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If Julianna Pena’s seismic upset win towards Amanda Nunes taught us something it’s that in MMA, the larger they arrive, the more durable they fall – and this has been a lesson realized the arduous means by a number of fighters down the years.
There is a well-worn saying in blended martial arts: if you do not have a loss in your file, you then’re night time preventing the appropriate degree of competitors.
Whereas supporters of Khabib Nurmagomedov might need their points with statements akin to this, it has remained an virtually inescapable fact for virtually each different fighter to have stepped right into a cage over time.
Nunes, the UFC’s first-ever feminine double champ, skilled this for herself towards Pena final weekend at UFC 269 as she shockingly surrendered her bantamweight crown to her underdog opponent in Las Vegas.
READ MORE: ‘I advised you motherf**kers!’ Pena submits Nunes for ‘greatest upset in UFC historical past’ (VIDEO)
The upset is being thought-about by many as the most important seen within the Octagon in a while, and presumably ever – however it’s removed from the one seismic shock to hit MMA, with a number of others rocking the game all through its brief historical past.
MATT SERRA VS. GEORGES ST-PIERRE – UFC 69, APRIL 2007
It wasn’t alleged to go down like this.
St-Pierre, six months or so faraway from what appeared to be the belief of his future when he dethroned dominant UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes, was handed what many noticed as a ‘gimme’ struggle towards Serra, a journeyman fighter and former light-weight who had earned the chance by outlasting a number of different veterans on a season of the UFC’s actuality present ‘The Final Fighter’.
As a substitute, we acquired what remains to be hailed among the many most surprising finishes to a struggle in UFC historical past.
Serra, a prohibitive underdog towards the excellent St-Pierre, refused to bow to the oddsmakers and instantly launched right into a livid assault towards the 170lbs champion.
GSP was floored on multiple event as Serra swarmed, with St-Pierre ultimately tapping out on account of strikes because the aggressive New Yorker unloaded an countless barrage of punishment on the grounded French-Canadian.
The results of the struggle, and the way through which it was achieved, is claimed to have compelled St-Pierre to forevermore undertake a extra conservative technique in his fights, however not earlier than gained his revenge – and the world title – from Serra of their rematch a 12 months later.
He would by no means lose one other struggle in his skilled profession earlier than retiring a decade later.
HOLLY HOLM VS. RONDA ROUSEY – UFC 193, NOVEMBER 2015
MMA neophytes may not grasp precisely how massive a star Ronda Rousey was all through her four-year unbeaten run by Strikeforce and the UFC.
The previous Olympic judoka completed every of her profession wins, all however a type of coming inside the primary spherical – and 9 of them coming by armbar.
Her speedy ascent to the summit of the game introduced with it a number of scorching takes: her boxing is pretty much as good as anybody within the sport (it wasn’t), she might fairly doubtless beat the male 135lbs champion (she virtually actually could not), and he or she would by no means really feel the sting of defeat so long as she remained an energetic fighter.
That final assertion met a grisly finish in Melbourne, Australia, in late 2015 when she confronted fellow undefeated fighter {and professional} boxer Holly Holm – somebody who the opening exchanges confirmed was vastly extra snug on the ft.
The top, when it got here as the results of a shuddering left excessive kick to the dome, was virtually merciful, as if placing Rousey out of her distress and ceaselessly dispelling the narrative that feminine preventing had by no means seen as dominant a champion.
Rousey would additionally lose her subsequent struggle to Amanda Nunes earlier than rising within the pantomime world of WWE someday later.
FABRICIO WERDUM VS. FEDOR EMELIANENKO – STRIKEFORCE: FEDOR VS. WERDUM, JUNE 2010
The night of June 6, 2010, was thought by most to be simply one other chapter within the nice Fedor Emelianenko’s legacy.
The dominant Russian heavyweight had, for nearly a decade, defeated all comers and was unbeaten in 33 fights, save for a technical defeat on account of a lower in a one-night event in late 2000.
Submission specialist Werdum was a take a look at, many thought, however one which the nice Fedor was actually favored to cross. In any case, the Brazilian submission ace had washed out of the UFC a few years prior after a largely underwhelming 18 months with the group.
However simply 69 seconds into the competition, Fedor tapped out after being baited by Werdum into a good triangle choke in what was the primary true defeat of The Final Emperor’s glittering profession… and it opened the door to 2 extra speedy losses towards Antonio Silva and Dan Henderson.
Emelianenko, now 45, has misplaced simply two extra instances since that trio of defeats whereas successful 9 instances, together with an October knockout of American Tim Johnson in Moscow.
NATE DIAZ VS. CONOR MCGREGOR – UFC 196, MARCH 2016
Nate Diaz declared that he wasn’t “shocked” after he handed Conor McGregor his surprising first UFC defeat simply months after the Irishman had vanquished featherweight boogeyman Jose Aldo to assert his first of what would ultimately develop into two world titles – however the remainder of us certain have been.
McGregor moved as much as the 170lbs division to tackle Diaz on brief discover after light-weight champion Rafael Dos Anjos withdrew from their scheduled bout on account of damage, and was anticipated to breeze previous the robust however beatable veteran.
As a substitute, McGregor drained himself out by emptying his glitzy field of putting methods and located himself ultimately enveloped in Diaz’s quicksand, a second-round rear-naked choke.
McGregor would go on to assert redemption the next August when he outpointed Diaz in what was an exhilarating contest – nevertheless it was the Stockton fighter who first uncovered the chinks within the Irishman’s armor all these years in the past.
RANDY COUTURE VS. TIM SYLVIA – UFC 68, MARCH 2007
“Not unhealthy for an outdated man” – Randy Couture
The UFC acquired its very personal iteration of George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer in March 2007 when the 43-year-old former mild heavyweight champion Couture emerged from retirement to place a five-round beating on then heavyweight kingpin Tim Sylvia, a fighter who was 23-2 on the time and stood some seven inches taller than Couture.
Randy dropped Tim with the FIRST punch he threw. I would like you to take heed to the gang response. It’s presumably the loudest pop I’ve ever heard. The audio system sounded blown. Joe and Goldie’s quantity might need been elevated simply so we might hear them. The second was ELECTRIC. #UFC68pic.twitter.com/3Ju614d2hV
— Ryan Hobbs (@RyanHobbsMMA) November 6, 2021
Couture’s comeback was bemoaned by many as sending a beloved former fighter to the slaughter. He had misplaced two of his prior three fights by crushing knockout to Chuck Liddell, so how was he going to be geared up in dealing with the ability of a fighter who was each youthful and larger than him?
Fairly properly, because it turned out. Couture floored Sylvia together with his opening salvo, an overhand proper, and did not step off the gasoline for the remaining 24-and-a-half minutes of the struggle to assert the UFC’s world heavyweight title.
Couture would go on to compete seven extra instances within the UFC earlier than lastly retiring on the age of 48 in 2011, however not earlier than he properly and really made us rethink the shelf lifetime of a high fighter.
Not unhealthy certainly.
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