Issue 106

October 2013

Fans worldwide were left shell-shocked when Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July, but was it the biggest upset in MMA history? FO looks back over 13 of the most dramatic underdog victories from two decades of action

Anything can happen in this sport’ is a phrase MMA fans have become increasingly accustomed to over the years. Most of the time fans believe it to be nothing more than hyperbole, something promoters say to get us to believe that the underdog has a chance to actually defeat the reigning champion. Usually the favorite wins and we lambast ourselves for ever believing otherwise. But, on the odd occasion, the underdog comes out on top, shocking the entire world and proving everybody who doubted them wrong.

Some fans bawl as the fighter they believed was near indestructible is smashed in front of their eyes whilst others cheer on the passing of the torch. Hell, some even call ‘foul’ and claim the entire thing was rigged from the very beginning. 

From Marcus Aurelio defeating arguably the finest lightweight in history, to Fabricio Werdum defying all odds and submitting ‘The Last Emperor,’ MMA has always been filled with surprises. And after Chris Weidman forgot to read the script and knocked out the greatest mixed martial artist of all time with a devastating left hook this summer, FO decided it was only right to take a retrospective look at some of the most shocking and unbelievable victories in MMA history.

CHRIS WEIDMAN VS ANDERSON SILVA

The UFC marketing machine hyped this clash between the sport’s greatest ever fighter and an undefeated but little-known challenger by rounding up as many fighters as possible who believed Weidman would win and releasing their comments to the press. 

Most fans, journalists and pundits were unconvinced, noting that while Weidman was dangerous and potentially had the skills to win, this was after all, Anderson Silva. 

What few could have expected though was that after years of taunting his opponents, the Brazilian would finally pay the price by getting his lights turned out early in the second round, mid-mockery, ending his epic 2,458 day title reign in stunning, historic fashion. 

MATT SERRA VS GEORGES ST-PIERRE

As winner of the welterweight portion of TUF 4: The Comeback, Serra, a UFC fighter since 2001, earned a title shot against reigning champion and Canadian superstar GSP. Heading into the Octagon at UFC 69, Serra was a 9-1 underdog who then proceeded to shock the world by mugging St Pierre in the first round. Hurting the champion with some big punches early, highly skilled submission artist Serra scored the very first TKO stoppage of his career with a bruising flurry of punches on the ground. 

FABRICIO WERDUM VS FEDOR EMILIANENKO

Submitting his heavily favored opponent in just 69 seconds, Brazilian heavyweight Werdum snapped a winning streak that dated back a decade and 29 fights and incidentally, broke the hearts of untold numbers of the Fedormentalists who littered MMA websites and forums with their near-religious praise of the Russian fighter. At some point almost everyone loses, but Fedor being tricked into launching himself into an apparently hurt Werdum’s guard only to be trapped with a triangle-armbar was not something anyone can credibly claim to have predicted going into the fight.

GABRIEL GONZAGA VS MIRKO CRO COP

Former Pride FC superstar Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ was widely expected to handily beat brawny Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Gabriel Gonzaga in the main event of the UFC’s big 2007 return to the UK. With a heavyweight title shot against Randy Couture at stake, a very confident Cro Cop practically sneered like a silent movie villain at Gonzaga’s stated plan to stand and trade with him. But the Brazilian hurt him with a punch early, roughed him up on the ground and then, when the fight was mystifyingly stood up, obliterated him with the kind of high kick Mirko himself was famous for.

TITO ORTIZ VS RYAN BADER

A record-setting UFC champion from 2000 to 2002 and formerly one of the sport’s biggest names Ortiz’ disastrous age-and-injury related decline was such that by his 2011 match with expected future star Bader, Ortiz hadn’t won for almost five years, going 0-4-1. TUF 8 victor Bader, 12-1 and almost a prototype of the athletic, wrestling-based modern mixed martial artist, was surely going to win this one. Shockingly, Ortiz dropped and guillotined Bader inside two minutes to pick up ‘Submission of the Night’ honors and a clutch of upset of the year awards. 

SCOTT SMITH VS CUNG LE

Comeback king Smith, a cult favorite after his near-miraculous in-fight resurgences and stoppage wins over Pete Sell and Benji Radach, was not expected to beat heavily favored local hero Cung Le in San Jose. One of Strikeforce’s key fighters, the unbeaten Le’s movie-ready arsenal of sanshou kicks were expected to ensure the win over a willing brawler with a history of getting hit hard and often. Dropped with a spin kick and furiously battered with punches, Smith somehow survived the first round and came back to beat an exhausted Le with ground ‘n’ pound late in the third and final round. 

