There are few experiences more satisfying than watching a compelling, back-and-forth encounter between two evenly matched fighters. Such fights are not uncommon in mixed martial arts. Indeed, the sport’s popularity can in many ways be attributed …
There are few experiences more satisfying than watching a compelling, back-and-forth encounter between two evenly matched fighters.
Such fights are not uncommon in mixed martial arts. Indeed, the sport’s popularity can in many ways be attributed to their uncanny frequency.
While we celebrate those competitive fights that keep us on the edge of our collective seats, we similarly lament those that resemble the likely outcome of a David and Goliath rematch.
Without further delay, I present to you the 10 most one-sided fights in MMA history.
Feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comments.
Chael Sonnen is as polarizing a figure as you are likely to find in the world of mixed martial arts. Regular readers are, perhaps, aware that I am an occasional Chael Sonnen apologist, so the content of this piece likely won’t come as much of a s…
ChaelSonnen is as polarizing a figure as you are likely to find in the world of mixed martial arts.
Regular readers are, perhaps, aware that I am an occasional ChaelSonnen apologist, so the content of this piece likely won’t come as much of a surprise.
Indeed, I fully expect to be derided for swinging from the proverbial jewels of West Linn’s finest.
So, it is at the risk of being accused of such wanton “nuthuggery” that I argue why Sonnen’s stint on The Ultimate Fighter will introduce some much-needed shades of grey into the palette of fan opinion, softening some of the harsher attitudes towards the UFC’s top villain.
Once a fighter capable of generating little more than extreme apathy, Sonnen has transformed himself into one of MMA’s most bankable commodities—both quantitatively and qualitatively.
In stark contrast to his early career, fan indifference would appear to be the least of Chael’s worries. He has divided opinion like no other, fostering a uniquely dichotomous attitude within the MMA community.
Many fans love Sonnen’s pro wrestling-inspired approach to promoting MMA, but arguably, just as many have dismissed him as a racist felon with more bark than bite—an unfair assessment, yet it remains a well subscribed point of view.
The aforementioned charge of racism, perpetuated by the likes of Jon Jones, must not go unchallenged. Such a loaded term should be used sparingly, lest the concept become so dilute that it is rendered benign.
One has to wonder why so many people insist on taking Sonnen’s shtick so seriously.
Anyone who has ever had so much as a passing interest in pro wrestling should be able to recognize when a heel is attempting to generate heat.
Charging the Oregon native with any form of bigotry is as nonsensical as calling the Iron Sheik a xenophobe for his contrived anti-American antics in the 1980s.
As pointed out in previous articles, spending quality time in the company of the former middleweight contender appears to dispel the notion that he is anything more sinister than a mere pantomime villain.
It is fair to say that the current light heavyweight champion went into the most recent series of TUFwith a less than positive opinion of ChaelSonnen.
Despite initially holding Sonnen in the same regard as your average white supremacist, Jones flip-flopped like a kipper within the first 48 hours of filming the show.
During a fan Q&A last month, the competing coaches could be seen playfully ribbing one another, trading compliments rather than barbs. One could have been forgiven for thinking that they were BFFs of the high school variety.
The impression one gets, therefore, is that Chael has decided to dispense with the pageantry and break kayfabe—or at least express more of his natural personality.
It is precisely for this reason that Sonnen should expect his fanbase to expand throughout the course of his time on TUF.
As fun and engaging as he is while in character, the contrast provided by his real personality will simultaneously surprise and delight those who had bought into his “West Linn Gangster” persona.
Don’t be shocked if your opinion of ChaelSonnen has altogether changed by the end of The Ultimate Fighter season 17.
It must feel strange to be so good at one particular aspect of MMA that it overshadows everything else in your arsenal. This seems to be the situation that Georges St-Pierre presently finds himself in. It would be overstating things to suggest that the…
It must feel strange to be so good at one particular aspect of MMA that it overshadows everything else in your arsenal.
