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Top 10 Most Shocking UFC Upsets In 2016

Everyone loves a good underdog story, and over the past 12 months we’ve seen plenty of memorable examples of fighters delivering major upsets inside the UFC’s Octagon. Truth be told, mixed martial arts is perfectly suited to breeding unexpected outcomes like this due to the sport’s inherently unpredictable and unforgiving nature, where just a single

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Everyone loves a good underdog story, and over the past 12 months we’ve seen plenty of memorable examples of fighters delivering major upsets inside the UFC’s Octagon.

Truth be told, mixed martial arts is perfectly suited to breeding unexpected outcomes like this due to the sport’s inherently unpredictable and unforgiving nature, where just a single strike, a momentarily exposed neck or a split-second lapse in concentration can result in even the very best fighters in the world being finished in the blink of an eye.

In this article we’ll count down the 10 most jaw-dropping examples in 2016, shining a light on both up-and-coming fighters who made a mockery of the bookmaker’s odds, and underappreciated stars who confounded the critics to emerge victorious in some of the year’s highest profile fights.

Caraway Sterling

No.10: Bryan Caraway vs. Aljamain Sterling

Aljamain Sterling was a hotly tipped rising star heading into his fight against Bryan Caraway at UFC Fight Night 88 in May, but things would not go according to plan for ‘The Funk Master’ that night.

Sterling had been on the fast-track to title contention after compiling a perfect 12-0 start to his MMA career, including four victories in a row inside the Octagon, leading to him being installed as a –400 favorite to win.

That being said, though he often gets more attention for being Miesha Tate’s long-time partner, Caraway is an experienced veteran who had a 5-2 UFC record at the time, and he’d prove that it was a mistake to overlook him by grinding out a split decision victory to bring and end to Sterling’s unbeaten run.

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Find Out Why Holly Holm Turned Down Fight With Cris Cyborg

The MMA world was given a refreshing bit of news when it was revealed earlier this week that Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino would finally be making her UFC debut against Leslie Smith at May 14’s UFC 198 from her homeland of Curitiba, Brazil. While Smith is most certainly a gritty and talented

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The MMA world was given a refreshing bit of news when it was revealed earlier this week that Invicta FC featherweight champion Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino would finally be making her UFC debut against Leslie Smith at May 14’s UFC 198 from her homeland of Curitiba, Brazil.

While Smith is most certainly a gritty and talented fighter and also deserves respect for taking the 140-pound catchweight fight, most hoped ‘Cyborg’ would make her debut against the top fighters of the UFC women’s bantamweight division. Obviously Justino has a long-standing feud Ronda Rousey, and bouts with champion Miesha Tate or top contenders Holly Holm and Cat Zingano are very enticing prospects.

However, UFC President Dana White spoke up to declare that no one other than Smith wanted the fight, and apparently Holm, who recently lost the title to Miesha Tate at March 5’s UFC 196, is one that did not. In a recent appearance at a news conference transcribed by The Albuquerque Journal, Holm touched on her desires for her next fight, which not surprisingly include rematches with Tate or Rousey:

“This one’s definitely a little more out of my hands. (In boxing), I knew that Lenny would give me the opportunity as long as I wanted it. This is a whole different situation.

“I really want that rematch, but I’m not the one with the title now. I’m not the one with the belt. So I have to be patient and wait for that opportunity to come.”

‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ seems to know the bargaining chips are a bit out of her hands after Tate submitted her in the fifth round of their title bout, and she believes she can’t be too picky as a result:

“Right now, what’s on my heart is the rematch,” she said. “(But) I don’t necessarily want to be too picky, either. I’m the one coming off a loss. I can’t expect to have everything handed to me, so we’ll see what happens.”

Holm’s longtime manager Lenny Fresquez also spoke up on the subject, adding that the UFC will hopefully give them a chance at Tate or Rousey when her next fight is booked:

“Miesha was in Australia on vacation, so they were supposed to get with her this week,” Fresquez said. “Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks we’ll know. But whether it’s Miesha or Ronda, those are the fights we’re interested in.”

As for the Cyborg fight, Fresquez, whom White infamously said was ‘not that smart’ in a tirade post-UFC 196, said that Holm’s camp is simply not interested in fighting ‘Cyborg’ right now:

“(Fighting Rousey or Tate) is pretty much what Holly wants to do,” Fresquez said. “If they have something else, it’s my job to present it to her. I’ve made her wishes known to them.

“We were not interested in that right now,” Fresquez said. “(Holm) just wants to fight Miesha.”

