As soon as Anderson Silva‘s head bounced off the canvas, the whispers began. Most prominent was Bloody Elbow blogger and Fight author Eugene Robinson, but he was not alone. In comments, tweets and blog posts, a chorus of writers let their voices be heard. And their message was clear:
The fix was in.
In some ways, I can forgive their incredulity. Silva, after all, had never lost in his UFC tenure. For seven years he had met the test each and every time he stepped into the cage. Silva, employing the same style that made a young Muhammad Ali so successful, seemed to avoid blows like magic.
But there is no such thing as magic.
Silva, hands by his sides, leaned back, way back, to avoid consecutive right hands from Chris Weidman. When the left hook followed, there was nowhere left to hide. It was just Silva’s chin and Weidman’s balled up fist. That’s not an equation any fighter can win, not even one of the greats like Anderson Silva.
Weidman’s win was as legitimate as they come. But not every fight in MMA history has been. From the Land of the Rising Sun, where professional wrestling and MMA walked hand-in-hand, to the middle of the UFC Octagon, there have been a handful of fights that have raised suspicions and created whispers.
Here are six of the most notorious. Have some more in mind? Share them in the comments.