5 times UFC fighters got away with cheating in a fight
Cheating in the form of intentional or accidental fouls takes place in the UFC from time to time. While breaking the rules is generally frowned upon in the sport, there are some who wholeheartedly agree with the late, great Eddie Guerrero's favorite life motto:
"If you're not cheating, you're not trying."
A foul usually leads to a warning from the referee, a point deduction, or a no-contest at worst. But other times, dirty tricks can swing the momentum of a fight in a massive way and even result in wins.
For this list, whether the foul was committed on purpose or inadvertently is irrelevant. What matters is that the fighters mentioned below either evaded penalties or even got a favorable outcome after committing a foul. On that note, here are five UFC stars who got away with cheating:
#5. Former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor
Many believe Conor McGregor used questionable tactics against Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229.
'The Notorious' earned his monicker for a reason; he has always been one of the most controversial figures in sports due to his habitual troublemaking outside the octagon. But a number of observers have pointed out that the Dublin native has had his fair share of shenanigans inside the UFC cage, specifically during his title bout against Nurmagomedov.
The issue did not become a significant talking point after the fact because Nurmagomedov dominantly retained his crown just the same. Nonetheless, cheating is considered a mortal sin in any professional sport.
From the get-go, McGregor tried to neutralize his rival's advantage in the wrestling department by grabbing his trunks to prevent a takedown. The strategy initially worked as 'The Eagle' had his takedown attempts stuffed early in the fight. However, the Dagestani's brute strength allowed him to execute his gameplan.
Once the fight shifted to the ground, the cheating didn't stop. McGregor proceeded, on multiple occasions, to grab the cage with his toes, preventing Nurmagomedov from advancing to a more dominant position. On top of that, the former two-division champ struck Nurmagomedov with a couple of 12 to 6 elbows – the move that got Jon Jones disqualified – off his back.
There are several reasons why McGregor ultimately fell short in his quest to recapture the lightweight title. One thing's for sure, though, the lack of trying isn't one of them.