Issue 145
September 2016
As CM Punk closes in on his long-awaited UFC debut, he would do well to remember FO’s pick of 12 of the most disastrous maiden Octagon performances – from stuttering starts to outstanding UFC careers to one-and-done failures... No pressure, Mr Brooks
1 The Beginning
TEILA TULI vs. Gerard Gordeau (UFC 1)
The first UFC fight ever. Fans in Colorado weren’t quite sure what was to come and 400lb sumo wrestler Tuli obviously wasn’t either. The Hawaiian, now a regular on TV drama Hawaii Five-0, was obliterated in 26 seconds by Dutch savateur Gordeau, who sidestepped Tuli’s charge to spray his teeth across the front row with a fight-ending kick to the face.
2 Cop Out
SEAN GANNON vs.Branden Lee Hinkle (UFC 55)
A former Golden Gloves champ, Boston police officer Gannon shot to fame after winning a street fight with Kimbo Slice. But getting thrown into the Octagon in his third pro fight was a mistake, especially against a legit mixed martial artist with 12 wins. Outgunned and outclassed, ‘The Cannon’ was rescued following four minutes of being beaten up his back.
3 MMA Rules
JAMES TONEY vs. Randy Couture (UFC 118)
Former three-weight boxing world champion Toney trolled UFC president Dana White for a fight, labeling mixed martial artists as “fake”. And boy, must he have rued his trash talk when he was matched with a Hall of Fame icon. ‘The Natural’ immediately took Toney down, beat the crap out of him on the ground, then decided to choke him out with an arm triangle for one of the easiest nights in his legendary career.
4 Skipped Generation
ROLLES GRACIE vs. Joey Beltran (UFC 109)
The cousin of UFC 1 winner Royce Gracie, Rolles entered the Octagon with plenty of hype around him as the only full-size heavyweight from jiu-jitsu’s first family. But late replacement Beltran reversed a first-round takedown to dominate. Rolles only had four minutes of gas in him and was stopped early in the second round.
5 Unable to walk away
MARK HUNT vs. Sean McCorkle (UFC 119)
Former K-1 kickboxing world champion Hunt only made it into the Octagon because he had a couple of fights left on his Pride FC contract, which he made Zuffa honor. Being armbarred inside 63 seconds in his first performance on US soil by ‘Big Sexy’ didn’t help his cause. Four wins and three knockouts later, however, the ‘Super Samoan’ was back on the heavyweight title trail and reestablished as a fan favorite.
6 All hype, no bite
JOSH HENDRICKS vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (UFC 91)
Another heavyweight hype, Hendricks rode an 11-fight unbeaten streak into the Octagon for his debut and promised a knockout in the first round. Well, he was half right. The bout didn’t last long, but after landing just one significant strike in one minute and one second, it was ‘Heavy’ that got starched by an enormous right hand. He was never seen in the big show again.
7 The Project fails
WES SIMS vs. Frank Mir (UFC 43)
Hammer House colossus Sims slamming himself free from an armbar and stomping on the future heavyweight champion brought back memories of the Octagon’s unregulated days. But with the Unified Rules in full effect, referee Nelson Hamilton had no other option than to disqualify ‘The Project’, who had lost control after spending the previous three minutes on his back defending elbow strikes and submissions.
8 Bring Me a dream
TERRY MARTIN vs. James Irvin (UFC 54)
With 10 wins in the bank, including a victory over Chael Sonnen, Chicago finisher Martin had a ton of hype entering his UFC debut. But despite controlling the first-round action he was soon the victim of one of the most spectacular knockouts in UFC history. ‘The Sandman’ put him to sleep with a flying left knee nine seconds into round two.
9 Broken Axe
WANDERLEI SILVA vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC Ultimate Brazil)
Due to its continued presence on Belfort’s highlight reel to this day, ‘The Axe Murderer’ has been reminded of his short-lived Octagon debut for almost 20 years. ‘The Phenom’ charged forward and unleashed the full force of his furious fists to finish his opponent in just 44 seconds. Spectators couldn’t have anticipated Silva’s fearsome future of fight finishing based on this evidence.
10 David vs Goliath
EMANUEL YARBROUGH vs. Keith Hackney (UFC 3)
The world’s largest athlete – 616lb, six-foot-eight Yarbrough – against five-foot-11, 200lb kempo man Hackney. Plodding forward, the sumo star got dropped by an open-palmed overhand right early on and, despite throwing Hackney through the gate moments later, Yarbrough was soon back on all fours and verbally tapping out under a barrage of gloveless hammer fists.
11 Upset special
SHOGUN RUA vs. Forrest Griffin (UFC 76)
The world held its breath for Mauricio Rua’s UFC arrival. Though he didn’t own a championship, he was considered to be the best light heavyweight in the world and Griffin was a lamb to be slaughtered on his way to the top. But by round two, Shogun was exhausted and on the end of a beating. His tapout to a choke with 15 seconds to spare was the final letdown of a disappointing debut for the future 205lb champion.
12 Oh my God, they killed Kenny
KENNY FLORIAN vs. Diego Sanchez (TUF 1 Finale)
While the action that unfolded in the light heavyweight final that night effectively made the UFC, the middleweight face-off was a washout, largely because future three-time world title challenger Florian was too terrified to engage. After circling Sanchez for a minute, he was put flat on his back and had his face rearranged into a bloody mess due to ‘The Nightmare’s ground ‘n’ pound. But once the dust settled, ‘KenFlo’ dropped divisions and a MMA mainstay was made.
