In any sport, there are always moments that come as a shock. For combat sports, these shocks can be even more brutal. From fighters losing when they were heavily favored to win to those who never saw their defeats coming, here are the five biggest shocks in combat sports history.
(5) Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva 1 (UFC 162)
The majority of fight fans will remember where they were and who they were with when Chris Weidman shocked the world in 2013 to beat Anderson “The Spider” Silva. Silva, at the time, was regarded as next to untouchable, building up a run of 16 consecutive wins and 10 title defenses – still a UFC record.
The greatest middleweight of all time may have taken the challenge of Weidman with a relaxed attitude, showboating and playing to a crowd who (the majority of) had done the same. Weidman was a significant underdog and, although being tipped bya few observers (UFC color commentator Joe Rogan, for one) was deemed to be outside of his comfort zone against Silva.
Weidman, an accomplished wrestler with just nine fights (and wins) on his record, managed to hand possibly the greatest MMA fighter in history his first knockout loss, which ended a seven-year period of dominance in the middleweight division. While a rematch would be set not long after, fate would not be on Silva’s side as he suffered an horrific leg break. The Brazilian would suffer a string of losses following the Weidman bout…
(4) UFC 193: Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm
Prior to UFC 193, women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was named the most dominant athlete in the world in 2015. Having blasted through the UFC’s women’s bantamweight division like a battering ram, the former Olympian was considered a fighter who was close to peerless in the promotion.
“Rowdy” was not just expected to win, but was a huge favorite over Holly Holm. “the Preacher’s Daughter” was at one point a +1000 underdog with the bookmakers to beat Rousey, who had finished most of the fights in her professional career inside 1 round. Given coach Edmond Tarverdyan’s insistence that “Rowdy” should strategize her fight based on her striking game against a former world champion boxer and kickboxer in Holm, in hindsight, those odds should not have been as high. Rousey was completely torn apart and eventually knocked out by Holm. The unstoppable force which the former 135-pound dominant champ was hyped to be was utterly shattered in jaw dropping fashion, probably ending her career in the process. The sight of Rousey beaten up and bloody will forever be one of the greatest shocks in combat sports history.
(3) UFC 69: Matt Serra vs. Georges St-Pierre
In quite a poetic fashion, UFC 69 saw things well and truly turned upside down.
Matt Serra’s record in the UFC up until that fight was a very shaky 5-4 and he was considered to be so much of an underdog that most had written him off prior to him entering the octagon. UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was coming off the back of a win over arguably the greatest 170-pounder in the history of the UFC in Matt Hughes (well, it is between Hughes and GSP, right?) and was a heavy favorite to defend his title. Serra, on the other hand, was a +550 underdog who had gained a title shot upon winning season four of “The Ultimate Fighter”.
When Serra connected with GSP, rocking him in the process, jaws dropped. As Serra followed up with the finish, there was absolute pandemonium in the crowd. St-Pierre would never lose again, taking his belt back off Serra almost exactly one year later at UFC 83.
(2) George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer (1994)
Anyone with an interest in boxing will be aware of the legendary power and force of one of the greatest fighters ever seen in George Foreman. It may be a surprise that Foreman’s name would enter the reckoning of notable sporting shocks, only to those who are unaware of this fight.
Following a loss to Jimmy Young in 1977, Foreman claimed that divine intervention was behind his decision to quit the sport. In his time away from boxing, Foreman has neglected his body and ballooned as a result. According to Foreman’s book, having become a pastor following his boxing career, it was a pastor’s address to the congregation in a plead to raise funds for his children’s community center that led to him seeking a second term in the sport:
“‘We’re going to raise some money for George,’ he said. ‘He’s helping these kids, our kids.’ I thought about becoming invisible. And it got worse. ‘Come on,’ he pleaded as the cash got passed forward. ‘You can give more money than that. You help George, for our kids’ sake.’
“They were looking at me, and I had to look back at them, and pretend I wasn’t ashamed.’ I vowed at that moment, sitting on a hard bench in front of those people, that as long as I lived I would never again be involved in a stunt like this. Yes, those kids needed me, and I wouldn’t desert them. I’d just have to find another way to raise funds.
“And then the thought struck me: ‘I know how to get money. I’m going to be the heavyweight champ of the world. Again.”
Shockingly enough, that is exactly what happened. At the age of 45, Foreman shocked the world by knocking out the unbeaten champ Michael Moorer, who was 19 years his junior at 26. Unbelievable!
(1) Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas (1991)
Tyson was essentially the boogie man of 1980s boxing, having made a habit of scaring the absolute shit out of everyone he had entered the ring against. Having cut through his opponents like a hot knife through butter, Don King decided that a move into the Japanese market would be the next move for “Iron Mike”
Buster Douglas had no chance, it seemed. As an indication of how strong the unbeaten wrecking ball was fancied, Tyson’s odds went up to -4200 at one point. Douglas, who had recently lost his mother, did not subscribe and pulled off the ultimate shock in sporting history, knocking Tyson out. The impossible had been achieved.
