Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero and 4 of the most boring UFC title fights in history
UFC title fights are meant to be a show of elite-level skill that excites the fans in attendance and those watching at home. Thus, some of the most thrilling and action-packed fights featured on UFC cards tend to be title fights. Few will forget how wildly entertaining Robbie Lawler's rematch with Rory MacDonald was.
It ranks among the greatest fights in the history of the sport and was contested for welterweight supremacy, with the 170-pound strap on the line. The fight was ranked so highly that it was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, as was Jon Jones' title defense against Alexander Gustafsson during the pair's first encounter.
Unfortunately, not every title fight in the promotion yields excitement. In fact, some have been critically panned by fans and analysts alike. In extreme cases, even fellow fighters lambast title wins of that nature. So with that in mind, here are five of the most boring title fights in the promotion's history.
#5. Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson 2, UFC 209
Tyron Woodley had a questionable reign as the welterweight champion. He wasn't initially keen on facing top contenders, instead seeking money fights with the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Conor McGregor and Nick Diaz, none of whom were even ranked at welterweight at the time.
But, the UFC forced his hand and he faced Stephen Thompson, taking him to a majority draw. Without a winner declared, 'The Chosen One' retained his title via a technicality, as titles cannot change hands in the event of a draw. Thus, a rematch was booked for UFC 209. Unfortunately, the bout was widely panned.
The fight was defined by a lackluster performance from both men, with each throwing a low volume of strikes, seemingly fearful of committing to anything meaningful. Woodley scored one takedown but did manage to drop 'Wonderboy' to snatch the win via majority decision.
#4. Tyron Woodley vs. Demian Maia, UFC 214
On paper, the matchup between Tyron Woodley and Demian Maia was disastrous. Tyron Woodley was a low-volume counterpuncher with no tools to set up his counter right hand, besides retreating in a straight line to draw his foe in. He had also long since abandoned his wrestling and no longer pursued takedowns.
Meanwhile, Demian Maia had a nonexistent striking game and was a pure grappler. While he was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard on the mat, his takedowns were always ineffective against strong wrestlers. With Woodley being a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, there was no hope for Maia getting the fight to the mat.
So when the two squared off, the striking was a low-volume affair, with Woodley landing 57 strikes and Maia landing 29. Maia shot for an absurd 21 takedowns but completed none of them. Woodley managed to score a knockdown, which ultimately won him an uneventful fight that did not endear him to the fans.
#3. Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia, UFC 112
Anderson Silva's win over Demian Maia is likely the fight that most infuriated UFC president Dana White to this date. Infuriated by the perceived disrespect of Demian Maia claiming that he'd take one of 'The Spider's' legs home with him, Silva vowed to embarrass his foe come fight night.
At the time, the UFC had sold 10% of the promotion to Flash Entertainment, a state-owned company in the United Arab Emirates. With UFC 112 set to take place in Abu Dhabi, the country's capital, Dana White and co. hoped for a show. Instead, Anderson Silva's middleweight title defense was anything but.
Silva completely outstruck his foe, even dropping him, but despite being close to a finish several times, refused to do so. He stopped fighting altogether and resorted to simply taunting Maia, dancing around in the octagon, prompting White to leave his cage-side seat in disgust as it devolved into a boring, low-volume decision.
#2. Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero, UFC 248
When Yoel Romero was still competing in the promotion, some fans regarded him as a nightmare matchup for Israel Adesanya, forgetting that 'The Soldier of God' hardly ever used his Olympic-level wrestling. Instead, Romero was an extremely low-volume counterpuncher who spent most of his fights doing nothing.
He'd suddenly explode with a power shot after duping his foe into assuming his slow, plodding rhythm was permanent. This, however, did not work against Israel Adesanya, an educated counter-striker with a tendency to simply stand on the outside and jab and low kick beyond his foe's reach.
This is exactly what happened in Adesanya's title defense against Romero. Neither man did anything of note, with Adesanya landing 48 strikes and Romero landing 40. With most of Adesanya's strikes being low kicks, the fight was uneventful, especially compared to Zhang Weili's thriller against Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
#1. Carla Esparza vs. Rose Namajunas 2, UFC 274
Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas had already faced each other before UFC 274. Their previous bout had taken place nearly 8 years before their rematch. At the time, 'Thug Rose' was handed a third-round submission loss by Esparza as she struggled against her foe's wrestling.
But in 2022, she was a different fighter entirely. Unfortunately, the then strawweight champion had never overcome her mental demons from that fight and regressed. When the two locked horns, both women were extremely hesitant to engage. Namajunas landed 38 strikes, while Esparza scored 30.
Meanwhile, 'Thug Rose' was credited with one takedown, while her foe scored two. With a strike total of 68 strikes, the two women actually broke a record for the least strikes landed in a five-round fight. Ultimately, Esparza emerged victorious to become the champion, but it remains one of the worst title fights in history.