With the recent cancellation of UFC 151 it got me to thinking about what could be worse than a cancelled event? In my opinion the only thing that could possibly be worse than a cancelled even would be one that was a massive letdown after a huge build-up.
Below is my list of the bottom five events of all time:
5. UFC 149 (Faber v. Barao): This was one of those events that was doomed from the outset. The initial headline match between Faber and Aldo promised to be an exciting match-up, but never came to be when Aldo pulled out with injury; it didn’t end there with Michael Bisping and Big Nog also pulling out with injury. The result was lackluster match after lackluster match; almost every match on the main card went the distance and every fighter seemed tentative at best. In the post-fight press conference Dana White apologized to fans, calling the event: “One of the worst in the history of the UFC”.
4. UFC 112 (Invincible): This was the UFC’s first foray into the Middle East, and as such built up a card that promised to deliver… except it didn’t. A championship bout between Anderson Silva and Damien Maia headlined the card, and to this day stands as one of Silva’s most disappointing fights – as he seemed to play with an outclassed Maia for five rounds. The second title bout, the lightweight match between Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn, also failed to deliver as Penn seemed reluctant to engage the entire fight, while Frankie Edgar danced around the ring. The “love fest” between Matt Hughes and Renzo Gracie showcased a lack of killer instinct by two aging fighters who had no place in the ring. Dana White himself, again never afraid to be critical, called the card: “embarrassing”.
3. UFC 119 (CroCop vs. Mir): CroCop came into this fight as a late replacement for an injured Big Nog, and promised a performance reminiscent of the old PRIDE days (“right leg hospital, left leg cemetery”). There were big names on the card to bolster the non-title event: Sherk, Lytle, Serra, Bader, Lil Nog. Again, lots of potential that was never delivered. All of the main card fights rounded out in decisions – and very long and slow decisions at that. There was a glimmer of hope that the main event between Mir and CroCrop would redeem, but all it offered was a snooze-fest; as Mir would finally finish off CroCrop, but it was agonizing watching it unfold.
2. UFC 11 (Proving Ground): This event really highlighted a lot of the flaws evident in the tournament-style event. Watching Mark Coleman win the tournament by default when Scott Ferrozzo had to pull out with an eye injury. It was an extremely disappointing end to the event, after UFC 10 had just delivered such exciting results.
1. UFC 33 (Victory in Vegas): Even Dana White uses this card the textbook example of a horrible event; recalling his statement: “UFC 33 is the only event I remember where every fight sucked”… and there is a fair amount of truth in this statement. Every fight on the card went longer than expected, and were slow-paced at that. The card went so long, that it ran over the pay-per-view slot and a lot of viewers missed the final event between Tito Ortiz and Vladimir Matyushenko.
These are just my personal selections of events that stand out in my memory right now that were truly awful, and that I wanted to turn off. There are many others that are particular stand-outs as well: UFC122, UFC 9, UFC 55 – just to name a few.
The one reality with MMA, and sports in general, is that sometimes there are going to be great events – and other times there are not. Sports are unpredictable, but that’s part of what makes it so great to watch!
… and that is the last word.
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