This seems to be the situation that Georges St-Pierre presently finds himself in.
It would be overstating things to suggest that the dominance of GSP’s wrestling has been a curse. Indeed, his uncommon ability to dictate the terms of a fight is the cornerstone of his success.
However, it has also led people to overlook his countless other attributes.
I was recently reminded of this fact when ESPN.com’s Chad Dundas, speaking on the Co-Main Event podcast, seemed utterly nonplussed by GSP’s ability to compete with Carlos Condit on the feet.
I find it bewildering that anyone would be surprised by the quality of St-Pierre’s striking, particularly if they are in any way familiar with his career prior to UFC 69.
Save for his loss to Matt Serra, I daresay the long-time welterweight king has never been found wanting on the feet. Even against high-caliber strikers like ThiagoAlves and BJ Penn, he largely dominated the stand-up exchanges.
Some of this can undoubtedly be attributed to GSP’s uncanny ability to instill doubt in his opponent’s mind—the timing of his double leg is so good you could set your watch by it.
The sheer ubiquity of the threat acts as a figurative straitjacket, inhibiting the opponent to the point of handicap.
That caveat aside, St-Pierre is unquestionably one of the best strikers at 170 pounds. Freddie Roach even went so far as to call him the second-best boxer in MMA.
Then again, Roach and Georges do have a fairly close working relationship, so he may be overstating his charge’s pugilistic prowess.
A lack of long-term memory seems to be a common trait amongst sports fans.
It is no longer true to simply say that a fighter is only as good as his last fight, or that a tennis player is only as good as his last tournament.
Rather, it seems as though everything beyond the present quickly fades from memory or simply ceases to be relevant in the eyes of the fans.
As a result, Georges St-Pierre may currently be considered one of the best strikers in MMA.
With Anderson Silva recently revealing that he plans to take a year off from MMA, it looks like we get yet another opportunity to discuss the merits of the much-maligned concept of interim titles. Almost as soon as the middleweight champion had finishe…
With Anderson Silvarecently revealing that he plans to take a year off from MMA, it looks like we get yet another opportunity to discuss the merits of the much-maligned concept of interim titles.
Almost as soon as the middleweight champion had finished stating his intention to take a lengthy vacation, perennial bridesmaid Michael Bisping took to Twitter to request that his upcoming bout with Vitor Belfort be for the interim title.
Anderson Silva’s response to this idea was consistent with the fans’ own misgivings.
If the UFC wants to make an interim bout while I’m gone, it’s up to them. I don’t know if it will have any meaning but they can do whatever they want.
It’s a fair comment from the champion. Holding the interim title, particularly in that division, would mean absolutely nothing. It’s little more than a physical reminder to the individual that they are the best of the rest.
Making it all the more pointless is the UFC’s apparent indifference towards fighters defending said titles. While the UFC may do many things better than boxing, this sure ain’t one of them.
In boxing, interim titles have a clear purpose. Their owners are all but forced to defend the belt while the legitimate champion is unavailable. They do not get the option of waiting until the linear champion is ready to compete.
The UFC, in contrast, has for all intents and purposes created a No. 1 contender belt. They might as well rename it the Intercontinental title or some such nonsense.
Interim champions Carlos Condit and Renan Barao have chosen to wait for their divisions’ linear champion to return to action, utterly defeating the purpose of their current status. As a result, the respective divisions are in an extreme state of constipation.
Contenders continue to announce themselves, yet they are forced to wait in the increasingly mammoth queue while still remaining active. It’s not just frustrating from a fan’s perspective, but it is also completely nonsensical from a business point of view.
One wonders why the UFC hasn’t stipulated that interim champions must defend their titles. After all, the aforementioned fighters have had ample time to face another opponent while they wait for a shot at the linear belt.
I don’t think I’m being overly cynical by suggesting that the UFC were simply trying to squeeze out a few extra pay-per-view buys by throwing a meaningless title into the mix at UFC 143 and UFC 149.
