Upsets
The biggest surprises
UFC history
Leon "Rocky" Edwards
vs Kamaru Usman, UFC 278
The UFC's Rocky story. Edwards never really threatened pound-for-pound #1 Usman throughout the entire fight, landing a head kick with just a minute left that put the African to sleep. A nightmare for the "Nigerian Nightmare."
Holly Holm
vs. Ronda Rousey, UFC 193
Ronda Rousey, who seemed untouchable at the time, was unexpectedly defeated by Holly Holm by TKO. A surprise that Rousey never got over. "They taught me a lot, but they never taught me how to lose," she later said in an interview.
Matt Serra
vs George Saint Pierre, UFC 69
The then-dominant champion is a -1300 favorite with the bookmakers for this event. When Serra lands a few combos shortly after the middle of the fight, GSP goes down, leaving everyone who bet on the American with a big win.
Michael Bisping
vs Luke Rockhold, UFC 199
Michael Bisping was a clear underdog before this fight, but that quickly changed. He landed the first-round Knockout of the Year and crowned himself Middleweight Champion. Shortly afterward, he revealed in a livestream that he had lost his right eye in a previous fight against Vitor Belfert. He thus became the first champion with only one eye intact.
Sean Strickland
vs Israel Adesanya, UFC 293
Before the fight, experts were talking about the biggest title fight mismatch in UFC history. In Adesanya's living room in Sydney, Strickland delivered a flawless performance, even knocking Adesanya down in the first round. Ultimately, he secured a comfortable decision victory.