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Ronda Rousey: There’s No Room For Improvement In Perfect

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It’s been only three months since former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey lost her title to Holly Holm at UFC 193. In terms of the division, things have moved light years since ‘Rowdy’s’ departure from the top of the food chain. The devastating knockout from Holm was an incredible accomplishment, but the celebration didn’t last long for ‘The Preacher’s Daughter.’ She ran in to Rousey’s old foe Miesha Tate at UFC 195, and was dethroned herself in just her first title defense.

So now the woman that Rousey not only defeated but finished in both their fights reigns atop the 135-pound category, and it’s led to rampant talk of the ex-champ returning to competition. It’s projected that ‘Rowdy’ will return in November, but ‘Cupcake’ has already stated she won’t be waiting until winter for her first title defense.

Many questions surround Rousey’s comeback, perhaps the most glaring is whether she’ll be mentally recovered from her first pro loss. It wasn’t just a loss, it was an admittedly horrible experience from start to present, as the former champ has openly discussed suicidal feelings after UFC 193.

As reported by MMAFighting.com, ‘Rowdy’ is using the crushing defeat to Holm as inspiration, trying to make a positive outcome from such a harrowing experience.

“Every single setback, it’s not the end of the world, it’s just the beginning of that lesson,” Rousey said this week at Reebok’s Luncheon for Inspirational Women (via Inside Halton). “That had to happen for me to learn these certain things and it’s not about being completely infallible, it’s about getting better and there’s no room for improvement in perfect.”

The building blocks for a successful comeback in the fight game are essentially all in the mind. For a top athlete, providing they are of course in shape, a focused mental state is essential, and it sounds as though Rousey has a firm grasp on the events of the past few months and indeed her fighting future. She continues:

“A lot of people think they’re a good person because they don’t do this, and they don’t do that,” said Rousey. “But for me, it’s not about what you abstain from, it’s about what you do that makes a difference.

“When it comes to challenges, I honestly believe that things happen for a reason. At the time yes it’s hard on a personal, emotional level and it’s hard to look past what’s happening to the future, but you have to believe in yourself because down the line in two, five, ten years’ time you’ll look back and think that was actually the best thing that ever happened to me.”

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Dana White Rips Holly Holm’s Manager For UFC 196: He’s “Not Smart”

Miesha Tate sent the UFC women’s bantamweight division into a spiral of confusion when she choked former champion Holly Holm out in the co-main event of last Saturday’s (March 5, 2016) UFC 196 from Las Vegas. It was a gritty, come-from-behind performance that cast serious doubt on Holm’s ability to contend with the world’s best

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It was a gritty, come-from-behind performance that cast serious doubt on Holm’s ability to contend with the world’s best female grapplers. Following years of dedication, Tate earned the title she coveted most, but there are still many who believe that Holm, who infamously decimated former champion Ronda Rousey in the main event of last November’s UFC 193, shouldn’t even have taken the fight in the first place.

UFC president Dana White is not surprisingly among them, as he told ESPN’s Russillo & Kanell (via ESPN’s Brett Okamoto) that the former champ doesn’t know what she passed up in choosing not to wait for a blockbuster rematch with Rousey, and that’s because of her management:

“The sad part about that is, listen, he’s an old boxing guy who thinks he’s smart, and he’s not,” White said during an appearance on ESPN’s Russillo & Kanell. “It’s one of those things. I feel bad about it. I feel bad for Holly. I don’t know if Holly really knows what she lost. I think she has so much faith in the people that surround her, she feels like, ‘Well, they got me this far.’

“We had this meeting, and Holly wasn’t even in it. Holly, that’s your life. You should be in that meeting. Don’t leave it to these people. Anyway, Holly made a lot of money. She accomplished great things, she beat Ronda Rousey. But it could have been so much bigger for her, and the sad part is, I don’t think she even knows it.”

For his part, Holm’s manager Lenny Fresquez fired back when questioned by ESPN that Holm did know what she had lost and it was a calculated risk that was close to paying off for her:

“Of course, she knows,” Fresquez said. “It was a team decision, and Holly is the boss. She wanted to fight, and she got her wish. I think she’ll fight Miesha or Ronda next. That’s my personal feeling, but who knows what the UFC has cooking? Holly was dominant in that fight against Miesha except for the second and fifth round. She paid for it. Hat’s off to Miesha for capitalizing.”

Fresquez said he believes Holm will rebound to fight either Tate or Rousey again, and while she took a big hit at UFC 196, she’ll most certainly rebound like the warrior she is:

“What happens next is the UFC’s decision. All I can speak to are Holly’s wishes. Holly wants to fight Miesha right away. She wants to fight Ronda Rousey. Even with the title, a fight between Miesha and Rousey doesn’t have the glamour a fight with Holly and Ronda does. Yeah, Holly lost. She made a mistake, but she’ll learn from it. Everyone saw she’s a warrior.”