ZOILA FRAUSTO-GURGEL VS MEGUMI FUJII

Few fighters have ever dominated their class the way ‘Mega Megu’ had going into her 2010 fight for the inaugural Bellator women’s 115lb title, amassing an impeccable 22-0 record with 18 submission wins. But the ageing Japanese star chose to stand for almost the full five rounds with the harder hitting, energetic Frausto-Gurgel and paid the price, dropping a split decision in a very entertaining scrap. What made this even more of a shocker was some felt Frausto-Gurgel should never have progressed to this tournament final, being gifted a decision a month earlier despite having clearly lost to Jessica Aguilar in the eyes of some. 

MARCUS AURELIO VS TAKANORI GOMI

Riding a 10-fight winning streak, the face and champion of the Pride: Bushido series, ‘Fireball Kid’ Gomi was widely regarded as one of the sport’s very best lightweights going into his 2006 non-title match with Brazil’s Aurelio. A tough, skilled fighter with a 13-2 record, Aurelio was expected to wilt under the kind of sustained, heavy-handed attack Gomi had finished the likes of Tatsuya Kawajiri and Hayato Sakurai with. Massively overconfident, Gomi appeared to not take Aurelio seriously at all, an attitude he presumably regretted whilst being squeezed unconscious with an arm triangle choke.

SETH PETRUZELLI VS KIMBO SLICE

Pitched into the main event when Ken Shamrock managed to cut his eye doing some (very) late practicing that day, Petruzelli needed just 14 seconds to burst EliteXC’s TV ratings-pulling cartoon character/’fighter’ Slice’s ever-so-fragile bubble, knocking him out, while off balance, with a jab. His later comments in a radio interview, suggesting he’d been paid extra to stand and trade (EliteXC expecting Slice to win that way) kicked up such a stink that the entire promotion was dropped by TV paymasters CBS, helping kill off one of the more serious competitors for the UFC.

MAURICE SMITH VS MARK COLEMAN

A triumph of game-planning, strategy and judicious trash-talking (he hyped the fight by telling the world Coleman ‘punches like a girl’), K-1, Rings and Pancrase veteran Smith, already held the Extreme Fighting Championship heavyweight title and had a trophy cabinet full of kickboxing awards going into his fight with the fearsome UFC champion. 

Suffering none of the ‘Octagon jitters’ so many fighters seem to struggle with, a composed Smith weathered a fired-up Coleman’s initial onslaught, cruelly exposing his complete lack of conditioning to take a masterful decision win and the title.

EMMANUEL NEWTON VS KING MO LAWAL

Bellator was hugely proud of its May 2012 big light heavyweight signing ‘King Mo’ Lawal, the former Strikeforce champion, still on the shelf after a horrific time with knee surgeries and infections. By January 2013, Mo was back in the cage, winning the first round of a tournament, but at the semi-final stage, he was KO’ed by experienced journeyman and heavy underdog Emmanuel Newton’s spinning back-fist. Promotional plans for Lawal left in tatters, a month later the under-appreciated Newton was crowned the tournament champion. 

BRIAN BOWLES VS MIGUEL TORRES

Attempting the fourth defense of his WEC bantamweight title, Torres was riding a five-year, 17-fight winning streak and the adulation of fans and pundits who placed him high on their pound-for-pound lists. Equally dangerous on his feet or on the ground, East Chicago, Indiana’s finest was a firm favorite over fast-rising but inexperienced (7-0) wrestler Bowles. But Bowles dropped the champion for the second time inside a round, landing a short right hand counter that floored an over-aggressive Torres then followed up with a fierce flurry on the ground, putting out Torres’ lights with the fifth shot.

JOE WARREN VS KID YAMAMOTO

Japanese MMA has a reputation for hometown decisions, especially with big-name native fighters involved. That’s why Warren’s split decision win during Dream’s 2009 featherweight grand prix was such a stunner. In only his second professional fight, Greco-Roman US, Pan-American and world champion Warren outpointed Japanese superstar Yamamoto in a fight where even many American observers picked Kid as the winner. Controlling more of the fight with his wrestling and clinch game, but absorbing more damage, future Bellator champion Warren gutted out a win that signaled his arrival on the world scene.