Throughout the comparatively short history of mixed martial arts (MMA), there’ve expectedly been a host of fights that stand out as one-sided beatdowns from one man or woman to another. The bout’s referee stopped some of these fights mercifully, a participant’s corner stopped some, and some went to a decision, but ultimately they all featured
Throughout the comparatively short history of mixed martial arts (MMA), there’ve expectedly been a host of fights that stand out as one-sided beatdowns from one man or woman to another.
The bout’s referee stopped some of these fights mercifully, a participant’s corner stopped some, and some went to a decision, but ultimately they all featured one-sided results
To be clear, we aren’t talking about one-punch or kick knockouts; those are a defined subset of a different sort. These bouts are just the most devastatingly one-sided contests in MMA history regardless of if they ended with a single knockout blow or not, and the magnitude of the fight was taken into account for judging.
They also not surprisingly feature some of the greatest fighters who’ve truly helped shape thee polished MMA picture we enjoy today.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 worst beatdowns in MMA history.
UFC 189 was a glorious night of MMA. Attendance records, gate receipts and noses were shattered. Old favourites reclaimed their relevance while new prospects proved their hype. Flying knee knockouts seemed commonplace. Dana White’s never ending use of hyperbole actually rang true. To paraphrase Frank Mir, it was the greatest UFC card since UFC 100.
Now that the glow has faded and we’ve all had some time to decompress, let’s look forward to what might be next for the main card competitors.
UFC 189 was a glorious night of MMA. Attendance records, gate receipts and noses were shattered. Old favourites reclaimed their relevance while new prospects proved their hype. Flying knee knockouts seemed commonplace. Dana White’s never ending use of hyperbole actually rang true. To paraphrase Frank Mir, it was the greatest UFC card since UFC 100.
Now that the glow has faded and we’ve all had some time to decompress, let’s look forward to what might be next for the main card competitors.
It almost feels likes the UFC panicked and made McGregor the next coach of The Ultimate Fighter the moment Frankie Edgar ran to the cage and challenged Conor for the belt. This way McGregor is kept busy, the Aldo mega-fight can be rebooked in the fall, and Frankie can’t exploit the fact that Conor has the takedown defense of a domino. Jose vs. Conor is the fight we all want to see, now more than ever, and there’s no way the UFC books anything else for their golden boy.
‘Money’ Mendes got a raw deal this weekend (well, other than the $500,000+ payday). He obviously has the skills to defeat McGregor, but with only two weeks to prepare, he tired quickly and made a couple mistakes that cost him dearly. If he ever hopes to fight for gold again he’s going to need to take the Jon Fitch route and build a lengthy win streak. Dennis Siver is still a ranked featherweight and a fight with the German seems like a good way for Chad to regroup.
Hi kids, do you like violence? Robbie Lawler is perhaps the only true embodiment of the overused phrase ‘warrior spirit’. His demonstration of sublime technical skill and raw, guttural aggression at UFC 189 was absolutely breathtaking. The pecking order at 170 is now starting to come into place and Robbie’s standing at the top is looking more and more sturdy. Lawler deserves some time off to heal after his Fight of the Year performance, therefore any combination of Condit-Hendricks-Woodley in a number one contender match makes sense to find his next challenger.
It’s astonishing to think that if Rory could have held on for another four minutes, he would have won the belt, considering this gif and this photo. While Macdonald didn’t assume his place as the heir apparent to GSP, he certainly proved his toughness and heart. He’ll be on the shelf for some time but so will fellow rhinoplasty patient Thiago Alves. This matchup would result in an exciting striking affair and the winner could add another ranked opponent to their resume.
If Dennis Bermudez is to be believed, he was offered an immediate rematch with Stephens by Dana White. Considering Jeremy missed weight badly and Bermudez was likely winning the fight before the late knockout, a rematch makes a lot of sense. If not, Hacran Dias or Tatsuya Kawajiri would both make for fun top 15 matchups.
Dennis Bermudez should fight: Jeremy Stephens
Dennis looked absolutely fantastic in his bout with Stephens and seemed to have turned a corner in his progression as a top ten featherweight. Then the next thing you know, ‘tiger!’ and he’s asleep on the canvas. I hope the UFC gives him the mulligan they offered and Bermudez can try and snatch back the win he was so close to nabbing this weekend.
‘Gunni’ looked incredible in his fight against Brandon Thatch and appears to have learned a lot from his first career loss. Pairing him with another heralded striker will allow us to see whether he truly has improved his hands to elite level or if the Thatch knockdown was just a lucky punch. Stephen Thompson fits the description and with his recent destruction of Jake Ellenberger this bout could easily headline a Fight Pass show.
