Unlikely Partnerships Outside the Octagon
MMA occupies a rather special niche in the world of sports, in which the unexpected is the only certainty and the outsiders are never far away from the main event. MMA fighters have different backgrounds; some of them are wrestlers, some are Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belts, some are strikers, and some are street fighters. However, it is the game that is brutal, full of top-speed and no-nonsense, and then there are instances when the impossible happens and a team comes up trumps. These are the stories of heroes and villains, of hard work and luck, and these stories have written the history of MMA. Over the years, there have been numerous occasions where a fighter, who was considered to be a huge outsider, pulled off a major upset. These upsets also won the hearts of the fans and made MMA a sport where no fight is finished until the last round. Here you will find some of the most stunning upsets in the history of MMA, the moments that defined the future of the sport. Matt Serra vs. Georges St-Pierre, UFC 69 (2007) One of the greatest underdog stories in the history of MMA can be considered a victory of Matt Serra over Georges St-Pierre at the UFC 69. Georges St-Pierre (GSP) was the current UFC welterweight champion and was considered by many as one of the best mixed martial arts fighters of his generation. Prior to the bout, GSP was the man to beat after dethroning another UFC superstar in the form of Matt Hughes for the title. Matt Serra, on the other hand, had deserved his title shot by winning the fourth season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ but was considered a massive underdog. It was not a conventional path that Serra took to get to a title shot. Serra, a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, was not really regarded as a powerful striker, even though he showed great skills on the ground. Everyone thought that GSP would outmuscle Serra using his athletic ability, wrestling, and all-around skill to dominate the fight. But what happened in the Octagon that night became one of the biggest upsets in the history of MMA. During the first round, Serra managed to hit GSP with a number of punches, which made the champion out of focus. Seeing that he had the opportunity, Serra continued to pound his opponent through strikes that made the referee call it quit at 3:25 of the first round. MMA world was stunned. The guy who nobody expected to win, Matt Serra, had just knocked off one of the most legendary fighters of all time. This is still considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of MMA and just goes to show that anything can happen. Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey, UFC 193 (2015) This was the case in 2015, when Ronda Rousey was not only a UFC champion but also an icon in the UFC. The Olympic juduka had slashed through the bantamweight line-up, knocking out almost all of her rivals in the first round and thus becoming a mainstream icon. In the main event of the UFC 193, Rousey fought the former boxing champion Holly Holm, whom many believed had no chance against Rousey on the ground. Rousey was a heavy favorite going into the bout, and almost everyone believed that she would make it 7-0 on her record and continue with the same modus operandi of submitting her opponent. But Holly Holm had other plans to make. Since the start of the round, Holm opted to use her superior standup to keep Rousey at a distance and score accurate punches while evading Rousey’s takedowns. Holm’s footwork and ability to control distance made Rousey uncomfortable and, at the same time, made her realize that she has been outclassed in every aspect of the fight. In the second round, Holm made one of the biggest highlights in the history of the UFC. Holm defeated Rousey by TKO after landing a head kick that put the latter on the floor and then a series of punches. The MMA world was left stunned as Rousey, the unbeatable champion, was defeated in a way that no one expected. The fight of Holly Holm over Ronda Rousey is considered one of the biggest shocks in the history of UFC and the moment that marked the development of women’s MMA. This fight: Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio ”Shogun” Rua, UFC 76 (2007) When Forrest Griffin was matched up against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 76, few people expected anything other than a rout. Shogun was considered one of the most dangerous fighters in the world at the time, having had a near perfect record in the PRIDE organization and having defeated fighters such as Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Ricardo Arona, and Alistair Overeem. His stand-up Muay Thai striking and powerful ground and pound easily favored him against Griffin, who was famous for winning the first season of the Ultimate Fighter series. However, Griffin did not let Shogun’s lineage get the best of him, and he came into the fight with a very aggressive approach. In the first round, Griffin constantly attacked Rua with his kicks and takedowns and used good ground-and-pound. When the fight continued, Griffin’s cardio and heart were taking a toll on Shogun, who started to tire up in the later rounds. In the last round of the fight, Griffin locked in a rear naked chokehold and made Shogun tap, thus resulting in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the UFC. Forrest Griffin’s win made him a future title contender and also made him one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. It was the high point of his career and the best example of the fact that anything can happen in the field. Michael Bisping vs. Luke Rockhold, UFC 199 (2016) Michael Bisping’s fighting career was long, and he was able to prove that he is a true warrior with a heart of steel.