5 dirtiest fighters in UFC history
As top-level athletes, UFC fighters are expected to abide by the rules of the sport. This is true in all sports but is especially the case in MMA due to its foundation in martial arts. The culture of honor that is prevalent in traditional martial arts causes many mixed martial artists to observe an unwritten code of conduct.
Unfortunately, in a sport that triggers the survival instincts of its competitors, some fighters break that unspoken agreement. While that may be more understandable, some fighters deliberately use techniques that are widely regarded as dirty by their colleagues.
However, the worst of the worst break the written rules of the sport and they do so repeatedly. Three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler recently came under fire for fish-hooking Dustin Poirier at UFC 281.
Off the back of the incident, this list compiles five of the dirtiest fighters in UFC history, whose actions took place inside and or outside the promotion.
#5. Jon Jones, former UFC light heavyweight champion
Widely regarded as the greatest mixed martial artist in history, Jon Jones is also his own worst enemy. Despite his obvious talent and skill, 'Bones' often finds himself engulfed in trouble due to his decisions outside the cage. Whether he's failing PED tests or battling legal issues, something is always happening.
But even inside the octagon, Jones is not without his troubles. He first gained notoriety for repeatedly poking his opponents in the eyes. He often extends his arm before splaying his fingers. Thus, he often sticks his fingers in the eyes of his opponents whenever they advance towards him.
Jon Jones deducted 2 points for an illegal knee to the head of Smith. #ufc235 #vegas https://t.co/2ad1CQmHoV
Beyond his frequent eye poking, 'Bones' was also disqualified from his bout against Matt Hamill due to using an illegal downward elbow that comes from the 12-6 position. Additionally, when the former UFC light heavyweight champion faced Anthony Smith, he illegally kneed him in the head when 'Lionheart' was on the mat.
Lastly, many fighters have expressed their frustration with his continued use of oblique kicks, which aren't illegal but are considered dirty by some fighters. Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson described 'Bones' as a dirty fighter due to being repeatedly kicked in the knees by him.
Bas Rutten, another former UFC champion, echoed the same thoughts despite having never fought 'Bones.'
#4. Cheick Kongo, former UFC heavyweight
Cheick Kongo is a former kickboxer who made the transition to MMA 21 years ago. During his time as a mixed martial artist, he didn't become a well-known name for any inimitable achievements inside the ring or cage. Instead, the Frenchman was known for his unsavory reputation as an extremely dirty fighter.
His go-to illegal tactic is striking his opponent's groin, which is something he has done to numerous foes. However, it isn't his only tactic. Kongo has also been guilty of grabbing shorts, grabbing fences, kneeing the head of a downed opponent, using illegal (12-6) elbows and even striking opponents on the back of the head.
What makes it worse is that the Frenchman has even admitted to deliberately kneeing his opponents in the groin. At UFC 75, he faced Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovich. During the bout, he knee'd his foe in the groin several times, for which he received no point deductions despite the Croatian's complaints to the referee.
Apparently, Crop Cop's complaints annoyed Kongo so much that he himself claimed that the last knee to the groin was no accident but deliberate.
#3. Rousimar Palhares, former UFC middleweight/welterweight
Rousimar Palhares was one of the few Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists who was still active in the UFC during his run. He was a second-degree black belt who terrorized his colleagues with his feared leg-lock game. In general, leg locks are more dangerous than any other joint locks.
There is a greater risk of ligament damage, especially due to the smaller window that fighters have to tap to leg locks compared to other submissions. Permanent damage can be dealt if a fighter does not tap in time or if the leg lock specialist does not relinquish the submission in time.
Oct9.2013
9 years ago today,
Rousimar Palhares submitted Mike Pierce with a heel hook & didn’t let go when the referee tried to stop the fight.
The UFC released Palhares of his contract because of this. https://t.co/XxLDKBPuSG
It's the difference between a limp and never being able to walk again. Thus, Rousimar Palhares' tendency to not relinquish leg locks even after opponents tap and the referee steps in to stop the bout has earned him a deplorable reputation. At UFC 111, 'Toquinho' refused to release a heel hook even after Tomasz Drwal tapped.
Three years later, he did the same thing to Mike Pierce. He held onto the heel hook even after his opponent had tapped several times. Worse still, he refused to relinquish the submission despite the referee stepping in to stop the bout. Due to this behaviour, the UFC promptly cut him from the promotion.
But this was not the end of his troublesome conduct. After signing with the WSOF, he again came under scrutiny when he held onto a kneebar for too long after UFC alumnus Jon Fitch tapped. In his subsequent bout with another UFC alumnus, Jake Shields, he secured a kimura shoulder lock.
During the bout, he repeatedly gouged Shields' eyes and also refused to relinquish the kimura after being instructed to do so by the referee. For his actions, the Brazilian was cut from this promotion as well.
#2. Gilbert Yvel, former UFC heavyweight
Gilbert Yvel's entire reputation in MMA circles is down to his inexcusable conduct as a fighter. There is almost nothing that 'The Hurricane' hasn't done during his run as a mixed martial artist. In only his second year as a professional fighter, the Dutchman suffered his second loss via disqualification.
He bit Karimula Barkalaev in a 1998 bout. This was the first but far from the last such incident of his career. In 2001, he rose to infamy in the MMA world for repeatedly gouging the eyes of MMA pioneer Don Frye. However, his most egregious offense was yet to come.
🤨 Punched the referee + kicked him!
Gilbert Yvel explains why he KO’d the referee from his own point of view. https://t.co/qY8xgLj9LR
Three years later, 'The Hurricane' faced Atte Backman at Fight Festival 12. After falling over the ropes while they were clinching, both fighters were instructed by the referee to restart the bout in the clinched position. The Dutchman refused and answered the referee's attempts to resume the position by attacking him.
Yvel knocked down and kicked the referee before being disqualified. The Dutchman's poor conduct and temper issues led to several struggles in securing licenses from athletic commissions. How he was eventually signed to the UFC remains a mystery, but fortunately, he behaved far better in the promotion.
#1. Gerard Gordeau, former UFC fighter
Like his countryman in the previous entry, Gerard Gordeau is a fighter known for being dirty. However, given the context of his various offenses, he is far worse than his colleagues. The former kickboxer took part in the very first UFC tournament. He advanced to the final off the back of two knockouts.
His opponent was future UFC legend Royce Gracie. At the time, MMA was a sport still in its infancy. Thus, the rule set was far more lenient than it is today. Perhaps to the shock of most fans today, there were only two rules that fighters were expected to follow: biting and eye gouging.
Vale Tudo Classic
Back in '95, Shooto Welterweight champion Yuki Nakai took on the Savate Heavyweight champion and UFC 1 finalist Gerard Gordeau. https://t.co/jxZ9bILY3X
When Gordeau crossed swords with Gracie, he broke the first rule by intentionally biting the Brazilian's ear. Fortunately, Gracie was well enough to still manage to submit his opponent. After his journey at UFC 1 ended in failure, the Dutchman fought again two years later at Vale Tudo Japan 1995.
He faced Yuki Nakai and intentionally gouged his opponent's eyes several times. While the Japanese Shootist won via heel hook, he ultimately lost in the tournament and was forced to retire from MMA. The reason? Gerard Gordeau's eye-gouging left him permanently blind in his right eye.
What makes the Dutchman worse than everyone else is that he intentionally fouled his opponents during a time when there were only two rules. Furthermore, he permanently blinded one of his opponents and remains completely unapologetic for his actions.