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The UFC is in the business of creating moments that draw fans to it. Ideally, these moments are fights that viewers tune in to watch and reference to their friends and loved ones, potentially sparking their interest in the promotion, thereby creating a foundation for its consumer base.
Unfortunately, not every moment is a fight that fans can point to. Sometimes, the UFC has had moments that court controversy. For example, some of its most well-known fighters might cause an incident of some sort that shines a negative light on the promotion, like Jon Jones' infamous hit-and-run.
But what of the most controversial moments that the promotion itself was involved in, in some form? Perhaps it is something it had a hand in or it was something that took place under the bright lights of a pay-per-view event. Nevertheless, this list goes over 8 of the most controversial moments in UFC history.
#8. The UFC signs CM Punk
In December 2014, the UFC made an announcement that sent the MMA world into a frenzy and that would, years later, serve as a point of contention to Dana White's claims that the UFC didn't engage in gimmicks. But at the end of 2014, the promotion signed pro-wrestling star CM Punk to a lucrative, multi-year contract.
The announcement was extremely controversial, partly due to the promotion's past efforts to distance itself from the scripted nature of WWE. Furthermore, it was a widely criticized announcement due to CM Punk's lack of any kind of martial arts or combat sports history whatsoever.
Meanwhile, undefeated fighters like Ben Askren weren't welcomed into the fold for having a supposedly boring fighting style.
#7. The UFC signs Greg Hardy
It seems like it's been quite a while since Greg Hardy fought in the promotion, but the former NFL player was once a UFC heavyweight. However, when the promotion announced his signing, it was highly controversial due to Hardy's past and the domestic violence charges he faced.
This was especially significant given the promotion's alleged intolerance for anything related to violence against women, which Dana White himself once claimed there was no coming back from and that the UFC had zero tolerance for. It seemed, however, that Greg Hardy was the exception.
#6. UFC 232 moved to Los Angeles on behalf of Jon Jones
Jon Jones' 2017 ended in less than ideal circumstances, as his win over Daniel Cormier to recapture the light heavyweight title was overturned to a no-contest after he tested positive for turinabol, a PED. Upon his return, he faced Alexander Gustafsson for the vacant 205-pound strap in a rematch.
Their bout took place at UFC 232, which was scheduled for Los Vegas. However, a pulsing of trace amounts of turinabol was found in Jones' system, and NSAC refused to license him to compete in Nevada. This caused the promotion to move the entire event to Los Angeles, where the CASC granted Jones the license.
This move was extremely controversial and even led to questions from a reporter named Izabelle Kostic, to whom Jon Jones gave a classless response.
#5. Colby Covington's infamous promo in Brazil
Colby Covington claims that by 2017, he was on the verge of being cut from the promotion for allegedly having a boring fighting style and no personality. Off the heels of being supposedly told he was no longer in the UFC plans despite helming a four-fight win streak, he decided to make a change.
Ahead of his bout with Demian Maia in Brazil, the hometown crowd chanted expletives at him, while shouting that he was going to die as they tried pelting him with objects. So after Covington defeated Maia, he cut a vitriolic promo in his post-fight interview, disparaging Brazil as a 'dump.'
Furthermore, he referred to Brazilians as 'filthy animals,' which drew accusations of racism from the many Brazilian fighters on the roster. It was a controversial moment that caught everyone's attention and marked the birth of Covington's heel character.
#4. Dana White slaps his wife
UFC president Dana White found himself in hot water early this year. In 2022 at a New Years' Eve party, White was at a nightclub in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in the company of his wife, Anne White. The two were filmed engaged in an argument before Anne White slapped him, prompting Dana White to respond in kind.
Footage of White slapping his wife quickly made the rounds and led to widespread condemnation, especially given his past statements about there being no coming back from hitting a woman. But despite letters and petitions demanding that White either resign or be fired, the controversy led to no consequences for him.
#3. Brock Lesnar's USADA exemption
Brock Lesnar took part in UFC 200, returning to the promotion that made him a heavyweight MMA champion for a titanic clash with the heavy-handed master of the walk-off knockout, Mark Hunt. While 'The Beast' was initially victorious, the result of the fight was overturned to a no-contest after a positive PED test.
It was revealed that Lesnar had failed a pre-fight drug test for clomiphene, which Hunt believed was facilitated by Lesnar being given an exemption from USADA that allowed him to bypass the mandatory four months of drug testing required for all athletes returning from retirement.
This led to an incensed Hunt filing a lawsuit against the promotion, accusing them of conspiring to allow Lesnar to fight despite knowing that he was abusing PEDs.
#2. UFC 223 Media Day bus attack
Artem Lobov was once a close friend of Conor McGregor's. Back in 2018, 'The Russian Hammer' insulted Khabib Nurmagomedov in an interview, disparaging him as a fighter in comparison to McGregor. Nurmagomedov did not take kindly to Lobov's words and confronted him in a hotel hallway with a group of associates.
The group crowded Lobov, filming him as Nurmagomedov slapped and threatened him. The video was uploaded to the internet, and upon viewing it, McGregor was furious. The Irishman boarded his private jet with his own goons and flew to New York, intercepting a bus leaving the Barclays Center.
The bus carried Nurmagomedov, along with other fighters. McGregor and his posse quickly attacked the bus, shattering windows and causing several fighters to sustain cuts in an incident that Dana White has labeled ugly. It led to the Irishman's first arrest on American soil and marked the escalation of a heated feud.
#1. The UFC 229 post-fight brawl
After the bus attack, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor were scheduled to face each other for the lightweight title. Ahead of their bout, McGregor subjected Nurmagomedov to vicious trash talk, going to extremely personal lengths as he attacked the latter's religion, family, and political ties.
So when the two finally clashed at UFC 229, tensions did not die once Nurmagomedov submitted his foe. Instead, he scaled the cage and jumped at Dillon Danis, one of Conor McGregor's cornermen, sparking a brawl that only grew worse as Nurmagomedov's cornermen entered the cage and attacked McGregor.
Eventually, security restored order, but fearing a riot, Dana White refused to wrap the lightweight title around 'The Eagle's' waist and promptly sent him backstage. Both fighters were fined and punished for their part, but it marked the most explosive and controversial end to a UFC fight, leading to immense criticism.