In a battle of prospects usually somebody comes out looking like a dud. The hype train was at full speed when Thatch took on Benson Henderson in February and even in defeat many were still impressed by his showing against the former champ. Now we all need to take a step back, Thatch included, and temper our expectations. The loser of the upcoming Patrick Cote vs. Josh Burkman fight would make a great next opponent as they both have name value, solid veteran skills and savvy, but both represent a return to the mid-tier were Brandon has likely been relegated.
Despite an extremely rocky first round, Almeida managed to hold on to the title of ‘next big thing at bantamweight’ with an insane flying knee knockout of Brad Pickett. After such a dicey showing against veteran competition it might be better to pump the brakes with Almeida rather than feed him to the top 5. Johnny Eduardo will be returning from injury shortly and would make for a great battle of top-ranked heavy-handed Brazilians.
The move back to bantamweight was looking like a wise decision for Pickett until he took that knee to the face. Now 1-4 in his last five, the long-time British standout is looking to be in a downward spiral. Bruce Leroy has not found much success in the Octagon lately either. A loser leaves town (or at least relevancy) tilt between these two could round out any card in need of a fun action fight.
Us MMA fans are a diverse and passionate bunch, which is why it’s truly a rare occurrence to see us unite in agreement over a given topic no matter how trivial. Whether it’s a simple fight pick or our reactions to something bigger — the Reebok deal, for instance — you will always find a broad range of reactions, from positive to incredibly negative (also, hurtful, misogynistic, and erroneously punctuated), strewn across every forum and comments section on the web. But not with UFC 189.
In my 5 years of covering the sport, I don’t know if I’ve *ever* witnessed an event quite like UFC 189. Over the course of the night, our reactions unanimously shifted from excited, to shocked, to overwhelmed, to an emotion that is not yet defined but can best be described as “HWAHHHNNNGGG!!!!” We were *all* the Just Bleed guy by the end of Saturday night, and two days later, I’m still not ready to wash the paint off my chest. It just feels right, you know?
UFC 189 was the kind of event that made us remember why we’ve stuck by this sport as it’s biggest promotion has made one disastrous decision after another. It was the kind of event that almost transcended combat sports in its ability to entertain and captivate. It was the kind of event that Matt Saccaro couldn’t find any holes in, you guys.
Us MMA fans are a diverse and passionate bunch, which is why it’s truly a rare occurrence to see us unite in agreement over a given topic no matter how trivial. Whether it’s a simple fight pick or our reactions to something bigger — the Reebok deal, for instance — you will always find a broad range of reactions, from positive to incredibly negative (also, hurtful, misogynistic, and erroneously punctuated), strewn across every forum and comments section on the web. But not with UFC 189.
In my 5 years of covering the sport, I don’t know if I’ve *ever* witnessed an event quite like UFC 189. Over the course of the night, our reactions unanimously shifted from excited, to shocked, to overwhelmed, to an emotion that is not yet defined but can best be described as “HWAHHHNNNGGG!!!!” We were *all* the Just Bleed guy by the end of Saturday night, and two days later, I’m still not ready to wash the paint off my chest. It just feels right, you know?
UFC 189 was the kind of event that made us remember why we’ve stuck by this sport as it’s biggest promotion has made one disastrous decision after another. It was the kind of event that almost transcended combat sports in its ability to entertain and captivate. It was the kind of event that Matt Saccaro couldn’t find any holes in, you guys.
I guess we should talk about Conor McGregor now, eh? At just 26 years old (and in less than two years), McGregor has accomplished more in the UFC than arguably any athlete before him — and before you freak out, understand that I’m talking about his accomplishments from a marketing perspective. The interim belt aside, McGregor has shattered damn near every attendance record the UFC has ever had — from weigh-ins to press conferences to Saturday’s sold out, 7.2 million dollar gate – and he did it against a replacement opponent. He’s united an entire nation of perhaps the most passionate fight fans of all, made believers out of (most of his) his doubters, brought megastar musicians to the octagon, and capped it all off with a simply remarkable performance against Chad Mendes on Saturday night.
Of course, McGregor’s rise to fame did not come without its costs. In a sobering moment following his win over Mendes, McGregor finally allowed his warrior facade (a poor choice of words, perhaps, but you get what I’m saying) to fade away, breaking down in tears as the interim strap was placed around his belt. In the evening’s post-fight press conference, McGregor was even more upfront, revealing that he had only spent 19 days home in the past year while breaking his back to promote a fight that has yet to come to fruition. He battled through injuries of his own and sacrificed more than most of us could ever imagine to compete last weekend, and my God did it pay off.
