10 BIGGEST TITLE FIGHT UPSETS IN UFC HISTORY

There is nothing more anxious moment than the bell before a UFC title fight. UFC title fights are the most highly anticipated fight of the card. They usually deliver as promised but they often surprise the fans. The outcome of a title fight varies on multiple factors. Size, weight cutting issues, venue, skills, pre-fight injuries, personal issues, the intensity of the fight. The title fights are the most important fights of the card and the betting community gets a huge chance to make money from these fights.
Here’s a list of the Title Fights which were the biggest upsets of UFC History.

10 BIGGEST TITLE FIGHT UPSETS IN UFC HISTORY

DILLASHAW VS BARAO

 The Bantamweight Championship bout between Renan Barao and Raphael Assuncao was targeted as the event headliner. However, Assuncao opted to decline the bout as a rib injury sustained in his last bout at UFC 170 had not healed enough to resume the proper training in advance of the event. Barao instead fought T.J. Dillashaw in the main event. As a result, Dillashaw’s original opponent at the event, Takeya Mizugaki, faced Francisco Rivera. TJ Dillashaw won that fight via TKO in the fifth round.

FRANKIE EDGAR VS BJ PENN

At UFC 112, Edgar was matched against Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn. After a long, back-and-forth, predominantly standing fight, the judges’ scorecards were called on for a decision. The scores were (50–45, 49–46, and 48–47) in favor of Edgar. The unanimous decision win awarded him the UFC Lightweight Championship. 8 of 9 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Penn

MATT SERRA VS GSP 1

Matt Serra fought St-Pierre on April 7, 2007, at UFC 69, and won the UFC Welterweight title by TKO via punches at 3:25 of the first round. Before the fight, Serra was considered a substantial underdog and consequently, the fight is considered to be one of the biggest upsets in MMA history.

MICHAEL BISPING VS LUKE ROCKHOLD 2

 Bisping stepped up on only 17 days’ notice to face champion, Luke Rockhold, for a second time on 4 June 2016 at UFC 199. He won via knockout in the first round to become the UFC Middleweight Champion and the first British UFC champion. He was awarded Performance of the Night honors. The result was considered by many MMA media outlets to be one of the biggest upsets in the UFC title fight history, as Bisping took the fight on short notice and had been submitted in their first encounter 18 months earlier

HOLLY HOLMS VS RONDA ROUSEY

In her highest-profile MMA fight to date, Holm faced defending women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey before a record-setting crowd in the main event of UFC 193 on November 14, 2015. Despite being a massive betting underdog, Holm controlled a majority of the bout with her striking and defended all of Rousey’s takedowns. The second fighter to take Rousey past the first round (after Miesha Tate), she won the fight via knockout in the second with a high kick, ending Rousey’s undefeated streak and three-year reign as champion causing her to spend the night in the hospital

RAFAEL DOS ANJOS VS ANTHONY PETTIS

Dos Anjos faced Anthony Pettis for the UFC Lightweight Championship on March 14, 2015, at UFC 185. Dos Anjos won the bout via unanimous decision in a dominant fashion, earning him the UFC Lightweight Championship. After the fight, dos Anjos revealed that he had torn his MCL only a few weeks before the bout. The win once again earned him a Performance of the Night bonus award.

FABRICIO WERDUM VS CAIN VELASQUEZ

A bout with Velasquez took place on 13 June 2015, at UFC 188 in Mexico City. In a back-and-forth affair, Werdum won the fight in the third round by guillotine choke submission. The win earned Werdum his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus award. With the victory, Werdum unified the UFC’s heavyweight titles and became the undisputed champion. Subsequently, Werdum signed a new, eight-fight contract with the UFC. This win was one of the biggest upsets in the UFC

TIM SYLVIA VS ANDREI ARLOVSKI

At UFC 59, Sylvia was finally awarded his rematch with the then-outright champion Andrei Arlovski. During the fight Sylvia was knocked down via an overhand right by Arlovski, only to immediately stand up and swing back on buckled legs. Within ten seconds in a turn of events, Sylvia dropped Arlovski with an uppercut, followed by hammer-fists that left Arlovski motionless, thus once again taking the UFC heavyweight title.

FRANK MIR VS ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA

Mir fought his fellow Ultimate Fighter coach, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, at UFC 92 for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. This bout was part of a mini-Heavyweight tournament, often hyped by UFC president Dana White. In the fight with Nogueira, Mir showcased vastly improved striking, particularly his boxing, knocking down the Brazilian twice in the first round and once in the second. Herb Dean stopped the match at 1:54 of the second round, declaring Mir the winner. Nogueira’s loss marked the first time he had lost a fight due to strikes.

FORREST GRIFFIN VS QUINTON RAMPAGE JACKSON

On July 5, 2008, Griffin fought the Light Heavyweight Champion, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Viewed as a heavy underdog by many going into the fight, Griffin faced Jackson in a hard-fought battle that was named “Fight of the Night” by president Dana White. Griffin won a unanimous decision victory and became the new undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion.