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The most compelling thing about MMA is that anyone can land that single knockout shot regardless of the differences in skill levels. Throughout history, we have seen many jaw-dropping upset victories that weren’t supposed to happen in the first place. But as we all know, these shocking upsets usually come when you least expect them. 

We understand that upsets happen in every sport. But, MMA is a bit different and special. It’s always thrilling to see a massive underdog beating the favorite against all odds. But it’s also very sad to see fighters having a hard time dealing with the losses and moving forward. 

The thing is, MMA fighters spend so much time and money preparing for a fight. Also, they need to sell a fight by dealing with media and creating a huge hype that puts even more pressure on their back. So, when a fighter loses a fight that he/she should have won, this can negatively affect their motivation and passion for fighting.

The following upsets below are not only the biggest in MMA history, but they have also altered the defeated fighter’s career for worse to come. 

10. Mirko Crocop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga – UFC 70

In his prime, Crocop was the best striker and the most intimidating fighter in the world. He came to the UFC in 2006 as the Pride FC Open-Weight champion and with a mission to achieve the same success in the UFC. So, many fans looked at his fight against Gonzaga as the warm-up fight that would lunch him into the title contender position. 

We had many reasons to believe Crocop would dominate the UFC heavyweight division. During the mid-2000s, UFC was still catching up on the Japanese MMA promotion and the difference in talents was obvious. So, signing Crocop to shift from Japanese Pride FC organization to the UFC was a huge deal.

But Gonzaga came in prepared and he knocked out Crocop with a spectacular head kick. Also, it was weird to see Crocop getting knocked out by the kick he used the most. To this day, many fans believe this was the most violent knockout in MMA history.  On top of that Gonzaga beating Crocop via TKO is arguably the biggest UFC underdog win because literally every MMA analyst assumed Gonzaga was nowhere near Crocop’s skill level.

Sadly, Crocop never fully recovered from this loss. In the next four years, he got KO’d three more times against the opponents he would have demolished in Pride FC. His loss to Gonzaga is a pure representation of a loss that changed Crocop’s career.

9. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Forrest Griffin

Shogun was one of the most talented fighters who have transitioned from Pride FC to the UFC. He joined the UFC with the Pride FC record of 12-1 and his only loss came against much bigger Mark Coleman. 

We’ve all believed he is the next big thing inside the UFC octagon. Thus, nobody expected him to lose the debut fight against Forrest Griffin whom many viewed as a less skilled fighter than Rua. At the time, fan-favorite Griffin was working his way up and wasn’t representing much of a threat for Rua. 

Further, Shogun fought against elite competition in Pride FC and he dominated them all. In four years’ time span, he fought 12 times and had scored 10 stoppage victories. 

But, a fan favorite Griffin capitalized on the Pride star’s poor cardio and outworked him through the first two rounds. With the 15s left on the clock in the third round, Griffin pulled the massive upset by submitting Rua. 

After the loss, Shogun continued to fight in the UFC. But he just couldn’t catch up with the new generation of fighters. Despite winning a few big fights, Shogun was never able to regain the momentum and go on a winning streak.

8. Antonio Nogueira vs. Frank Mir

Nogueira joined the UFC in 2007 as the Pride FC champion. So, everybody expected him to dominate through American promotion as well. Nogueira made his presence known by winning the debut fight against Heath Herring at UFC 73. Shortly after, he beat Tim Sylvia at UFC 81 to win the Interim heavyweight belt. 

Due to his reputation in Pride days and strong UFC start, many fans thought he will have huge success in UFC. Also, many believed that the UFC roster was inferior to Japanese Pride FC where Nog dominated. So, he went into his third UFC fight against Frank Mir as a huge favorite. 

The reality is, Nog was better than Mir in every aspect of the MMA game. Nogueira was a much better striker with a lot of experience fighting top kickboxers. In Pride, Nogueira beat the elite striker in Mirko Cro Cop and went toe-to-toe with Fedor Emelianenko.  

In the eyes of the whole world, Mir was just another of Nogueira’s victims. But, the American was on a rise and ready to put the lights on himself with the victory over the legend. In the second round, he caught Nogueira with a nasty double left hook and Nogueira was out in a second.

Nogueira quickly came back with the victory over Randy Couture, but he was never able to regain the momentum. After the Couture win, Nog competed in seven more fights but he lost five of them including the rematch against Mir at UFC 140. He retired in 2015 after going on a three-fight losing streak. 

7. Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Rose Namajunas – UFC 217

For many years, Joanna was the strawweight queen and a synonym for violence. She cleaned the entire division and was close to beat Ronda’s record for most title defenses (6). What’s more, Joanna would have tied this record with the win over Namajunas. 

Coming into this bout, Namajunas was a +500 underdog and many fans thought the Joanna fight came too soon for her. Thus, the MMA world truly believed the Polish phenom would take apart young Namajunas. 

Yet, Namajunas came in prepared and with the perfect gameplan. She quickly found Joanna’s number on the feet and began destroying the champ. After just three minutes, Namajunas pulled the massive upset by knocking Joanna with a single punch. 

Yet, many fans thought it was a fluke. So, Namajunas went on to beat Joanna in the rematch at UFC 223 and prove the doubters wrong. Since then, it seems like Joanna can’t find her rhythm and form that allowed her to dominate the game of MMA.

6. Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture

Sylvia is the former UFC heavyweight champion and a ferocious knockout artist. He is best known for his trilogy with one of the best heavyweights Andre Arlovski. At UFC 61, Sylvia closed the trilogy with two victories and one defeat and was looking for new challenges.

At that time, UFC had a problem matching Sylvia against a credible opponent. So, when they booked him against much smaller Randy Couture, we were all a bit worried. I mean, Couture was competing as a light heavyweight and was 43 years old at the time. 

Further, Couture was way past his prime and he actually came out of retirement to face the heavyweight champion at UFC 68. Despite he was the former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champ, many fans saw this fight as a huge mismatch. 

Against all odds, Couture shocked the world by beating Sylvia in a dominant decision and winning the heavyweight title for a second time. 

The loss against Couture struck Sylvia really badly. But, he came back with the victory against Brandon Vera and this win secured him a shot at the Interim belt against Nogueira. But, Nogueira submitted him at UFC 81 and the UFC released Sylvia shortly after. 

Thus, he went on to fight in various promotions across the world and he even fought Fedor Emelianenko in Affliction MMA. But, his career was never the same and he retired in 2015.

5. Renan Barao vs Tj Dillashaw

Coming into his Bantamweight title defense against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173, Barao was on an amazing 32 fight winning streak. With the 22 finishes on his record, Barao was a tough fight for anyone. 

Dillashaw at that time was nothing more than a talented upcoming fighter. Despite his great skills, nobody could see him beating a more experienced Barao. 

But, the young Dillashaw was able to sustain the pressure of the moment and execute a perfect gameplan. Right from the start, he began leading the dance on the feet and demolishing Barao with the strikes. 

Dillashaw had defeated Barao in one of the most one-sided title fights the UFC has ever seen. It was really weird to see Barao getting destroyed like this. So, many thought he simply overlooked the challenger. But, Dillashaw proved the doubters wrong by finishing Barao in their rematch at UFC on Fox 16. 

Since the loss, Barao went from being the most dominant UFC fighter to competing in the preliminary cards. He continued to fight nine more times after the UFC 173. But he lost an astonishing eight fights. As a result, the UFC released Barao in 2019 after the fifth consecutive loss.

4. Luke Rockhold vs Mike Bisping 2

The second fight between Rockhold and Bisping is one of the most famous upsets in sports history. The heavily battled Bisping took the fight on a 17-day notice and was a huge underdog coming into this fight. At that time, Rockhold was a middleweight champ and a much more skilled fighter than Bisping. 

Since he already defeated Bisping a year prior, many predicted it was going to be an easy night for Rockhold. Further, both fighters have talked massive trash leading up to the fight and the tensions were high. 

But in the end, Bisping had the last word. He wisely recognized that Rockhold was lowering the right hand and he capitalized by landing a perfectly placed left hook. The punch sent the champ teetering to the mat and Bisping went on to close the show with few more shots. 

After the Bisping loss, Rockhold no longer appeared to be the same fighter. He went on to fight three more times and got knocked out against Yoel Romero and Jan Blachowicz. The Bisping loss clearly destroyed his confidence and will to fight. Not to mention his chin began giving up on him as well.

3. Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm

Without a doubt, Ronda was the most dominant woman UFC champion and a true pioneer of women MMA. She holds the record for most title defenses (6) and was unstoppable in her prime. At that time, Holm was a relatively new face in the MMA world. She came into MMA as a boxing champion looking to achieve the same success. On paper, Ronda was a much better MMA fighter.

Inside the cage, Ronda was very violent and aggressive. Before the Holm fight, she was on a 12 fight winning streak with 11 first-round finishes on her record. Thus, the entire world believed Ronda is a more experienced fighter and by far a better grappler. But, we have all forgot the fact Ronda never faced an elite striker before. 

Despite all the pressure and 90.000 people in the stadium, Holly was able to survive the early storm. She defended all the takedowns and went on to land some good punches. With the minute left in the round, she knocked Ronda out cold with the devastating head kick and left the world in shock. 

With the way she handled the loss, it was obvious that Ronda would never be the same. She tried to regain her momentum by facing Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. But, Nunes knocked her out in the opening minute of the fight.

It’s fair to say that we have all learned a lot from Holly Holm that night. Her win over Ronda proved the evolution of women MMA is a real thing and that it finally caught up with Ronda.  

2. Anderson Silva vs. Chris Wiedman

For many fans, Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all time, and it’s hard to argue against that. In his prime, Silva went on an amazing 16 fight winning streak and was unbeaten for over six years. He had that unique aura of invisibility around him and the world couldn’t imagine anybody beating him down.

So, coming into his another title defense against Chris Weidman, Silva’s fans felt no worries whatsoever. But, the biggest upsets are happening when you least expect them. Weidman was an upcoming talented wrestler who never had any particular striking skills. But that night in Vegas, he beat Silva in his own game.

Like in many of his fights, Silva began showboating and provoking Weidman. But, Weidman managed to time the perfect left hook and knock the champion out cold. Along with Holm knocking out Ronda, this was the biggest upset in UFC history. 

In the rematch at UFC 168, Silva broke his leg while landing a leg kick. Fortunately, he fully recovered, but he wasn’t the same fighter. When he came back, Silva lost just about every fight afterward. 

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum

Fedor is one of the greatest fighters of all time. During the glory days of Pride, he was a mystery and undefeated for almost 10 years. Also, he was always known as a solid BJJ fighter who was never submitted before.

Fedor came to Strikeforce as an undisputed champion of Pride FC. In his debut fight in Strikeforce MMA, he knocked out Brett Rogers and the hype around him got even bigger. Fedor’s next fight was against Werdum.  

Despite being a world-class BJJ fighter, Werdum was no match for Fedor on paper. Up to that point, Fedor had already faced elite grapplers before, and he dominated them all. So, when Werdum caught him into submission inside the first minute of the fight, the world was in disbelief. 

The shock was so massive that the majority of fans thought it was a fluke and that Fedor got caught. However, in the next two fights, Fedor was brutally knocked out against Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson. Nobody expected such a fall from a fighter who was unbeatable for so long. 

Fedor continued to compete in various promotions but his career was never the same after the loss against Werdum. 

What exactly makes an intimidating fighter? If it all came down to looks or street cred then perhaps Kimbo Slice would be on this list, and if it all came down to wins then perhaps George St. Pierre would make the list as well(no disrespect to George, I still think he is one of the all time greats).

However, when it comes down to what truly makes an intimidating fighter, there is no one factor that makes a fighter intimidating. It comes from a combination of attitude, fighting style, brutality, what they say outside the ring, what they say inside the ring, and of course, the sheer strength and size of the fighter. Other factors may contribute as well, which I will be pointing out in each description.

11. Cris Cyborg

Cris Cyborg is a knockout artist. Fast, agile, and powerful, her diverse array of striking led her to dominate the entire fight against Tonya Evinger, employing accurate kicks and a powerful right overhand before putting her to the ground with her devastating knees. She is one of the largest and strongest women in her division, which is evident not only in the cage but simply when you see her at weigh ins.

She is a constant aggressor in the cage, and demonstrates flawless kickboxing combos and cardio late into the fights. Both well rounded in her ground game and striking, she has very few exploitable weaknesses, while her constant aggression quickly helps her locate any holes in her opponents’ defense. Her first fight in Bellator ended with her knocking out Julia Budd in the fourth round, reminding the world of how dangerous she still was following her loss against Amanda Nunes.

10. Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou is terrifying in reputation and on paper, and he officially has the strongest punching power in the world according to Dana White. His punch is equivalent to 96 horsepower, which is equal to getting hit with a Ford Escort going as fast as it can, if you want a visual.

Unsurprisingly, he is known for his knockout power and some of the best striking in his weight division, but the level of his power was also demonstrated through his submission of Anthony Hamilton. When Ngannou was pinned up against the cage, he manipulated Hamiltons arm to twist him around and throw him on the ground, all with an impressive level of power and ease.

He continued to pursue the Kimura armlock while Hamilton was on his back, and ended up succeeding in submitting him, all while being in a position awkward enough to discourage most people from even attempting that style of submission. Francis Ngannou’s intimidation factor is clear to see when you look at how many of his opponents are afraid to engage him; Derrick Lewis being a good example.

Derrick Lewis has amazing knockout power himself, but the entire fight he did not engage in anything more than a few low kicks and a couple of punches near the end of the fight. Ngannou displays amazing knockout power even when he appears to hardly be exerting himself, making any form of his striking terrifying.

9. Nate Diaz

The Diaz brothers have always had a cult following, and for good reason. Nate’s name became a staple among viewers after fighting and defeating Connor Mcrgregor through a submission victory. Though Connor came back to defeat him in a rematch, Nate’s intimidation factor was highly evident as shown by Connor fighting to win by points, as opposed to his more commonly aggressive style.

While he may not have the greatest fighting record, many MMA fans and even casual viewers will tell you that he would win a lot more of their fights if the fights were not limited to the 3 round, or more often in his case, 5 round events. This is partially due to the fact that he has outstanding cardio and a concrete chin.

” If he(Nate Diaz) was a Marvel character, his special power is that he just has a concrete head.”

John Kavanagh: Connor McGregor’s MMA Coach

That being said, his head is anything but concrete. In nearly every fight, the scar tissue around his eye will open up, causing blood to drip down and bleed into his eye. Normally, if the opposing fighter sees this happen, he is given a boost in confidence and become more aggressive. In Nate’s case, it means that it’s time to push forward and start trash talking.

Nate fought Jorge Masvidal for the special “BMF” title in UFC 244 and lost due to the doctor stopping the fight when his eye was severely torn. However, Nate was still wanting to continue the fight: which is another example of how tough this guy really is.

8. Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal has a history of street fighting similar to Kimbo Slice. However, with his continuously improving record in the UFC, it’s safe to say that he is a lot more than a street fighter. Following his KO against Darren Till in the second round, he went on to knock out Ben Askren with a flying knee in record time, putting him on everyone’s radar: including Nate Diaz’.

He went on to defeat Nate Diaz, brutally tearing open his eye and causing the doctor to stop the fight. Jorge Masvidal made this list due to his reputation in street fighting as well as his reputation in the UFC. He is a brutal and powerful striker, and possibly one of the hardest hitters in the Welterweight division.

His appearance is also menacing, and he shows absolutely no fear at all when talking in press conferences. He knows how to trash-talk and create hype around a fight, and you only have to look at some of his old street fighting videos to see his ability to back it up.

7. Anderson Silva

Only the greatest fighters in the UFC have an era named after them; Anderson Silva being one of those fighters. With the most consecutive wins in UFC history, his record alone is enough to intimidate many fighters. His immaculate defense and counter striking ability have made for some of the greatest fights in UFC history.

His fight against Forest Griffin was one of the more notable ones, which stirred up lots of controversies. Many criticized him putting his hands down as being a sign of disrespect, although in reality, this was simply a part of his unorthodox and unpredictable fighting style. This fight helped showcase his amazing head movement and ability to strike while moving backwards. Opponents struggled to figure out his style, which led to him beating many notable opponents including Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson.

6. Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov

When “The Eagle” was a young boy, his father decided it would be wise to use a bear to help him train in wrestling. For those who were unaware of where exactly Khabib gets his uniquely effective fighting style from, this probably makes a lot of sense. Khabib’s wrestling is a different form than the UFC has ever witnessed.

He is swift, brutal, and able to maneuver his body in a way that makes it impossible for his opponents to gain the advantage, in an almost bear-like fashion. He uses his body to constantly apply pressure to his opponent and put a drain on their cardio, while maintaining his own, and waits for you to make a mistake from there. He is able to achieve a takedown from almost any angle, and has made it impossible for any fighter to keep it standing.

“The Eagle” nickname, was coined after his fight with Connor Mcgregor where he launched out of the octagon to go after one of Connor’s teammates, showing that he would not limit himself to the octagon to solve problems if you cause problems outside the octagon. He continues to remain calm and collected during interviews, although he continues using his ruthless approach while in the cage.

5. Chuck “Iceman” Liddell

No list would be complete without the Iceman on it. His fearless attitude inside and outside the cage, his ability to take hits in order to set up counters, and just a general aggressive appearance make him a staple on any list of intimidating fighters. Look no further than the list of his victims including: Randy Couture, Alistair Overeem, and Tito Ortiz, and you can see that he is not all bark.

His attitude before, after, and during a fight proved that he truly loved fighting, as opposed to many who felt the all too common anxiety most feel before a fight. Overall, an amazing finisher who kept referees on their toes ready to jump in, as most fighters who faced Liddell and suffered a fight ending strike combination were done before they even hit the ground.

The amount of power that Chuck possessed truly shined when he was able to create devastating blows from strange angles, the overhand strike made famous by him.

4. Brock Lesnar

Lesnar is huge; I do not mean that solely by his size, but by his status inside and outside the UFC. In the short time that he was in the UFC he made an impression that nobody saw coming, and did so starting while starting his career in the UFC a lot later than most would.

The intimidation factor with Lesnar comes not only with his size, but with his inexplicable speed. Using his high level of amateur wrestling skills to trap his opponent in the corner of the cage before swarming them with hammer punches proved to be Lesnar’s tried, true, and indefensible key to fame.

Nobody expected someone that large and bulky to be able to move so swiftly and efficiently, and this led to him having only one loss in his first 6 fights. Brock Lesnar is one of the largest, strongest fighters in the UFC history, and once he gets on top of you, there is little chance that you will get out.

3. Fedor “Last Emperor” Emelianenko

The “Last Emperor” shows no restraint nor emotion during his fights. The way that he manages to beat down his opponents without missing a step and without overexerting himself appears both ruthless and calculated. He is not a household name outside of the fighting community, as he is very humble outside the ring and does not act like a Mcgregor in order to sell fights.

His striking and takedown accuracy are among the best in MMA, and his ability to lunge through an opponent’s defense from odd angles made him a nightmare for anyone he put on the ground. He also holds one of the best streaks in MMA worldwide. Brutal, unrelenting, and flaw exposing striking mark his style as one of the ones that many who was unlucky enough to face him in the cage fear.

2. Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson

Perhaps similar to Diaz in many ways, Tony has the face of a seasoned fighter. His fluid-filled ears are the first sign that this guy is no stranger to fighting. But you would be very wrong to assume that you will be fighting “El Cucuy” on the ground. Not to say that he has no skill on the ground, actually nothing could be further from the truth.

But what Tony is famous for in his diverse striking combinations are his hell-bows. His hell-bows are what tend to cut people open and expose their weakness during the later rounds, which he handles with ease as he has one of the best cardios in the game. Tony has yet to show any fear inside or outside the cage, and will say anything to anyone if he feels the need, including fighters or reporters that ask questions he feels are stupid or inappropriate.

1. Cain Velasquez

Cain was known for outlasting his opponents with his unusually strong cardio(he was even called “Cardio Cain”). While he could be swift and brutal, he was also a patient fighter, and would wear you down until the right opportunity arose to take you down. His ability to keep a constant pressure was outstanding for being a heavyweight fighter, and his swarming style gave him constant control over the fight.

One intimidation factor with Cain is that he never goes for submissions; if you are his opponent and he gets on top of you, he’s going to keep hitting you until you are knocked out or the referee stops it. For a while he was ranked number 1 in most strikes per minute in the UFC, a feat not easily accomplished by a heavyweight fighter. Cain knocked out Brock Lesnar in the first round, showing how much power he had and how well rounded of a fighter he truly was.

