5 loaded UFC pay-per-views that turned out to be busts

#4. UFC 182: Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier

UFC 182 was full of largely disappointing fights

Had the heated grudge match between light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and challenger Daniel Cormier headlined UFC 178 as was initially planned, the event would probably be considered the greatest in the promotion’s history.

Unfortunately, where that event’s undercard was filled with epic bouts, UFC 182’s simply wasn’t, meaning that by the time Jones and Cormier entered the octagon, the fans in attendance had already been practically lulled to sleep.

Of the 11 fights on offer, no fewer than eight of them went the distance. While longer fights aren’t always bad, these ones certainly weren’t barnburners.

Sure, Paul Felder’s spinning backfist knockout of Danny Castillo was phenomenal, but dull fights like Hector Lombard vs. Josh Burkman, Brad Tavares vs. Nate Marquardt and Evan Dunham vs. Rodrigo Damm were more common at this event.

Even the usually-reliable Donald Cerrone pulled out somewhat of a stinker, beating Myles Jury in one-sided but dull fashion.

Jones vs. Cormier, meanwhile, wasn’t a bad fight by any means, but it certainly didn’t live up to the hype coming in. ‘Bones’ largely outclassed his challenger en route to winning via decision.

Overall, this was a hugely stacked event that ended up being one to skip entirely.

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#3. UFC 200: Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes

Even the return of Brock Lesnar couldn't stop UFC 200 from being a disappointment

A few weeks before it went down, UFC 200 looked like arguably the most loaded card in the promotion’s history. Not only was it set to feature three title bouts, including a rematch between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight crown, but it also featured the return of former heavyweight kingpin and WWE superstar Brock Lesnar.

Unfortunately, it felt like everything that could go wrong did go wrong for this event, making it one of the greatest disappointments in the promotion’s history instead.

Just one day prior to the event, Jones was withdrawn from his fight with ‘DC’ due to a positive drug test. While the legendary Anderson Silva bravely stepped in to fight on short notice, Cormier took no risks in the bout and ended up blanketing the Brazilian in a dull showing.

Jose Aldo’s interim featherweight title victory over Frankie Edgar, meanwhile, was the definition of workmanlike, while Lesnar’s win over Mark Hunt was another largely dull fight that went the distance and ended up shrouded in controversy when ‘The Beast Incarnate’ failed a post-fight drug test.

In the end, Miesha Tate’s bantamweight title defense against Amanda Nunes ended up acting as the show’s headliner. While it was an exciting bout that saw Nunes win via submission, it just didn’t fit the top slot on what should’ve been an epic event.

Basically, this one was promised to be an all-time classic. While it didn’t turn out to be horrendous, it missed its mark by a country mile considering the hype it had behind it.