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Every UFC fighter aspires to feature in main-event fights. But that's where the pressure of performing is at its highest, and not every fighter is able to live up to that.
Under the brightest spotlight in MMA, even elite-level fighters can underperform due to a plethora of reasons. Having a stinker in the main event could be a result of the pressure taking a toll on a fighter, having no answer to an opponent's gameplan or simply having an off night.
The main event usually features the UFC's top stars. But every once in a while, the headlining bout fails to whet the appetite of action-hungry UFC fans. On that note, let's take a look at the five most disappointing UFC main event fights in history.
#5 UFC 259 main event: Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya
It's a big deal every time the UFC pits two of its champions against each other. When the Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya superfight was announced, it naturally sent the MMA world abuzz.
Adesanya, the UFC middleweight champion, is regarded as one of the most exciting stars in the octagon. There was a lot of buzz about the possibility of 'The Last Style Bender' walking away from UFC 259 as the promotion's latest champ-champ.
UFC light heavyweight titleholder Blachowicz, meanwhile, is a heavy-hitter and has a complete overall game. While Blachowicz is not very popular among casual fans, a bout against Adesanya was expected to be his coming out party.
Unfortunately, the battle between two of the UFC's best fighters turned out to be a dud. Blachowicz and Adesanya, two of the most well-rounded and technically sound fighters in the promotion, ended up largely canceling each other out. Late in the fight, a timely takedown sealed a unanimous decision victory for Blachowicz.
To be fair, that wasn't Adesanya's worst showing in a championship main event, as he fared worse in the Adesanya vs Yoel Romero fight at UFC 248. But given the stakes involved at UFC 259, the fight will go down as a big disappointment.
#4 UFC on FX 4 main event: Gray Maynard vs Clay Guida
On paper, Gray Maynard vs Clay Guida should have gone down as one of the most exciting fights in the octagon.
A showdown between two firecrackers in the UFC lightweight division should have resulted in an action-packed all-timer of a main event. Instead, Maynard vs Guida turned out to be an all-time lackluster main event bout.
Coming into UFC on FX 4, Maynard and Guida had massive chips on their shoulders, as they were both coming off defeats. Maynard was incredibly hungry for redemption after coming close to winning the UFC featherweight title before suffering his first career loss against Frankie Edgar. Guida, meanwhile, just had his four-fight winning streak snapped by Benson Henderson.
When the combatants finally met in the cage, Guida was obviously spooked by Maynard's notorious knockout power. He constantly backpedalled and refused to trade blows with 'The Bully'. Meanwhile, a frustrated Maynard spent most of the fight hunting for the finish but to no avail.
In the end, Maynard got the unanimous decision in his favor. But he was still disappointed, as he was expecting to put on a strong bounce-back performance.
#3 UFC 209 main event: Tyron Woodley vs Stephen Thompson 2
UFC 209 was already doomed before it began, as it lost its highly-anticipated co-main event bout between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov due to injury.
At least Tyron Woodley and Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson would have saved the day by putting on a show in the main event, right? Wrong!
The first fight between Woodley and 'Wonderboy' ended without a conclusive winner. When the pair rematched for the UFC welterweight title, they put on one of the most dull fights in UFC history.
Both fighters respected one another's power so much that they were hesitant to exchange blows for the majority of the main event bout. Round one was one of the most uneventful moments in the octagon, as only a combined total of six strikes were thrown by either fighter in five minutes.
Woodley gave fans a glimmer of hope when he caught Thompson with a heavy left hand that almost secured him a KO win. But he was ultimately unsuccessful in doing so.
#2 UFC 114 main event: Rashad Evans vs Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
To be fair, Rashad Evans vs Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson isn't as bad as some of the main event fights in this list. But given the level of hype during the buildup to this main event bout, it certainly came up short.
Evans and Jackson genuinely disliked each other. That was evident when they served as rival coaches in the tenth installment of The Ultimate Fighter. In fact, the drama and animosity that surrounded Evans and 'Rampage' greatly contributed to making TUF 10 one of the most memorable seasons of the show.
To add more fuel to fire, it was announced that the winner of Evans vs 'Rampage' would get a title shot as a reward. Bad blood and a championship opportunity could have made for an explosive main event.
Come fight night, that wasn't the case, though. Evans exploited his rival's weak wrestling defense by taking him down each time an opportunity presented itself. Once the fight shifted to the ground, 'Suga' couldn't inflict too much damage either.
Kudos to Evans for implementing an effective gameplan to seal the main event in his favor. But to say that the bout was disappointing would be a massive understatement.
#1 UFC 112 main event: Anderson Silva vs Demian Maia
For a while, Anderson Silva was the most dominant champion in the UFC. When his fellow Brazilian Demian Maia challenged Silva for the UFC middleweight title, 'The Spider' was heavily favored to emerge successful in a breathtaking stoppage win.
They say styles make fights. So in theory, the showdown between striking savant Silva and submission specialist Maia had the potential to become an interesting clash of styles. But in reality, the fight turned out to be one of the worst main events in UFC history.
Silva showed no interest in engaging with Maia. 'The Spider' spent most of the time running around the cage and taunting Maia. Meanwhile, Maia didn't possess a potent enough striking game to make Silva pay for clowning around.
Referee Dan Miragliotta threatened to deduct a point from Silva if he continued to stall the action. But that did nothing to salvage the main event, which turned out to be a disaster.
Silva eventually defended his crown via a unanimous decision. But UFC president Dana White was so disgusted with Silva's antics, he refused to wrap the title around the champion's waist.