Boxing is such a big part of MMA and a must-have skill of every fighter. You just can’t compete at the elite levels of MMA without boxing skills. Thus, every MMA fighter must spend a lot of time performing boxing drills. Naturally, some fighters are more gifted to box than others. Over the years, there have been many fighters who have displayed incredible boxing skills and enjoyed great success because of it. 

But, many boxing fans are very skeptical that MMA fighters’ can transition to boxing and vice-versa. Thus, this rivalry between the two sports resulted in one of the biggest matchups in combat sports history. In 2017, UFC champion Conor McGregor faced the boxing legend, Floyd Mayweather. 

Many boxing promoters and experts have predicted an early KO for Mayweather. But, McGregor managed to go toe to toe with arguably the greatest boxer of all times before losing it in a TKO. Despite what experts are saying, McGregor showed that MMA fighters can box. 

The reality is, when it comes to boxing, boxers will always enjoy great advantage against MMA fighters. But, that skill level between them is closing down to the narrow margin in recent years because there are mma fighters with boxing backgrounds.

That said, we have decided to bring you the list of MMA fighters with the fastest hands in the game and slickest boxing skills. We firmly believe many fighters from the below list could have been very successful boxers if they had chosen Boxing instead of MMA. 

10. Glover Teixeira

Glover Teixeira is one of the greatest UFC light heavyweights to never win a championship belt. During his prime, Teixeira had all the tools to capture the belt and hold it for a long time. But a couple of losses in crucial fights certainly cost him greater achievements. He is a well-rounded with very dangerous boxing skills.

I mean, it’s fair to say that the Brazilian still has the slickest boxing among the light heavyweights. Many times during the media work, Texeira has pointed out his love for boxing and his idol, Mike Tyson. 

What clearly stands out in his boxing game is the high level of discipline. He is always keeping his hands up, guard tight and has the ability to quickly find the way in despite his massive size. Once he initiates the close range brawl, Teixeira can close the show in a split second. As we have all saw against Ryan Bader, Teixeira is dangerous both while pressing forward and being on the back foot. 

His martial arts talents and potentials are enormous. He is the 7th-degree black belt in Kajukenbo, 2nd-degree black belt in jiu-jitsu and a black belt in Luta Livre. And here we are, talking about how great his boxing skills are. Teixeira is truly a special talent and had he chosen boxing instead of MMA, he would have been a killer inside the boxing ring. 

9. Sergei Kharitonov 

Kharitonov is one of the best fighters on the Bellator Heavyweight roster. What stands out in his game are very fast hands and amazing boxing skills. Moreover, he is a power puncher that can close the show with a single touch of the wrist. At 6’4”, Kharitonov is a true boxer who always looks for a brawl and to let his hands fly.  For a man his size, it’s not a surprise that he owns the power to match against any pro boxer in the world. 

Kharitonov started his amateur boxing career way back in 2000 at the age of 20. During his boxing days, he won many Russian and Asian tournaments and championships. In the following years, he would continuously shift between MMA, Kickboxing and Boxing. In professional kickboxing, he holds notable victories over the legends in Mighty Mo and Jerome Le Banner. 

We have to point out that his talents and potentials for combat sports are very rare. That said, had he decided to focus just on boxing, we firmly believe only the sky could be a limit for him. 

8. Mark Hunt

Mark Hunt is one of those very gifted athletes who can close the show with the single punch and absorb huge damage. Before shifting to MMA, Hunt was a very successful kickboxer and the K-1 Grand Prix champion (2001). Despite being a kickboxer, Hunt always relied on his boxing skills.

The power in his hands is unreal and the speed incredible for a man his size. So, many of his rivals used wrestling or other grappling techniques to avoid boxing him directly. But, Hunt was always able to find the way to put them out on the feet. 

We firmly believe Hunt would be a perfect boxer. I mean, he is built like a tank and has an iron chin. During the exchanges, he keeps it all very technical, and his punches are very crisp. Despite the size, he always keeps the head off the center and has vicious counter combos. Inside the UFC Octagon, Hunt scored many walk-off knockouts and received seven post-fight bonuses for his performances. 

Also, Hunt was never a fan of wrestling or ground fighting. That said, the boxing ring would fit him perfectly. He wouldn’t have to worry about the takedowns or any other similar techniques. We just can’t imagine how brutal boxer Mark Hunt could have been. 

7. Cody Garbrandt 

Cody Garbrandt is the former UFC Champion and a man with very fast hands and dangerous counter boxing skills. Also, his record consists of stunning knockouts, so his power and the ability to close the show are not under the question. The best display of his boxing abilities came in his fight against Dominick Cruz. By everyone’s shock, Garbrandt was outboxing Cruz the entire fight and he even sent him to the floor a couple of times. 

Shortly after graduating from high school, Garbrandt began learning the boxing techniques from his uncle. Before shifting to MMA, he competed in amateur boxing tournaments, and he amassed a record of 32-0.  

Everything he utilizes on the feet is very disciplined and fast. He prefers to be on the back foot and wait for the opponent to attack. Once he drives them in, Garbrandt is dodging the punches like a true boxer and is countering the attacks with amazing speed and precision. 

While recalling his fights in MMA, we can’t escape but to admit that he is a very good boxer. Without a doubt, Cody has all the tools to enjoy great success inside the ring as well.

6. Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz is the former Strikeforce Welterweight champion and the UFC title challenger. Despite being a jiu-jitsu expert, we all know Nick Diaz for wild standup brawls and very good boxing abilities. 

What he does best is putting the strong forward pressure and crushing the rivals with a high volume of punches. He doesn’t have a knockout power or any other secret weapons. But, what he has are great cardio and a very strong chin. If he can absorb the damage with smaller MMA gloves, then his chin can hold up in boxing matches as well. 

The truth is, he is not looking very technical and fast during the exchanges. But, he will drive you into the deep waters and destroy with the high output of punches. This is best shown in his fights against Paul Daley and BJ Penn. Also, Nick went toe to toe with one of the best strikers in MMA history, Anderson Silva. Despite the loss, Nick displayed slick boxing combos and great timing. 

That said, with proper training, we think he could have been far better boxer than MMA fighter. What’s more, he was regularly sparring with dangerous boxers like Andre Ward during his training camps. 

5. Jorge Masvidal 

Before joining MMA, Jorge Masvidal took part in many backyard street brawls along with Kimbo Slice. He quickly moved up to make a name for himself and shift that momentum to cage fighting. A little known fact is that Masvidal competed in one professional boxing match. In 2005, he defeated Joseph Benjamin, but he returned back to MMA shortly after. 

Like a true brawler, Masvidal enjoys fighting a standup fight and exchanging heavy shots. He is one of the best kickboxing – Muay Thai fighters on the entire UFC roster and his boxing combos are second to none. So, it was not much of a surprise when he knocked out an elite striker in Darren Till. Also, he defeated Nate Diaz who is known as one of the best boxers in MMA. 

The truth is, Masvidal’s boxing is much underrated. Like every successful boxer, he has a very good jab which he often uses to force the opponent to the outside position or to set up the left hand behind. Also, he is throwing a lot of faints and once the opponent bites, Masvidal is ready to deliver a well-timed counter combination. Further, his boxing defense is much disciplined and he always keeps his posture and guard high.

