10 big UFC fights that failed to deliver
One of the most frustrating things about watching MMA is the fact that when all the build and trash-talk is over and the fighters get into the cage, you never know what kind of fight you’re going to get.
Sure, some of the most highly anticipated fights in UFC history have delivered in spades – Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz for instance – but others that had just as much hype ended up completely flopping in terms of action.
Here are the 10 biggest UFC fights that failed to deliver.
#10: Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey, UFC 207
When Ronda Rousey was finally knocked off the top of the UFC Women’s Bantamweight division by Holly Holm in late 2015, it looked for a while like her MMA career was over. She barely made any media appearances following the loss and despite some talk at the time, an instant rematch with Holm never materialised.
It was a nice surprise then when the UFC announced the return of the former champion in late 2016 at UFC 207, as she was booked against new champion Amanda Nunes in an attempt to regain her title. Immediately the hype began to build, as the UFC put out some incredible trailers to push the show, showing that Rousey was ready for a comeback and appeared to be in tremendous shape.
Alarm bells realistically should’ve rung when it was confirmed that Ronda was not going to do any media prior to the fight, and that she was also still training with questionable coach Edmond Tarverdyan, but for the most part, fans went into the fight thinking she had a great chance of winning. Nunes for her part was barely mentioned by the UFC.
Instead, Rousey was destroyed in seconds by the Brazilian – she simply had no answer for Nunes’s hand speed and punching power, tried in vain to trade blows with her, and was eventually stopped while still standing, basically out on her feet.
You could argue that the fight delivered to an extent as at least it was exciting, but people were paying to see Rousey dump Nunes on her head and armbar her, not look worse than she’d done in the Holly Holm fight. In that sense, it was a huge disappointment.