There’s probably a nicer way to put it than “freak show,” but not a whole lot nicer.
There are probably also nicer ways to make a buck, particularly for older guys who poured the foundation of modern MMA.
And yet, here we are. Whether motivated by financial security, a final quaff of notoriety, a strategy for seat butts and TV eyeballs, a last grasp at score-settling or something else or all of it or none of it, freak-show fights—which, in case it’s not self-explanatory, tend to feature wild contrasts in style or size, over-the-hill legends and/or unpolished, if somehow charismatic, competitors—seem to be in MMA’s DNA.
Just look at UFC 1. No weight classes. Virtually no rules. Sumo vs. kung-fu. That thing was all freak show.
A strain of that—sometimes entertaining, sometimes sad, sometimes gross, sometimes compelling, sometimes all of it—has persisted throughout the years and the evolution of the sport.
And now, it gives me nothing but the purest pleasure to observe that we appear ensconced in a new freak-show golden age. That’s thanks to Bellator, the promotion that under Scott Coker has crafted several freak-show matchups as one way of matching swords with the monolithic UFC.
On Friday, it happens again with Bellator 149, which is headlined by a trilogy matchup between UFC 1-and-then-some champion Royce Gracie (49) and inaugural UFC Superfight champion Ken Shamrock (52). Combined age? One hundred and one. The last time they fought each other? 1995.
Oh, but that’s not all. Knockout artist Kimbo Slice takes on fellow backyard fighting legend Dada 5000 in the evening’s co-main event. Double your fun.
To honor the occasion, let us now look at the top 10 freak-show fights in MMA history. They are ranked based on the prominence of the competitors and the degree to which the fight was a freak show. Were the combatants really old? Did they weigh a lot? That’s going to “weigh” in their favor on the freak-show scale.
Got it? Great. Step right up.