lawler and Rafael Dos Anjos. The buildup to his fight with Usman was bitter. Covington did not hold back in the war of words and declared himself the people's champion.
A quick recap of the buildup to UFC 245:
However, things would not go his way on fight night. Covington started strong and found success early, but Usman rallied back in the third and fourth rounds. Interestingly, both fighters abandoned their world-class wrestling and engaged in a slugfest. In the final round, Usman dropped Covington twice and TKO'd him to win the fight.
'Chaos' stormed off in anger and later said that the referee was biased towards the champion. He also accused 'The Nigerian Nightmare' of pretending to be hit on the groin and taking steroids before the fight. He remained adamant that he would finish Usman in a rematch.
Covington says he is coming for Usman after beating Tyron Woodley:
At UFC 268, he got his rematch and yet again it was a close fight. However, Usman was the better striker and Covington lost again, this time, on points.