It’s so easy to forget (and MMA fans often do) that, behind the perpetual hype and trash talk, guys like McGregor are human beings trying to earn their way like the rest of us. And again, at just 26 years old, McGregor seems wise to this beyond his years. If the Irishman’s humble, inspiring words about there being “no such thing as a self-made man” in Saturday’s press conference didn’t make a fan out of you, nothing that McGregor will do probably ever will.
But of course, every great decision the UFC makes must inevitably be followed by an equally terrible one, and placing McGregor opposite Urijah Faber on the next season of TUF is about as boneheaded an idea as the UFC could have come up with. Putting your hottest prospect on the shelf for 6 months to film the umpteenth incarnation of a forgotten reality show…against a guy he won’t even fight in the end? STOP TRYING TO MAKE TUF A THING, UFC. IT’S OVER. That goddamn show is becoming like a zombie horde in its ability to continue ruining lives long after it has died.
But that’s about as far as I’m willing to dip into the negative. Instead, I suppose I should talk about the inevitable “Fight of the Year”-earning welterweight title fight between Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald, but instead, I’ll just shares this moment that perfectly encapsulates my feelings about the fight:
Robbie. F*cking. Lawler.
What else did we learn on Saturday? Jeremy Stephens still hits like a truck, Gunnar Nelson hits a lot harder than Brandon Thatch probably gave him credit for, and Thomas Almeida fought through adversity and proved why everyone is so high on him right now. What a goddamn night for this brilliant, disheartening, uplifting, brutally frustrating, awesome sport.
Main card
Conor McGregor def. Chad Mendes via second-round TKO
Robbie Lawler def. Rory MacDonald via fifth-round TKO
Jeremy Stephens def. Dennis Bermudez via third-round TKO
Gunnar Nelson def. Brandon Thatch via submission (rear-naked choke)
Thomas Almeida def. Brad Pickett via second-round KO
Undercard
Matt Brown def. Tim Means via submission (guillotine)
Alex Garcia def. Mike Swick via unanimous decision
John Howard def. Cathal Pendred via split decision
Cody Garbrandt def. Henry Briones via unanimous decision
Louis Smolka def. Neil Seery via unanimous decision
Cody Pfister def. Yosdenis Cedeno via unanimous decision
So Nation, as expected the most lavishly-promoted fight in UFC history has gone up in smoke. God. Dammit. What could of caused such wrath from the MMA gods? Oh, yeah. Thanks #UFCFightKit.
Anyways, the UFC did secure a back-up plan for the “Notorious” one in Team Alpha Male stud Chad Mendes. The two-time title challenger had been brought into Las Vegas as stand-by, as luck would of have it, was drafted in the 11th hour. Mendes is still a solid replacement against McGregor considering their heated arguments and arguably a tougher stylistic match-up, even if it’s not the fight we were all hoping for. But before I spiral into a deep depression, let’s get into the A-to-Z preview of this weekend’s still pretty epic event, shall we?
So Nation, as expected the most lavishly-promoted fight in UFC history has gone up in smoke. God. Dammit. What could of caused such wrath from the MMA gods? Oh, yeah. Thanks #UFCFightKit.
Anyways, the UFC did secure a back-up plan for the “Notorious” one in Team Alpha Male stud Chad Mendes. The two-time title challenger had been brought into Las Vegas as stand-by, as luck would of have it, was drafted in the 11th hour. Mendes is still a solid replacement against McGregor considering their heated arguments and arguably a tougher stylistic match-up, even if it’s not the fight we were all hoping for. But before I spiral into a deep depression, let’s get into the A-to-Z preview of this weekend’s still pretty epic event, shall we?
A is for Attention
Considering it’s one of the most coveted titles in the promotion’s history, Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald is getting next to no attention. Sure, neither Lawler nor MacDonald are as skilled as McGregor when it comes to the art of self-promoting, but Lawler’s rise from wasted talent to UFC champion is nothing short of remarkable, while MacDonald has been heralded for years as “the future of the sport.” I guess this what happens when you put all your eggs into the Aldo-McGregor basket.
B is for Beef
The new main-event can keep it’s feud narrative, if you ask me, but was Mendes’ beef with McGregor the overriding factor which got Mendes the nod over Frankie Edgar? The answer: UH-DUH!!
C is for Canada
Ever since GSP semi-retired, the Canadian market has sort of dwindled. That could all change come Saturday night if British Columbia native Rory MacDonald can become the new UFC welterweight champion. The promotion could do with a Canadian attraction, not only would it fill GSP’s void but they could also stop relying on Demetrious Johnson to headline cards over there. I’m sure the Canadian fans would be thankful.