Fans are seemingly drawn to the stakes implied by a belt being on the line, regardless of whether the stakes are purely superficial.
Will things be any different if Bisping or Belfort is crowned interim middleweight champion? With the UFC’s recent track record, I’m tempted to suggest that we will be faced with precisely the same problem as before.
With the recent news that Ronda Rousey has signed with UFC, it is worth asking how she—and women’s MMA generally—should be introduced to a mainstream MMA audience. Some might argue that her star already shines so brightly that UFC nee…
With the recent news that Ronda Rousey has signed with UFC, it is worth asking how she—and women’s MMA generally—should be introduced to a mainstream MMA audience.
Some might argue that her star already shines so brightly that UFC needn’t make the effort to introduce her to the masses. That perspective doesn’t jibe with the facts, however.
The truth is that the UFC audience is generally oblivious to what goes on in the larger world of MMA. If it doesn’t happen in the UFC, it might as well not have happened, so far as most viewers are concerned.
It should not be assumed that there is a huge built-in audience for Rousey. Indeed, the numbers she pulls on Showtime, while impressive, are comparable to those of Gina Carano during her tenure in Strikeforce.
Like Carano, she has pierced the mainstream consciousness to some degree, with appearances on TMZ and Conan. But despite what she has said in the past, Rousey does not boast the kind of profile that would allow her to be one half of the biggest bout in MMA history—at least not yet.
Dana White and company must introduce the former Olympian in the right way, for her sake and for the sake of women’s MMA.
That means matching her up with an opponent who can last longer than a teenager lasts his first time. The last thing UFC needs is to start promoting the kind of squash matches that wouldn’t look out of place on a 90s WWE show.
That wouldn’t do WMMA any favours, whatsoever. In fact, it wouldn’t even do Rousey any favours. People want to see competitive action, not the modern day equivalent of feeding Christians to the lions.
This is all easier said than done, of course. If Rousey is truly that much better than her contemporaries, there isn’t much that Joe Silva and Sean Shelby can do about it.
There is at least one fighter who could challenge Rousey and have a realistic shot at winning, however:
Sara McMann.
Not only would the bout be extraordinarily competitive, but it would also have a built-in storyline, with two Olympic medallists duking it out for bragging rights and, very likely, the honour of becoming UFC’s first female champion.
With the kind of wrestling base that McMann possesses, it’s hard to imagine Rousey being able to ragdoll her and slap on an armbar within the first minute of the fight. In all likelihood, we would finally get to see how evolved Rousey’s stand-up game is at this point in her career.
One wonders whether UFC would risk pitting their star against the one fighter who has a serious shot at beating her—besides a juiced “Cyborg” Santos. Chances are they may look to build up to an eventual clash of the former Olympians.
Unfortunately, that leaves them with the problem of what to do with Rousey in the meantime. Should they simply put her in the cage with clearly overmatched opponents, in a WSOF-style approach to matchmaking?
The fans may enjoy it for a while, but it won’t be long before they grow tired of watching one mismatch after another.
One can only hope that the Zuffa brass have some concrete plans in place for Rousey, otherwise they risk botching the larger project of growing women’s MMA.
You caught me. I wrote an article condemning the potentiality of this encounter, yet here I am, enthusiastically dissecting it for your pleasure—or displeasure, as the case may be. Nick Diaz vs. Josh Koscheck might make about as much business sen…
You caught me. I wrote an article condemning the potentiality of this encounter, yet here I am, enthusiastically dissecting it for your pleasure—or displeasure, as the case may be.
Nick Diaz vs. Josh Koscheck might make about as much business sense as giving James Toney a crack at Junior dos Santos’ heavyweight title, but you can bank on me tuning in nevertheless.
In the unlikely event that Joe Silva decides to put this matchup together, read on for a breakdown of each fighter’s skills.