He is continuously reading his opponent’s actions and making adjustments throughout the fight. With this combination of skills and his unique mentality, Masvidal doesn’t need a lot of boxing training to compete inside the boxing ring.

4. Francis Ngannou

Ngannou is perhaps the most intimidating man on the planet earth. In the history of MMA, there hasn’t been a man with such a physique and power. If he moves to boxing, Ngannou will certainly be a problem for any Heavyweight. The only man with equal or less power is Deontay Wilder. 

“Francis Ngannou has the world record for the most powerful punch. His punch is equivalent to 96 horsepower, which is equal to getting hit by a Ford escort going as fast as it can. It’s more powerful than a 12-pound sledgehammer getting swung full force overhead…”

– UFC President Dana White

Though his boxing skills are not so technical, Ngannou is continuously knocking out the rivals inside the octagon. As seen against Alistair Overeem, he can catch you from unorthodox angles and close the show in split a second. With some technical improvements in his striking, we believe Ngannou would have become a very dangerous boxer. 

For example, Deontay Wilder who’s one of the best Heavyweight boxers in the world is not a technical boxer per se. But like Ngannou, his ability to put people to sleep with a single touch of the wrist has made him a world class boxer. Although they are operating in different combat sports, there are many similarities between these two fighters and their key competences.

We just don’t see why Ngannou can’t achieve the same successes with the focused training in boxing.  

3. Israel Adesanya

Adesanya is the former kickboxing champion who reached the pinnacle of MMA sport in a very short time span. He is known as one of the most dynamic strikers in MMA who relays a lot on the boxing techniques. Whether it’s a ring or an MMA cage, Adesanya has the unique ability to adapt to new circumstances and we truly believe the boxing ring would fit him perfectly.

Hypothetically speaking, Adesanya would have been the modern version of Roy Jones Jr. 

At the young age, Adesanya joined the local kickboxing academy to pursue his fighting dreams. His rare talent was obvious right from the start. Before stepping into the professional competition, he amassed an amateur record of 32-0. 

Tall and rangy, Adesanya set himself apart with a unique set of striking techniques. He has the unusual ability to always make reads and adapt his style to any situation. Once he feels loose, Adesanya moves with the mesmerizing flow and everything he throws has a perfect timing behind. He can fight while moving in any direction and catch the opponents from weird angles.

This unique mixture of the great timing and accurate boxing combinations has proved lethal for many of his opponents. The counter combination with which he put Robert Whittaker out at UFC 243 is the perfect example of his boxing abilities. The secret behind his stunning movement has its origins in his days as a dancer. 

We truly believe these particular skills would certainly set him apart inside the boxing ring as well. If he was able to conquer the world of MMA in such a short time span, there is no reason why he shouldn’t do the same in boxing.

2. Conor McGregor

McGregor is the first-ever UFC double champion and a man with perhaps the best boxing skills in MMA. Before he stepped inside the MMA cage, McGregor was heavily into boxing. At the age of 12, he began the amateur boxing career under the two-time Olympian boxing coach Phil Sutcliffe.

Over the years, McGregor has developed incredible boxing skills, especially the footwork, speed and counter combinations. He uses the counter boxing combos to land with perfect timing and is maintaining distance very well. Further, the great footwork allows him to step in and out very fast and attack from all angles as we saw against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.

At the peak of his popularity, McGregor actually competed inside the boxing ring against Floyd Mayweather and showed he can box. In spite of short training, he went thru to prepare for Floyd, McGregor still managed to go toe to toe with the best boxer of our generation. 

Thus, we don’t have to speak hypothetically about McGregor’s boxing skills. He really tested himself against a very high-level professional boxer and he did a very good job. In addition, the boxing match against Floyd was McGregor’s professional boxing debut.

Despite the loss, we do not even have to guess whether he could do well inside the ring or not. His talent and potentials are obvious. If he had only chosen boxing instead of MMA, we are sure he would have reached the highest levels. 

1. Anderson Silva

For many, Anderson Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all time. After winning the Middleweight championship, Silva went on to defend it an astonishing 14 times before losing to Chris Weidman. The truth is, if it wasn’t for MMA, the primetime Silva had all the skills and tools to become a successful boxer.

For almost a decade, Silva’s style was a mystery. In his prime, everything he performed on the feet was straight out of the Matrix movie. He was very agile, and his mobility was second to none. Further, his fighting IQ is off the charts, and he sees everything coming in advance.

That’s why he is capable of dodging the strikes all the time and makes you look like a fool. Also, his high reach and perfect timing on the counters can put any fighter out in a second. This is perhaps best showed against Forrest Griffin in his spectacular knockout victory at UFC 101.

“He fights off the ropes a little bit. I told him that can be a little bit dangerous sometimes and to be careful, but he’ll suck you in, he’ll set you up, he’s one of the most intelligent fighters I’ve ever seen and have ever worked with.”

– The legendary boxing coach, Freddie Roach (source)

The biggest advantage he would have inside the boxing ring is the ability to throw the punches from odd angles. He was doing it in such a special way that his rivals couldn’t even see the punches coming. It’s a very special and rare talent that even some top boxers don’t have.

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mmachannel.com, its affiliates and sponsors.

Fighters just love to fight and the emotional rollercoaster ride of competition is a very addictive feeling. What’s more, some fighters are so addicted to competing that they do not know when it’s time to stop.  Even when their time has clearly expired and they can’t take damage like they used to, some fighters still maintain that competitive drive and fire inside them.

For many fans, seeing an MMA legend getting knocked out by the younger fighter is a terrible feeling. It’s always hard to hear these fighters saying “I have a couple of fights left in me” while in the reality they don’t have any. We just can’t escape but asking ourselves, how and why? We are not sure if its addiction or the lack of self-awareness, but there are plenty of fighters out there who simply refused to give up on their dreams. 

What’s more, some of them have taken serious damage before realizing they can’t beat the time and age. The majority number of seasoned fighters are already suffering from various physical ailments including brain damage from fighting. Continuing with fighting can further jeopardize their physical health for these fighters. For this reason, most fighters normally retire before they reach 40 years to avoid further damaging their bodies. However, some fighters do not stop fighting in spite of their physical issues.

We have decided to analyze who were the top 10 fighters who should have retired sooner. If they have only known when to pull the handbrake, we wouldn’t have that bittersweet feeling while thinking about their careers. 

10. Royce Gracie 

Royce Gracie represents a synonym for MMA pioneers and the early days of the UFC. To this day, Royce and BJJ remain the biggest influencers of the modern MMA competition. In the beginning days of the UFC, Royce defeated many UFC giants that were much bigger and stronger than him. He proved that having a muscular physique wasn’t the deciding factor inside the cage.

After winning three UFC tournaments, Royce left the Company in 1995 to pursue different challenges. But, he came back five years later to compete in the Japanese Pride events. Shockingly, he lost the fight against Kazushi Sakuraba in 2000 and went on having two draws in the next three fights. At this point, everybody thought he should retire as all legends do.