D is for Deja-vu
Once upon a time, long before Renan Barao was a proverbial monster and/or beast, he took on Brad Pickett in what turned out to be his coming out party. It almost seems like deja-vu for poor Pickett, who is seemingly once again being set up as the sacrificial lamb to an up-and-coming Brazilian prospect, this time in the shape of the undefeated Thomas Almeida.
E is for Europe Joanna ‘Champion’ became the first UFC European champion since Andrei Arlovski. Man, that was some time ago. Before the Polish phenom, Alexander Gustafsson came close in a valiant effort against Jon Jones, and Khabib Nurmagomedov has likewise emerged as a hot commodity before a knee injury stalled his progress. Will McGregor fever secure a second UFC title for Europe on American soil, and just a week after Independence Day?
F is for Fest
Besides the title fight between Lawler and MacDonald, there are four other bouts scheduled at 170lbs. And as a result of Jordan Mein going down with injury, there was a shuffle of welterweights with the most hated fighter in the UFC (for some reason), Cathal Pendred, entering the frame against John Howard. UFC 189 is a regular welterweight-fest.
G is for Gate
Despite losing the most eagerly anticipated fight of the year, UFC 189 will still do a record $7 million gate, which eclipse’s the grudge rematch between Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen. This will be a promotional record in the U.S.
H is for Hunger
MacDonald finally lands his long-awaited UFC title shot against a familiar opponent. When the two of them squared of at UFC 167, Lawler eked out a razor-thin split decision, but MacDonald, who is now riding a three-fight win streak, believes that he didn’t have the hunger in their first meeting. The Tristar student now feels mentally and physically prepared as he enters the most important fight of his career.
I is for Ireland
There will be a strong Irish contingent present in Las Vegas come fight night, with over 20% of ticket sales coming from Ireland.
J is for Jose
The first and only UFC featherweight champion will have to sit out UFC 189 through the much publicised rib injury. In fact, Aldo has now pulled out of six title fights, yet the 145lbs strap has been defended more than a few of the other divisions.
K is for Key
When is the next UFC stadium show? This is a question which gets repeatedly linked with McGregor, who states that he is the only fighter on the roster who holds the key to what could be the promotion’s biggest gate ever. Both Aviva Stadium and Croke Park have been identified as possible hosts.
L is for Level
During the UFC 189 conference call, McGregor labelled replacement Mendes as a “substitute” and a “B-Level fighter”.
M is for Mayweather Chat show host Conon O’Brien opened a can of worms when he asked whether McGregor would be prepared to take on human-garbage Floyd Mayweather. Typically, the brash Irishman was confident he would defeat the undefeated boxer.
N is for No Love
– After a brilliant performance outpointing the dynamic Chris Beal, Neil Seery still finds himself stuck on Fight Pass.
– ‘No Love’ also returns on the televised prelims, as Cody Garbrandt is set to take on Henry Briones (we don’t know who that is either). Garbrandt look to build off his impressive debut back in January, where he beat up Marcus Brimage.
O is for October
Aldo could eventually return to the octagon in October, and wouldn’t you know it, the UFC recently announced their return to Ireland in, you guessed it, October. The Fight Night event is slated to air on Fight Pass, so any possible title fight would be unlikely, but a potential in-ring confrontation between Aldo and the new interim champ (whoever that may be)? Much more likely.
P is for Predictions
“I predict dese tings.” — the wise words of one Mystic Mac. The Dubliner likes a prediction or two, and he’s saying that the contest wont last longer than four minutes. As for Mendes, he believes the fight will be over within three rounds.
Q is for Quick Mike “Quick” Swick finally returns to the octagon after the second two-and-a-half year layoff of his career. Swick has now relocated to Thailand, where he’s set up an affiliate AKA gym, and takes on Alex Garcia in something of a grudge match.
R is for Random
According to “Red King” or whatever Rory’s nickname is nowadays, he has been subject to two random drug test during his preparation. Stay clean y’all.
S is for Sinead O’Connor
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor will be performing Foggy Dews live as she walks McGregor into the cage at UFC 189. This is an unprecedented move for the UFC, but then again, unprecedented is good way of describing McGregor’s rise to popularity.
T is for Toy
Aldo released a statement shorty after having to withdraw, where he called the interim title a “toy” and something for McGregor to show off to his “drunk friends”. A little presumptuous, Jose.
U is for Under The Bus
Company president Dana White (along with McGregor) broke the news about Aldo withdrawing live on Sportscenter, where he pretty much threw his champion under the bus by stating the amount of times he’s had to pull out and claiming that other fighters have fought with the same injury. This is something we’ve come to expect from The Baldfather.
