Seven Most Bizarre Finishes In MMA History

Building off UFC Denver’s most unexpected knockout, we decided to take a look at some of MMA’s most bizarre finishes. We have 25 years of fights to choose from. Last weekend’s (Nov. 10, 2018) UFC Denver was the promotion’s 25th-anniversary show. The main event between Yair Rodriguez and Chan Sung Jung will go down in […]

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Building off UFC Denver’s most unexpected knockout, we decided to take a look at some of MMA’s most bizarre finishes. We have 25 years of fights to choose from.

Last weekend’s (Nov. 10, 2018) UFC Denver was the promotion’s 25th-anniversary show. The main event between Yair Rodriguez and Chan Sung Jung will go down in history as one of the best fights of all-time and one of the most insane ending sequences you will ever see in MMA.

The UFC has given fans 25 years of MMA and given birth to countless other promotions that have in turn provided fans with even more entertaining fights.

In a sport where you are literally fighting for your life, the term bizarre can be far-ranging. For that reason, and for the sake of this list, let’s just say a bizarre ending in a fight is something that is likely never to happen again.

The list starts here, enjoy.

anderson silva/nick diaz failed drug tests

Anderson Silva’s Broken Leg

When Anderson Silva broke his leg in his championship title rematch with Chris Weidman, it was the first time many fans had ever seen an injury of that ilk.

It was not, however, the first time that same leg break injury had happened inside the Octagon. The now-deceased Corey Hill broke his leg at UFC Fight for the Troops on Dec. 10, 2008. Unfortunately, many fighters in several different promotions have since suffered similar leg injuries.

Silva has now fully recovered from this bizarre fight-ending injury but he has only had three fights since that fateful night in December 2013.

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Seven Potential Replacements For Dana White

Check out seven possible replacements the UFC could hire for Dana White:

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Nothing lasts forever, and even the mighty Dana White will one day step down as the president and face of the UFC.

Love him or hate him, White has been at the helm of the combat sports giant since Zuffa purchased it back in January of 2001. Under White’s leadership, the UFC has grown into a multi-billion dollar, global phenomenon, and the unquestioned leader of mixed martial arts (MMA).

That’s not to say White hasn’t ruffled a few feathers along the way, a career that spans more than 15 years is bound to challenge the status quo. Brash and unapologetic at times, and at other times brutally honest, inconsistency has been the only constant in White’s run as UFC president.

When Zuffa sold the Ultimate Fighting Championship to the William Morris Endeavor in 2016 for $4.2 billion, many people questioned whether White would also part ways with the company he helped build. He obviously has not; however, as of late people have started to notice that White seems increasingly disinterested and at times flippant.

With that in mind, we explored the MMA universe to bring you seven possible replacements for White. Enjoy.

CombatPress

Chael Sonnen

If you saw this one coming, give yourself a pat on the back because you, my friend, have a keen MMA eye. Sonnen is perhaps the most obvious choice to fill White’s shoes, and maybe best suited to follow such an act.

If “The American Gangster” did have ambitions of reigning over the UFC, he would first need to be released from his existing Bellator contract, which most likely would not be an issue considering the kinship between himself and Scott Coker.

The more practical sticking point may be the incredible freedom the Viacom owned promotion bestows on Chael. Would he really want to trade his relatively light workload with big bucks, for a back-breaking work schedule with comparable pay?

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10 Most Shocking UFC Fighter Deaths

These 10 UFC fighter deaths shocked the sport of MMA:

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Almost 25 years since the birth of the UFC, it’s with a heavy heart that we look back in disbelief at just how many fighters who once set foot in the Octagon, so vibrant and full of life, are sadly no longer with us.

In this article, we’ll recall the harrowing circumstances surrounding the death of 10 stars who had fought on the sport’s biggest stage, and whose passing shocked the MMA community to its very core.

Tim Hague

Former UFC heavyweight fighter Tim Hague’s premature passing at the age of 34 last year due to injuries sustained in the boxing ring was a painful reminder of just how dangerous combat sports can be.

Hague had compiled a 1-4 run during in the UFC between 2009-2011 and then moved on to successfully compete for other promotions like WSOF and King of the Cage in the years that followed.

Between 2015 and 2016 his form started to take a dramatic dip though, losing three fights in a row by way of knockout, then a 33-second TKO loss just a few months later in July.

That would prove to be Hague’s last ever MMA fight, but unfortunately, he didn’t hang up his gloves, turning to professional boxing instead.

He’d fight to a unanimous decision loss in the boxing ring that September, then suffered a first-round TKO loss in December. Undeterred, he then took an MMA-boxing hybrid fight billed as ‘superboxing’ in April of 2017 and was TKO’d in 40 seconds.

After that punishing succession of concussive defeats over a relatively short period, Hague should not have been licensed by the Edmonton Combative Sporting Commission to undertake another boxing bout just three months later against Adam Braidwood, an independent report would later conclude.