But, Royce Gracie decided to get back to the UFC and face primetime Matt Hughes at UFC 60. Despite the height and reach advantage over Hughes, Royce was clearly out of his prime. He just couldn’t keep up with the level of skill set and youth of the new generation. Matt Hughes quickly closed the show inside the first round with the TKO. From that point, Royce went on to defeat the veterans Kazushi Sakuraba and Ken Shamrock and he retired on the two fight winning streak.

9. Rashad Evans

Looking at his official record, one can quickly make a wrong perception of the career of Rashad Evans. He was an extremely talented fighter and the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion.

Let me put it this way, before he lost the title to Jon Jones at UFC 145, Rashad had a UFC record of 12-1-1. The key to his success lays in the fact that he was simply good everywhere. Though he never possessed the knockout power, his fights were always exciting. Once he starts mixing his elite wrestling with the fluid boxing combos, you knew the opponent is about to have a rough night.

But, he is also the walking definition of a fighter not willing to accept he doesn’t have it anymore. After losing the title, the age began catching up on him and he went 2-6 inside the Octagon. It was really hard to watch Rashad chasing that last victory. I mean, the whole world wanted to see him retire and not embarrassing himself against the competition he would demolish in his prime.

8. Josh Koscheck

In his prime, Josh Koscheck was a talented NCAA Division 1 wrestler and a well-rounded MMA fighter. What’s interesting, Koscheck joined the UFC very early in his career. Just two fights into his MMA career, he entered The Ultimate Fighter reality show house.

Looking back at his career, we can’t escape the feeling that Josh Koscheck was an underrated fighter. Before going on a terrible losing streak, he had a record of 15-5 inside the UFC. What’s more, he even went on to face George St. Pierre for a welterweight belt at UFC 124. After losing a decision, Koscheck bounced back with the stunning knockout victory over Matt Hughes at UFC 135. To this day, the win over Hughes represents the most memorable moment of his career.

But his career took a dive shortly after and he never recovered from it. Koscheck went on to lose the next five fights, some of them via devastating knockout. As a result, UFC released him in 2015. But Koscheck believed he still got it and he joined the Bellator promotion.  Once again, Koscheck proved his glory days were behind him by losing to the unknown Mauricio Alonso before retiring in 2018.

7. Wanderlei Silva 

During his prime, Wanderlei Silva was the scariest fighter despite being an undersized fighter. As his nickname “Axe Murderer” suggests, he brutalized every one of his rivals during the glory days of Pride. From staredowns to the fighting itself, Silva never hid his violent intentions. But, it seems like the aggression and love for fighting have clouded his mind a bit. Silva continued to compete long after his prime and he experienced some hard losses late in his career.

The thing is, Wanderlei was at his best while fighting in Japanese Pride promotion. His fights were a pure display of violence and war. But once he stepped inside the UFC Octagon in 2007, his days as a vicious fighter were already gone. Everybody thought he retired after his victory over Brian Stann in 2013. But for some reason, he decided to come back in 2017 and sign with Bellator promotion.

Inside the Bellator cage, Silva faced old rivals in Chael Sonnen and Quinton Jackson. In both fights, Wanderlei Siva looked like an entirely different fighter. He was slow, out of shape and destroyed by Rampage Jackson at Bellator 206. It was hard to watch the legend having a hard time accepting it is over.

6. Kazushi Sakuraba

Sakuraba is the Japanese MMA legend and a true pioneer of the modern-day MMA. He owns many MMA records, and he became the UFC Hall of Famer in 2017. Despite being a massive legend of the sport, he meets all the requirements to hold a spot on our list.

Sakuraba came into MMA as a very accomplished wrestler. He surprised everyone with the ability to score submissions over the elite fighters in Pride. Also, the victories over the members of the Gracie family have brined him the legendary status. In a single year (1999-2000), he defeated Royler, Royce, Renzo and Ryan Gracie. In that time, beating Gracie’s probably meant even more than winning a title. So, that’s why the MMA fans began calling him “The Gracie Killer”

However, we also remember him for refusing to hang up the gloves and retire. As a result, the legendary Sakuraba ended his career with a record of 2-7 in his last 9 fights. What’s more, he was on a five-fight losing streak. We can all agree this is not the way a fighter like Sakuraba should end.

5. Antonio Nogueira

Without a doubt, Antonio Nogueira is one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time. He is the former Pride FC Heavyweight champion and the UFC Hall of Famer. Also known as a twin brother of “Big Nog”, Nogueira was one of the best grapplers in the world. With 21 submission victories on his record, it’s hard to argue against that. 

The reality is, Nogueira took part in many wars and he suffered many injuries throughout his MMA career. We can all recall the iconic moment when gigantic Bob Sapp picked him up and drove his head into the mat. Surprisingly, Nogueira survived and went on to submit Sapp with the armbar. That fight perfectly illustrates how durable and talented Nogueira was. After his great run in Japan’s Pride FC, he signed with the UFC.

Like Wanderlei Silva, Nogueira wasn’t the same fighter. Although he enjoyed early success, the devastating KO loss to Frank Mir was a first sign Nogueira began to fade. To make matters worse, many considered Mir to be below Nogueira’s level. Thus, it was even more shocking to see Mir submitting Nogueira and breaking his humerus in the rematch.

Antonio Nogueira retired with the UFC record of 5-6 and sitting on the three straight losses. Despite the tough days inside the UFC Octagon, he will always be the legend of MMA. 

4. Mark Coleman

Mark Coleman is a pioneer of MMA and a man who showed the world the importance of strong wrestling skills inside the cage. He was the multiple Pan American wrestling champion and his wrestling abilities have transitioned well into MMA. 

As an MMA fighter, Coleman captured the UFC Heavyweight title, won two UFC tournaments (UFC 10 and 11) and Pride 2000 Grand Prix. Also, he is one of the two fighters who managed to win tournaments in both Pride and UFC.

Inside the cage, Coleman pioneered the ground and pound technique. During the 90s, wrestlers have always had a hard time fighting BJJ guys. Thus, the introduction of ground and pound made a ton of difference during the ground fighting.

In his prime, Coleman was a wrecking machine. But, fighting is a young man sport and the age eventually caught up with Coleman as well. Many people think he should have retired after winning the Pride Tournament in 2000.

But, Coleman went on to compete in 10 more fights against the younger killers in Mirko Cro Cop, Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio Rua. We all remember Coleman as a true legend. But, we can’t escape recalling those unnecessary and brutal knockout losses in the late stages of his career.

3. BJ Penn 

Better known as “The Prodigy”, BJ Penn was a very passionate and a gifted MMA fighter. Even before competing in UFC, Penn was a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. In 2000, he won the World jiu-jitsu championship which ultimately led him to compete in MMA.

Penn has one of the most accomplished MMA careers. He is the former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion. Also, with three successful title defenses, he is one of the greatest UFC lightweight champions in history.

