5 UFC champions who lost to their nightmare matchups
UFC champions are, more often than not, the best fighters in their respective divisions. The greatest of champions often reign over their resident weight class with an iron fist, sitting on a throne compiled by the crushed hopes and dreams of every title challenger they've defeated.
But, as nearly every champion eventually comes to realize, they are not unbeatable. Even the most well-rounded titleholders, dominant as they may be, have stylistic flaws and vulnerabilities that can be exploited. At some point, they all cross paths with their nightmare matchup.
A nightmare matchup seems, by design, made to prey upon the weaknesses of their opponents. They might not be the division's best fighter, but they are the champion's worst enemy. And this list goes over five times a UFC titleholder lost to their nightmare matchup.
#5. Anthony Pettis vs. Rafael dos Anjos, UFC 185
Back in 2014, Anthony Pettis was the reigning lightweight champion. His flashy striking style, powerful kicks and dangerous submission game off his back, made him a unique threat to anyone who stepped into the cage with him. However, 'Showtime' had a glaring hole in his fighting style.
Due to Pettis' overreliance on kicks and poor pocket-boxing skills, he was allergic to pressure. When deprived of the space and time to plant his feet and throw kicks with power and leverage, he backed up in a straight line. This is what led to his downfall against Rafael dos Anjos.
March 14, 2015
RDA's Magnum Opus
5 round beatdown to dethrone Anthony Pettis
From 0-2 Start to UFC Champion, Incredible. https://t.co/9S94x08ym4
'RDA' is a highly effective pressure fighter. When he faced Pettis, he used forward pressure and sweeping strikes like long punches and kicks to take away his foe's space, backing him up to the fence. Whenever Pettis tried circling away, he simply side-stepped with him, keeping 'Showtime' trapped between him and the fence.
It led to the most important win in the Brazilian's career and marked the end of Anthony Pettis' days as an elite fighter. He was figured out, and it was all thanks to 'RDA'.
#4. Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez, UFC 155
When Junior dos Santos defeated Cain Velasquez to capture heavyweight gold at UFC on Fox 1, no one would have guessed that the AKA standout was his kryptonite. After all, the Brazilian had just knocked him out within a minute of the first round. Early knockouts, however, rarely reveal much about fight dynamics.
In his prime, 'JDS' was a powerful puncher with a strong anti-wrestling game. His boxing skills were crisp and tight, and he darted in and out of range like a fencer. But therein lied his vulnerability. He moved in a straight line, which made him easy for a dedicated pressure fighter to back up, which is exactly what Velasquez did.
December 29, 2012
UFC 155
Cain unleashes his insane cardio
Puts an absolute beating on JDS over five rounds
Wins via UD (50–45, 50–43, 50–44)
Insane pace for any fighter let alone a Heavyweight
Becomes a two time HW champion https://t.co/JFq0m8VMHh
At UFC 155, the two men squared off in a rematch after 'JDS' had defended his title against Frank Mir, and Cain Velasquez left Antônio 'Bigfoot' Silva lying in a pool of his own blood. Velasquez applied constant pressure, backing 'JDS' up to the fence and tying him up in dirty boxing sequences in the clinch.
Without the ability to pivot away at tight angles or the clinch-grappling skills to stop Velasquez from smothering him, dos Santos' greatest vulnerabilities were exposed. Velasquez dealt him a brutal beating that left the Brazilian a bloodied lump of a man in one of his finest-ever wins.
#3. Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya, UFC 243
UFC 243 was supposed to be Robert Whittaker's grand homecoming, his chance to defend his middleweight title in front of his Australian faithful. 'The Reaper' is as well-rounded as a middleweight could ever hope to be. He's an exceptional striker with underrated, even strong wrestling skills.
Unfortunately, he has always struggled with long, rangy strikers. He's at his best when he can stutter-step into the pocket with boxing combinations. However, against fighters who maintain a long distance, he's forced to take additional forward steps that telegraph his intent and cause him to lunge into counters.
Il y’a deux ans, Israel Adesanya mettait Whittaker KO à deux reprises dans le même combat 💥 https://t.co/wcQZaRvnsL
This led to his crushing knockout loss against Israel Adesanya at UFC 243, costing him his middleweight title. Perhaps emboldened by the success he saw Kelvin Gastelum achieve by lunging at 'The Last Stylebender', 'The Reaper' attempted the same.
Instead, Adesanya, a long, rangy striker, simply leaned back at the waist and twisted his entire torso into counter-hooks that nearly ended Whittaker's reign in the first round. While the Australian was saved by the bell, the second round offered him no mercy as Adesanya knocked him out.
#2. Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm, UFC 193
It's easy to forget just how invincible Ronda Rousey looked at her peak. Joe Rogan even once sang her praises with the hyperbolic statement that the phrase 'once in a lifetime' wasn't enough to describe her; she deserved a 'once in ever' label.
Unfortunately, she was not a flawless fighter. Her end goal was always to enter the clinch, where she could execute hip tosses, throws and trips. To enter the clinch, she stormed forward with punches, lunging forward in a straight line with her chin untucked and without moving her head off the center line.
6 years ago: Holly Holm vs Ronda Rousey https://t.co/JbxlftTLmY
If she were to ever face someone who used lateral movement and evasive footwork to circle away from her, she'd find herself in a world of trouble. To her misfortune, this is exactly what happened when she fought in front of the then-largest-ever crowd in UFC history at UFC 193.
Her opponent was Holly Holm, an all-time great women's boxer known for her evasive movement. Throughout the bout, Holm circled away from Rousey's reckless charges, causing her to chase her in a straight line and run into stunning counterpunches.
Holm, who is not a powerful puncher, merely had to stick her fist in front of her, for Rousey's reckless charges meant she was running into her punches with tremendous momentum, rocking herself. After hurting her in the second round, Holm flattened her with a head kick, and the rest is history.
#1. Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman, UFC 162
Anderson Silva is the greatest middleweight in history and a frequent contender in the conversation about MMA's GOAT. After helming a 16-fight win streak in the UFC, he defended his title against the then-undefeated Chris Weidman at UFC 162. At the time, 'The Spider' held an inimitable mystique.
His striking skills were unrivaled and his highlight reel even more so, including the first-ever front kick knockout in the promotion's history. But, as is the case with all fighters, he was not perfect. Silva always struggled when leading, nor did he have the greatest time against strong wrestlers with intelligent pressure games.
More than that, he was terribly vulnerable to doubled or tripled straights. Chris Weidman had all of these attributes. When the two squared off, the All-American was composed. He didn't run into potential counterpunches and instead stalked his foe with calculated pressure, cutting off his angles of escape.
La fin d’une Ère 😟🔙
Le jour où Chris Weidman a choqué le monde en mettant KO Anderson Silva
Il mettra fin a la plus longue série de victoire consécutive de l’histoire de l’UFC ( 16 victoires ) https://t.co/O4K8ChU04h
While he secured a takedown and racked up some control time, it didn't lead to much as Silva soon stood back up. The true moment happened in the second round. By then, Silva had realized that Weidman was too well-prepared to simply charge forward. Thus, he resorted to taunting.
Silva's aforementioned vulnerability to doubled or tripled straights or jabs is due to his main line of defense. The Brazilian keeps his hands low and leans back at the waist, away from punches. But if an opponent doubles a straight, he must lean back more, and if they triple it, he must lean back even more.
Eventually, he'll lean so far back that he can't lean back any more without losing his balance and falling over, meaning he's stationary and exposed. So when Weidman doubled his right straight, Silva couldn't lean back any further and was blasted by a left hook that left him staring up at the lights, a champion no more.