Counting down 5 ‘stranger than fiction’ moments in MMA history

Benny A. King

Modern MMA began to take shape in the early 1990s.

The concept of pitting different martial arts styles against each other in a competitive setting was popularized by the UFC, which held its first event in 1993. The early UFC events showcased martial artists from various disciplines, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, and kickboxing, competing in a tournament format with very few rules.

Over time, MMA evolved and adopted rules to ensure the safety of the athletes and provide a more structured competition. This led to the establishment of unified rules, which included weight classes, time limits, and prohibited techniques such as eye gouging and strikes to the groin. But despite all that, the meshing of many different styles and personalities often created comedic situations.

Max Holloway yells at commentary team while putting on a ducking masterclass

In a spectacular display of skill and determination, Max Holloway returned to his winning column by defeating Calvin Kattar. The bout took place at UFC’s Fight Island, and Holloway left his opponent battered.

With the judges scoring the contest 50-43, 50-43, 50-42 in his favor, Holloway showcased his dominance throughout the match. Amidst the intense action, Holloway even found a moment to taunt the UFC commentary team, proclaiming himself as the best boxer in the UFC.

 

BJ Penn gets poked by his own team

BJ Penn is known for his gnarly cauliflower ears. His ears got some unexpected action during one of his bouts against Frankie Edgar.

The Prodigy was probably focusing on visualizing the bout when some members of his support staff started to poke at him with a rolled-up banner. Penn didn’t realize what was happening. It was only after a few prods that Penn noticed the advertisement. His reaction is priceless!

Don’Tale Mayes gets creative with his ground game

Heavyweights Don’Tale Mayes and Josh Parisian clashed at UFC on ESPN+ 57 in 2021. Mayes had an utterly dominant performance. The one stand-out from the bout was Mayes executing a crucifix. Mayes then went on to give Parisian a few hip thrusts to the head. It’s one of those situations that isn’t regulated by the rules, but probably should be.

 

Justine Kish has a crappy ending

Justine Kish had a disappointing outing at UFC FN112. She had a grueling match against Felice Herrig. After the bell went off, she noticed a strange smell and then discovered that she had an unfortunate accident.

Justine Kish getting the poop wrestled out of her
Justine Kish getting the poop wrestled out of her

Interestingly, Kish decided not to cover up the incident and she owned it, along with the subsequent embarrassment. Later on, she was reportedly approached with a sponsorship for adult diapers.

Dennis Hallman gets Speedos banned

At UFC 133, Dennis Hallman wore tight-fitting blue Speedos. Hallman claims that he lost a wager and had to wear them. UFC President Dana White was mortified by what he saw on-screen. To make matters worse, bits of Hallman were visible during the broadcast on live TV.

Brian Ebersole, Hallman’s opponent for the evening saw to it that the Speedos didn’t get much airtime. The bout was over after an intense ground and pound by Ebersole. Dana White was so impressed that he gave Ebersole a $70,000 bonus for “getting those horrifying shorts off TV as soon as possible.”.

Unsurprisingly, White announced that Speedos and similar attire would not be allowed in UFC from that point onwards.