Early in his career, Penn moved up to welterweight division to challenge the great Matt Hughes for the Welterweight strap. Despite being a massive underdog, Penn found a way to submit Hughes inside the first round and became the champion. From that point, Penn unleashed his killer instincts every time he stepped inside the cage. He was always very aggressive and his fights were never boring. He even faced and lost a decision to the 30lbs heavier Lyoto Machida in the open weight bout. That’s how crazy primetime Penn was. 

But, after losing to Nick Diaz at UFC 137, everything began to fall apart. Penn fought six more times in nine years, losing all his fights. Some of them, like the one against Yair Rodriguez were painful to watch. After losing seven in a row and having all sorts of personal issues outside the cage, the UFC released him in 2019.

2. Chuck Lidell 

Chuck Lidell was an amazing fighter who deserves a lot of credit for putting the sport on the map. In his prime, Lidell wasn’t scared to fight anyone, anytime and anywhere. So, that’s why we all loved him or at least respected his passion for fighting.

Chuck had the unique ability to absorb two strikes to land one. Over the years, this approach brined him a ton of success. But no chin can sustain that amount of punishment and neither does Chuck. After defending the Light Heavyweight title for the fourth time against Tito Ortiz, he went on a terrible losing streak.

In his next seven fights, Liddell experienced five TKO/KO losses. It was horrible to watch a legend continuously stepping inside the cage and failing to absorb even the slightest damage.

Liddell retired in 2010 after the Rich Franklin loss. But, by everyone’s shock, he came back eight years later to face the long rival, Tito Ortiz. The fight itself was a pure freakshow and totally unbearable to watch as Tito knocked him out cold. Also, bear in mind Chuck was 49 years old at the time.

1. Ken Shamrock 

Even before the UFC came to the scene in 1993, Ken Shamrock was competing in Japan as a member of the Pancreas promotion. When he joined the UFC, Shamrock became one of their first leading stars. He was a true pioneer who was instrumental in building the UFC brand from scratch.

Shamrock went on to have a very successful MMA career even after he had left the UFC. From the late 90s to the beginnings of the 2000s, Shamrock was shifting between Pride and UFC. He was able to stay competitive all the way to 2004 when his struggles inside the cage began to emerge. Many thought he should have retired after the losses against Sakuraba and Rich Franklin. Unfortunately, Shamrock had different plans.

He went on competing 11 more times, losing nine and winning just two fights. To make matter worse, all his losses were via knockout and he tested positive for steroids on many occasions.

Final Thoughts 

Despite the losing streaks at the end, all the fighters presented above are all true legends of MMA. The truth is, they were all past their prime and in no way these losses can somehow diminish their accomplishments. It’s not easy to turn off the competitive spirit and move away from the sport to do something else. No matter what people around them think, many fighters will always listen to their fighting heart. In some way, relying on their fighting instincts brought them both great successes and the toughest losses in their careers.

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mmachannel.com, its affiliates and sponsors.

As MMA journalists and writers, we are mostly talking about how good the fighters are. But, we can’t escape the fact that if there are good fighters, there are bad fighters as well.

Throughout its short history, we have seen many bad MMA careers. But, there are few fighters who somehow made it to MMA, despite their lack of skills. Sometimes, big promotions like UFC or Bellator spot their sheer early potential or a special character that can bring a great entertainment value to the fans. But some fighters have a fake hype behind them and spectacular victories over low level competition. Also, despite being talented, many fighters fail to sustain the mental pressure of fighting on the big screens.

Either way, MMA is an unforgiving game. Sooner or later, the lack of fighting skills will expose you in the most devastating way. So, let’s take a look at the fighters who didn’t belong inside the MMA cage but they still fought in spite of having no real skills to become the worst fighters ever.

10. Mariusz Pudzianowski 

Pudzianowski is mainly recognized for winning the strongest man competition five times. Obviously, he is a mountain of a man and watching him pulling trucks or throwing truck tires like basketball balls looks stunning.

So, one can easily think he can do the same inside the cage mainly due to his incredible strength. But, as we’re about to see, his MMA career went a bit opposite way. I mean, all the credits to his strongman efforts, but he showed having remarkable strength does not translate into a successful MMA career. 

In 2009, he signed the four-fight deal with the top European promotion, Poland’s KSW. Since Pudzianowski is a massive star in Poland, we can understand this deal from the business perspective. Also, unlike the others from this list, the Polish fighter owns a decent record of 13 wins and 7 losses. 

But, the legitimacy of this record is a bit under the question mostly due to the level of competition. Also, Pudzianowski has defeated Bob Sapp at KSW 19 and if you continue reading this article, you will realize what this means. 

Inside the cage, Pudzianowski is what the MMA community often calls a “one round fighter”. He mostly relies on his strength and finishing the job quickly. If things don’t go as planned, we can see him quickly gassing out, and basically falling from exhaustion. But, this is not surprising considering the amount of weight and muscles he carries inside the cage. 

9. Kimbo Slice

With an obvious lack of MMA skills, it’s fascinating to think that Kimbo Slice was a very popular MMA fighter. Despite the terrible MMA run, Kimbo was an absolute king when it comes to street fighting and back yard wild brawls.

During these backyard brawls, Kimbo Slice looked like a very talented and disciplined striker. After making a couple of headlines and gaining a lot of following, everybody believed he might have some success as a professional fighter. 

To Kimbo’s credit, he began by entering the The Ultimate Fighter reality show in which he lost to the future UFC star Roy Nelson. From that point, he went on winning the next three fights. But most of the opponents were out of their prime or weren’t that good. Also, we don’t have to mention the awful fights against Ken Shamrock and Dada 5000.

We admit it, fighting on the streets requires bravery and skills. But, Kimbo Slice showed us that no matter how good you may look on the street, professional MMA competition operates at a much higher level. From the moment he shifted to MMA, the only thing Kimbo owned was a tremendous hype behind him. Thinking that he could reach the pinnacle of MMA is simply absurd and an insult for all those professional fighters dedicating their entire lives to martial arts.

8. Hong Man Choi

Like Giant Silva and a couple of other monsters from that time, Hong Man Choi mostly took part in the Japanese freak shows. The thing is, the Japanese audience was crazy about seeing a bigger man fighting a much smaller opponent. That said, these types of fights could be seen at almost every card across Japan. Standing 7’2” and weighing 350lbs, Choi fit that narrative very well. 

Also known as the “Techno Goliath,” Choi began his martial arts career wrestling in the Korean National sport called “Ssireum” before shifting to kickboxing. Inside the kickboxing ring, Choi had great success, especially from 2005 to 2006 in which he won the K-1 World Grand Prix.

But, we have to mention he beat the 200lbs lighter and 40cm shorter kickboxer Kaoklai Kaennorsing for the title. Nevertheless, this was enough for the Japanese MMA promotions to start signing him in. 

Very quickly into his MMA career, Hong Man Choi realized he had no business fighting against the top competition. In his defense, he faced the great Fedor Emelianenko in the second fight and the killer in Mirko CroCop in the third. Even though he had few victories like the one against Jose Canseco, these were mostly pure spectator shows. When it comes to the serious MMA competition, Hong Man Choi didn’t belong in MMA at all.

