5 times a guaranteed UFC slugfest failed to live up to the hype

#4. Gray Maynard vs. Clay Guida – UFC on FX 4

Clay Guida's gameplan frustrated both Gray Maynard and UFC fans in 2012

From the moment he debuted in the UFC in late 2006, through his classic wars with opponents like Diego Sanchez, Roger Huerta and Tyson Griffin, Clay Guida was always renowned as an exciting fighter to watch.

And so when the UFC matched him with Gray Maynard, who was coming off a pair of instant classics with Frankie Edgar, in the main event of their fourth show on FX in 2012, fans were definitely buzzing.

Unfortunately, anyone anticipating a slugfest in this fight turned out to be painfully mistaken. And strangely enough, it appeared to be Guida who was largely to blame.

‘The Carpenter’ decided to unleash an odd gameplan that involved a lot of circling and dancing around on the outside, complete with plenty of bizarre head movement, but it didn’t really involve attacking Maynard.

And while ‘The Bully’ did his best to corral Guida, chasing him at one point, earning a warning for hair pulling and even begging ‘The Carpenter’ to hit him, it didn’t seem to work.

Clay Guida v Gray Maynard like watching two bald men fighting over a comb. Worst fan fight in MMA history @UFC @UFC_UK http://t.co/cgBfGxUi

— Gareth A Davies (@GarethADaviesDT) June 24, 2012

By the third round the crowd seemed furious, but it didn’t put Guida off his gameplan, despite the fact that he appeared to be losing the fight.

In the end, the fight went to a split decision that was won by a disgusted Maynard, who was clearly expecting a slugfest. Guida did go onto some more big UFC wins, but his reputation with the fans never really recovered.

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#3. Rashad Evans vs. Rampage Jackson – UFC 114

Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson's fight could never live up to its epic build

When bitter rivals Rashad Evans and Rampage Jackson finally signed on to do battle at UFC 114, UFC fans were convinced that they were about to see a brawl for the ages.

After all, the two light heavyweight stars seemingly despised one another, with their rivalry coming to a head during their coaching stint on TUF 10.

The two fighters had to be physically separated more than once, and the kind of insults they’d slung at one another were almost unheard of in UFC history, with Evans even reportedly labeling Jackson an “Uncle Tom” at one point.

Rampage Jackson vs. Rashad Evans took place 9 years ago today. It was a heated rivalry, where they got in each other’s face every chance they could. The two have since put their differences aside and are friendly with each other. pic.twitter.com/oz6pq3ZMlN

— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) May 29, 2019

However, despite the fight beginning with a bang – Rashad stunned Rampage with a jackhammer right hand in the opening seconds of the first round – it quickly degenerated into a dull outing, essentially because Evans realized he could easily wear his foe out in the clinch.

Evans set about simply outgrappling Jackson rather than brawling with him, and despite the fans showing their disappointment, ‘Suga’ was clearly more focused on winning than anything else.

A brief third-round comeback from Rampage couldn’t save the day, and Evans won a clear-cut decision, albeit in a fight that couldn’t have been much more disappointing after such an epic build.