V is for Van Damme
As Steven Seagal’s MMA tenure is slowly evaportating, fellow action star Jean-Claude Van Damme wants in on the action too, claiming he could help fix the mistakes in McGregor’s striking. You know what they say, behind every GOAT there is a B-movie action star.
W is for Wrestler
The wrestler question. For so long, McGregor haters have wanted to see the Irishmen tested against a true wrestler. His original path to gold saw him face tough competition, albeit against favourable match-ups, so has his success owed to the UFC overprotecting their golden child or clever matchmaking? I personally say the latter, but its up for debate. In either case, McGregor will answer a lot of these questions when he faces the featherweight division’s best wrestler on two weeks notice. Will he succumb to Mendes’ superior wrestling offense or will he be able to stuff the takedowns and keep the fight standing?
X is for X-Ray First it was a fracture and the fight was off, then it was only bruised and the fight was on, then the fight was hanging in the balance…until x-rays determined Aldo’s ribs were in fact fractured. This ultimately forced the Brazilian to withdraw from the most anticipated fight of the year. Sigh.
Y is for Yard
If ‘The Notorious’ is victorious on Saturday, could the unification bout be held in a stadium in his backyard? Methinks so.
Z is for Zillions
UFC 189′s gate will stay intact even with Aldo’s withdrawal, but the PPV will take a hit. According to White, the pay-per-view was tracking to hit the 1 million mark while McGregor was predicting, as usual, a zillion buys and for it to break UFC 100 numbers. The event should still do a healthy number, though it most likely won’t compensate for the zillions that were spent promoting this thing.
(Things turn a real left turn after Robbie delivered his “golf ball through a garden hose” diss.)
I have no idea what the Late O’Clock News is, but I think it’s safe to say that host Paul Lemieux has already surpassed every credentialed member of the MMA media in terms of pure charisma and interviewing prowess with this video alone. Of course, the bar has been set pretty low by guys like this, but I’ll take Lemieux’s Onion-esque style of questioning over “How did your training camp go?” 10 times out of 10.
Ahead of their welterweight title fight rematch at UFC 189, Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler stopped by the Late O’Clock News to talk some (pre-written) trash about one another while Lemieux cheered them on from the sidelines. It was essentially every Ariel Helwani interview ever, but with corny jokes about dandelions and heart-eating being used to fuel the fire instead of blatant/cringeworthy call-outs.
(Things turn a real left turn after Robbie delivered his “golf ball through a garden hose” diss.)
I have no idea what the Late O’Clock News is, but I think it’s safe to say that host Paul Lemieux has already surpassed every credentialed member of the MMA media in terms of pure charisma and interviewing prowess with this video alone. Of course, the bar has been set pretty low by guys like this, but I’ll take Lemieux’s Onion-esque style of questioning over “How did your training camp go?” 10 times out of 10.
Ahead of their welterweight title fight rematch at UFC 189, Rory MacDonald and Robbie Lawler stopped by the Late O’Clock News to talk some (pre-written) trash about one another while Lemieux cheered them on from the sidelines. It was essentially every Ariel Helwani interview ever, but with corny jokes about dandelions and heart-eating being used to fuel the fire instead of blatant/cringeworthy call-outs.
Video after the jump.
Was it just me, or did Rory deliver that “Did you hear? There’s gonna be a murder” line a bit too perfectly? Like someone whose delivered it a thousand times before while dancing naked in front of the mirror to “Goodbye Horses” with his weiner tucked in.
Patrick Cote vs. Joe Riggs: Cote hasn’t competed since a unanimous decision loss to Stephen Thompson snapped his three-fight win streak back in September. Riggs will try to rebound from his unsuccessful UFC return at UFC on FOX 13 in December, when his neck immediately gave out on him during a fight against Ben Saunders.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. David Michaud: This is not an MMA fight, but the finals of Top Chef Montreal. Can Aubin-Mercier’s innovative molecular gastronomy defeat the impeccable French traditionalism of Michaud? (Ed. note: Okay fine, this is a lightweight fight between two guys without Wikipedia pages. Both are 1-1 in the UFC. Thanks, Sherdog.)
Jessica Rakoczy vs. Valerie Letourneau: Rakoczy was TKO’d by Julianna Pena at the TUF 18 Finale in November, and currently holds the worst professional record of any UFC fighter (1-4 with one no-contest). Letourneau was choked out by Roxanne Modafferi during her elimination fight to get into the TUF 18 house, but was given a UFC contract anyway and won a tough split-decision against Elizabeth Phillips last June.