However, Hague was allowed to fight and quickly found himself outmatched by Braidwood, leading to him being floored no less than three times in the opening round.

The fight wasn’t stopped and so Hague continued to endure a one-sided beating in the second round that saw him dropped once more before finally being brutally KO’d.

Hague regained consciousness afterward and made his way out of the ring helped by his corner, but backstage he began complaining of a severe headache and was vomiting, leading to him being rushed to the hospital.

Two days later Hague was declared dead due to a traumatic brain injury.  Combat sports in Edmonton were subsequently banned for a year as a result of his tragic death.

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Next Gen: 10 MMA Stars Whose Sons Became Fighters

Almost a quarter of a century since UFC 1 ushered in the age of mixed martial arts (MMA), we’ve now reached the stage where some of the sport’s early pioneers have gone on to raise children of their own who decided to follow in their footsteps. However, as you’ll see in the pages that follow, […]

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Almost a quarter of a century since UFC 1 ushered in the age of mixed martial arts (MMA), we’ve now reached the stage where some of the sport’s early pioneers have gone on to raise children of their own who decided to follow in their footsteps.

However, as you’ll see in the pages that follow, it’s not always easy for these next-generation fighters to get out from under their famous fathers’ shadows and deal with the weight of expectation that inevitably falls on their shoulders as they look to make their own mark in the sport.

Nevertheless, among these ten fighters stand a few who have so far lived up to the hype, and could yet become future stars in the sport that their fathers helped build.

Randy Couture / Ryan Couture

A true legend of the sport, Randy Couture is one of the UFC’s most decorated fighters, having won the heavyweight title on three separate occasions, the light-heavyweight title twice, and not to mention also having been an interim champ at 205 pounds and UFC 13 heavyweight tournament winner.

With such a formidable career, it was always going to be tough for Couture’s son Ryan to live up to his father’s legacy when he set out to forge his own path in the sport.

As such, the next-generation Couture hasn’t reached the same level of success or fame, but nevertheless he has managed to build a career in the sport that’s seen him fight for the likes of the UFC, Strikeforce and Bellator, compiling an 11-5 record so far that includes includes wins over established veterans like KJ Noons and Conor Heun.

When asked what advice he’d give to others sons of famous fighters, the now 35-year-old said it’s all about managing expectations.

“They should be trying to achieve their own goals and be happy with that,” Couture told BloodyElbow. “If they’re doing it out of some need to achieve the same level of success as that person, whose footsteps they’re following, then they’re setting themselves up for frustration.”

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Tinfoil Hats: Top 10 MMA Conspiracy Theories

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you, so grab your finest tin foil hat and join us as we take a deep dive into the weird, wonderful and wacky world of MMA conspiracy theories! Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice Was A Work: Bellator’s decision in 2015 to put on a […]

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Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you, so grab your finest tin foil hat and join us as we take a deep dive into the weird, wonderful and wacky world of MMA conspiracy theories!

Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice Was A Work:

Bellator’s decision in 2015 to put on a fight between 51-year-old Ken Shamrock and 41-year-old former backyard brawler Kimbo Slice seemed like a terrible idea, and the resulting fight was indeed painful to watch.

On paper, Shamrock was the superior grappler, but despite taking Kimbo’s back and flattening him out early in the first round, his attempt to apply a rear-naked choke not only failed, but resulted in his opponent managing to escape, get back upright and then TKO him with strikes with just 2.22mins on the clock.

Fans took to social media to call the fight a fix, FOX Sport’s Katie Nolan questioned its validity and then Joe Rogan added fuel to the fire.

”That fight looked fake as f**k,” Rogan stated on his ‘Fight Companion podcast.

Rogan noted how Shamrock looked too relaxed during his walkout, suggested it was “suspect” that the two fighters were both, “mouth to ear for a long f*cking time” during a prolonged clinch early in the fight, and was left perplexed that Shamrock hadn’t landed a single punch after getting in an extremely dominant position on the mat.

It’s not the first time Shamrock has been the subject of fight-fixing allegations, but he has since angrily rejected Rogan’s insinuation.

“Don’t be hiding behind your mic and saying things that are not true,” Shamrock warned Rogan during an interview at the time, while also complaining that unfounded speculation like that could ruin his career.

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Bellator 179 Lineup: ‘Baby Slice’ Kevin Ferguson Added to Card

Kevin Ferguson Jr. is a late addition to the May 19 Bellator 179 lineup. The fighter, nicknamed “Baby Slice,” will meet D.J. Griffin in a catchweight bout. The event airs via tape delay on Spike as it takes place from The O2 in London. Ferguson (0-1) is the son of the late Kevin “Kimbo Slice” […]

Kevin Ferguson Jr. is a late addition to the May 19 Bellator 179 lineup. The fighter, nicknamed “Baby Slice,” will meet D.J. Griffin in a catchweight bout. The event airs via tape delay on Spike as it takes place from The O2 in London. Ferguson (0-1) is the son of the late Kevin “Kimbo Slice” […]