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Quote: Ronda Got Demolished By Holm, She Might Not Be The Same

For a while there it looked like Ronda Rousey might never be stopped, but things can change after you get kicked in the face… Before UFC 193 there were very few people that believed Ronda Rousey would suffer the brutal defeat she eventually faced. Holly Holm was without doubt a huge underdog, going up against

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For a while there it looked like Ronda Rousey might never be stopped, but things can change after you get kicked in the face…

Before UFC 193 there were very few people that believed Ronda Rousey would suffer the brutal defeat she eventually faced. Holly Holm was without doubt a huge underdog, going up against the most dominant reigning champion in women’s history. As it turned out, the history books and betting lines had little influence on the fight, evident when ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ planted a perfectly placed kick along the jaw line of ‘Rowdy.’

The fight was over, as was the storm of hype that surrounded Rousey, but it was replaced by a different kind of media attention. Social media exploded in a vicious backlash toward the UFC and Rousey, with memes and videos depicting the demise of the now former champion making the rounds still to this day. Rousey went in to hiding, then came back out and revealed she’d thought about suicide, leading to more criticism from the MMA community. Then she declined to discuss fighting in interviews, before being revealed as the next contender to the title. It just never stops.

With Miesha Tate snatching the belt from Holm at UFC 196, we now face a rock paper scissors scenario in the women’s bantamweight category. The belt could quite possibly be passed around from fight to fight now, but the bizarre recent statement from Rousey on when she got the news about the Tate vs. Holm result raises some interesting questions. What was she doing at the moment Tate took the belt from Holm? Watching wrestling. Is ‘Rowdy’ really motivated to fight?

cupcake raises the same question on the next page

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UFC 196 Salaries: Conor McGregor Banks Massive Payday For Loss To Nate Diaz

Conor McGregor may have suffered his first UFC loss to Nate Diaz in the main event of last Saturday’s (March 5, 2016) UFC 196 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, but he’ll a sizable pile of dollar bills to help relieve his worry. With UFC 196 being the biggest card of

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With UFC 196 being the biggest card of 2016 thus far and, if Dana White’s initial projections have any truth to them, potentially the biggest of all-time, the monumental event not surprisingly produced some big paydays for the fighters involved.

McGregor understandably topped the list with the first-ever disclosed fight purse of $1,000,000 in the UFC. He repeatedly said he would top $10 million for the bout, which he lost to Diaz by second round submission, when his pay-per-view (PPV) numbers are factored in. Diaz earned $500,000, which is by far his biggest MMA payday, for replacing Rafael dos Anjos on only 11 days’ notice.

Newly crowned women’s bantamweight champ Miesha Tate should most definitely ask for a raise following her thrilling submission win over former champ Holly Holm, as she only banked $92,000 (including the win bonus) for winning the belt. Holm made $500,000 for the loss.

Here are the full disclosed UFC 196 salaries (via MMA Mania):

Nate Diaz: $500,000 (no win bonus)
Conor McGregor: $1,000,000
Diaz def. McGregor by submission

Miesha Tate: $92,000 (includes $46,000 win bonus)
Holly Holm: $500,000
Tate def. Holm by submission

Ilir Latifi: $50,000 (includes $25,000 win bonus)
Gian Villante: $36,000
Latifi def. Villante by decision

Corey Anderson: $40,000 (includes $20,000 win bonus)
Tom Lawlor: $28,000
Anderson def. Lawlor by decision

Amanda Nunes: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus)
Valentina Shevchenko: $14,000
Nunes def. Shevchenko by decision

Siyar Bahadurzada: $38,000 (includes $19,000 win bonus)
Brandon Thatch: $22,000
Bahadurzda def. Thatch by submission

Nordine Taleb: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
Erick Silva: $34,000
Taleb def. Silva by knockout

Vitor Miranda: $32,000 (includes $16,000 win bonus)
Marcelo Guimaraes: $13,000
Miranda def. Guimaraes by technical knockout

Darren Elkins: $74,000 (includes $37,000 win bonus)
Chas Skelly: $21,000
Elkins def. Skelly by decision

Diego Sanchez: $150,000 (includes $75,000 win bonus)
Jim Miller: $59,000
Sanchez def. Miller by decision

Jason Saggo: $20,000 (includes $10,000 win bonus)
Justin Salas: $16,000
Saggo def. Salas by technical knockout

Teruto Ishihara: $34,000 (includes $17,000 win bonus)
Julian Erosa: $12,000
Ishihara def. Erosa by knockout

The total disclosed payroll for UFC 196 was $2,871,000.

Usual disclaimer: The above figures do not include any deductions for expenses such as insurance and/or taxes, and they also don’t include any potential supplemental money earned from sources like Reebok fighter payouts, post-fight bonus awards, or special discretionary “locker room” bonuses the UFC periodically hands out.

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