7. Joe Son

With the MMA record of 0-4, Joe Son is one of the worst MMA fighters the world has ever seen. What’s more, he was involved in many criminal acts and is currently serving the life sentence in prison.

Joe Son took part in the early days of MMA and beginnings of UFC. Through he had appeared at UFC 3 as Kimo Leopoldo’s cornerman, Son made his official MMA debut at UFC 4. Interestingly, Son stepped inside the Octagon as a black belt in Taekwondo and a founder of the style named “Jo Son Do.” 

Despite his previous experience in the martial arts, Son lost a debut fight to the Kenpo Karate fighter Keith Hackney via 1st round submission. After his unsuccessful debut, Son snagged a villain role in the first “Austin Powers: International Mystery” movie. He returned to the cage in 2002 just to lose three more fights. Although he was a black belt in Taekwondo, we never saw him applying those skills or showing any kind of MMA skills. 

6. Giant Silva

Believe it or not, Paulo Cesar da Silva is the former player of the Brazilian national basketball team, professional wrestler and MMA fighter. Despite his massive size and talent for other sports, the lack of fighting abilities cost him a couple of beat downs in MMA competition. 

Standing 7’2” (219 cm), Silva is a mountain of a man. After retiring from basketball, he quickly got the chance with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Though, he was released from a company a year after and went on competing in Mexican and later Japanese wrestling promotions. Silva enjoyed great popularity in Japan. What’s more, he was a part of the biggest wrestling events.  

Japan is also known to put out the weirdest and bizarre fights. That said, Giant Silva was an ideal man for this role. But, everyone clearly knew Silva was not a fighter so putting him against top-level competition was impossible, right? Well, guess all is possible in Japan since he was signed by PRIDE FC.

As an MMA fighter, Silva literally showed no skills whatsoever, but his massive size was able to draw in the Japanese crowd. His skills were so bad he even lost a fight against Ikuhisa Minowa who was 5’9” grappler and 200lbs lighter than Silva!

5. Dhafir Harris – Dada 5000 

From the first moment he got signed by Bellator promotion, we already knew that Dada 5000 is there to cash-out a rather large amount of money and leave. Nobody expected him to dominate the game or bring some game-changing fighting style inside the cage. Yet, we didn’t expect him to be that bad. 

Like Kimbo Slice, Dada became popular through his bare-knuckle street fighting videos. After most of the videos had gone viral, Dada grew into a small internet celebrity and earned the epithet of Miami street legend. What’s more, he even starred in the “Dawg Fight” documentary about street fighting in America.

Dada started his MMA career strong by scoring two KO victories. Thus, Bellator promotion offered him a fight against Kimbo Slice. Although they share similar stories on the streets, Kimbo was a bit more experienced inside the cage. When Bellator matched them at Bellator 149, it’s fair to say we saw the biggest embarrassment in MMA history. In the opening round, we saw both fighters nearly collapsing from exhaustion and there are no words to explain how bad the rest of the fight was. 

Coming into the third round, both fighters were standing like zombies. Kimbo would finally find the strength to finish the fight with the ground and pound. But, losing to Kimbo was least of Dada’s worries as he suffered a cardiac arrest during the fight. Shortly after the bout, he went straight to the operating table. Thankfully, he was able to recover but let’s hope we won’t see him fight once again either on the street or cage.

4. James Toney

Don’t get us wrong on this one, James Toney is a very talented boxer but was clearly not ready for MMA. During his prime, Toney was a big name in the boxing world and holding the IBF belts in three weight divisions.

But in 2010, he made perhaps the biggest mistake of his fighting career. He decided to test himself inside the cage without past MMA experience or any skills whatsoever. Also, considering the never-ending rivalry between MMA and Boxing, UFC made it even harder for Toney.

In his first and only fight inside the UFC Octagon, James Toney faced the UFC legend, Randy Couture. For many, Toney went on a suicide mission. It turned out the experts were right as Couture didn’t leave any room for surprises. He went on scoring an early takedown and submitting Toney inside the first round.

Despite his failure as an MMA fighter, James Toney is still a boxing legend. But his experiment showed that top pro boxers just can’t cross over to MMA without any grappling or ground fighting skills.

3. Bob Sapp 

We know this may sound weird for many modern fans, but Bob Sapp once was a favorite fighter in Japan.  Despite the obvious lack of skills, Sapp was able to enjoy an early MMA success merely due to his massive size and freakish strength. But, relying just on your strength and size simply doesn’t work in MMA as Sapp discovered later in his career.

Standing 6’5 and weighing 350lbs, a former football player, Sapp was a freak of nature. After scoring two victories in Pride, his lack of grappling skills got exposed against Antonio Nogueira. From that point, Sapp began shifting his career between MMA and kickboxing in the following years. He even went on winning the K-1 Grand Prix in 2005. 

But just three years later, his career took a dive and he began losing fights in a very suspicious way. Whenever he faced a decent opponent in MMA or K-1, Sapp would get quickly destroyed in a bout. So, once you realize you don’t stand a chance against the top-level competition, it’s normal to hang on the gloves and retire, right? Well, Sapp took a different path. 

Basically, Sapp began putting on WWE type of act to promote his fights and cash-out large amount of money. As a result, he went on an incredible 14 fight losing streak. There are plenty of videos out there showing Sapp falling due to the imaginary strikes and embarrassing himself all over the world.

2. Scott Blevins 

For many bad fighters, you can always balance between talking how bad or good they are. But, the only positive thing we can say about the career of Scott Blevins is the most formal phrase of them all “can’t judge him for trying. “The guy has a 0-17 MMA record or 0-1-20 if we include amateur competition.

The worst thing and perhaps the saddest one as well is that Blevins never won a fight. You can have a 1-30 record, but you’ve still experienced the adrenaline rush after the victory. Going by the “Lion Heart” nickname, he definitely showed a lot of hurt and commitment. Seriously, we have to give him props for coming back and chasing that victory.

But, looking at his record, you can see he lost every single fight inside the first round. Also, if we sum up all his 17 professional fights, Scott Blevins has a total of just over 12 minutes of fighting time. This means he lasted one and a half minutes on average, that’s insane!

Blevins is the perfect example of what would happen to all the guys out there thinking they can compete without the skills in MMA. Not to mention Blevins was competing in the local shows against the low-level competition.

1. Kenneth Allen

With the record of 1-41, Kenneth Allen is an absolute King of our list and perhaps many others out there. Also, despite being blasted and laughed at all over the internet, the man is still going “strong” and showing up whenever the opportunity arises. 

As you may think, Allen is the type of fighter who often takes short notice fights. If we take a look at his record more closely, we can see that he’s a busy fighter. In 2006, he had an amazing 14 fights and if we combine 2006 and 2007, we have a number of 22 fights. Also, he faced some interesting names like UFC Welterweight Jake Ellenberger and Lightweight Nik Lentz. 

But, this doesn’t explain the 47 losses on his record. The only reasonable explanations are the obvious lack of fighting skills and any talent whatsoever.