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The UFC prides itself on being the premier MMA organization in the world. UFC President Dana White often boasts about helming the only combat sports promotion that actively schedules matchups that fans clamor for. Unfortunately, despite his claims, that statement is not without holes to poke through.
Mismatches are common throughout all combat sports — some would argue they are even common across all sports. MMA is no exception this trend, so neither is the UFC. While the UFC does not frequently schedule fights between two fighters who shouldn't share an octagon, it would be a lie to say that they never occur.
Case in point, the headline bout scheduled for UFC 279 is Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz: a matchup that seems all but impossible for the Stockton legend to win due to his historic vulnerability to wrestlers and his general decline in recent years. Thus, this list examines the fight between Chimaev and Diaz and four other matchups that can be classified as mismatches for one reason or another.
#5. Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson
The women's featherweight division is not the deepest weight class in the promotion, and that is putting it nicely. It was originally founded as the UFC's attempt to accommodate then star-signee Cris Cyborg, as the Brazilian great could not cut down to 135 pounds without risking her own health and ultimately taking away from her potential performances inside the octagon.
Amanda Nunes shocked the world with her successful attempt at capturing a second title by crushing Cris Cyborg in a first-round knockout that left her foe hunched over with her face planted. 'The Lioness' has twice defend her featherweight title, the latest of which came against Megan Anderson at UFC 259. Now a retired mixed martial artist, Megan Anderson is exceptionally tall and long, even for a featherweight. She stands 6 feet tall with a reach of 72 inches.
Alas, those attributes were of no concern to Amanda Nunes, who tore through her foe in such dominant fashion that Anderson only landed 2 out of 5 strikes en route to being rocked and submitted within 2 minutes of the first round. Despite everything the UFC did to generate interest in the bout, when both women locked horns inside the octagon, Anderson looked as outmatched as any fighter ever.
#4. Paulo Costa vs. Johny Hendricks
Prior to his shockingly inept performance against Israel Adesanya, Paulo Costa was tearing the middleweight division asunder. One foe who was on the receiving end of Costa's savage assault was former interim welterweight champion Johny Hendricks.
At the time, Hendricks was 1-4 in his last 5 fights, while 'The Eraser' was an undefeated bruiser who would go on to defeat the likes of Uriah Hall and Yoel Romero. When Hendricks and Costa stepped inside the octagon, the former welterweight champion was dominated. The result was so shocking that MMA color commentator Joe Rogan later claimed it would've been impossible (at least to the untrained eye) to reconcile Hendricks' performance in the cage with his past as a champion.
Sandwiched between Costa and the fence, Hendricks was brutalized until he wilted under the Brazilian's relentless barrage. This was Hendricks' final MMA bout before retiring from the sport.
#3. Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen
Jon 'Bones' Jones' matchup with Chael Sonnen at UFC 159 was one of the most ludricrous bouts the UFC has ever scheduled due, in part, to Sonnen earning the title shot against Jones off of a loss to Anderson Silva. No one — perhaps not even Sonnen himself — believed that 'The American Gangster' had a chance at besting the greatest light heavyweight in MMA history.
In what was a shameless cash grab, Dana White attempted to milk Sonnen for all his worth by booking the former middleweight title contender in a lopsided bout against Jon Jones that lasted no more than 4 minutes.
Sonnen, whose only path to victory was wrestling, was not only unable to wrestle Jones; he was also outwrestled himself, conceding three takedowns before being TKO'd within the first round after mounting no significant offense.
#2. Randy Couture vs. James Toney
Randy Couture is an MMA legend. A former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Couture popularized Greco-Roman wrestling and the implementation of dirty boxing through his intelligent clinch work. While 'The Natural' was at the peak of his prime, it was thought that there was no fighter with a better mind for gameplanning.
When Couture faced heavyweight boxing great James Toney, 'The Natural' wasn't in his physical prime. However, he didn't need this nor a great gameplan to defeat an opponent who stepped inside the octagon with no respect for wrestling or grappling as a whole. Toney's status as an MMA debutant and his relatively limited combat sports experience resulted in a recipe for disaster.
At UFC 118, Couture faced Toney in what was the former's final MMA victory. The outcome was inevitable, as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time secured an early takedown against the MMA novice, submitting him with an arm-triangle choke that Toney had likely never seen before.
The fight was slammed as a freakshow bout with no competitive or athletic merit, with even UFC President Dana White later echoing those sentiments.
#1. Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz has not fought since his lopsided loss to Leon Edwards at UFC 263 last year. His UFC contract is clearly nearing its end as he sits on a losing streak that summarizes his inconsistent record against top-level competition. Although he is now booked to fight Khamzat Chimaev, Diaz made life difficult for the UFC when it came to scheduling his final fight with the promotion.
Nate Diaz will be meeting the undefeated welterweight in a matchup many have denounced as a mismatch, and it is not difficult to see why. Diaz's past struggles have largely come against wrestlers due to his boxing-heavy stance, which causes his lead leg to be overexposed as a prime target for single-leg takedowns.
Not only does the Stockton legend bear a weakness against wrestlers who possess a size advantage over him, but fans fear that his celebrated chin might finally falter against Chimaev's seismic punching power.
From Dan Hardy to former foe Leon Edwards, MMA figures across the board are all expressing their outrage over the UFC's decision to book an aging 37-year old Diaz, who hasn't won a fight since 2019 against a 28-year old Chimaev, who is likely one win removed from a title fight.
