5 times a UFC fighter’s strategy failed miserably

#4. Ronda Rousey at UFC 193

Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm pic.twitter.com/BzvYzdcjqY

— MMA Gone Wild🥋 (@mmagonewild) November 14, 2019

The then-undefeated Ronda Rousey had trailblazed her way through the UFC and Strikeforce women’s bantmanweight divisions thanks to her grappling. Through judo, the scarily strong Rousey was brutal in her takedowns. She also had that dreaded armbar that netted her nine submission victories.

Looking to prove herself as a complete fighter, Rousey immersed herself in boxing. Despite her power, the then-champ was lacking in technique, something that was badly exposed by Holly Holm.

Holm, a former professional boxer, outstruck and outclassed Rousey throughout the bout before securing the KO in round two. Despite Rousey’s typically vicious start to the fight, she struggled to handle Holm’s southpaw stance and rapid jabs.

Having absorbed a worrying amount of shots early on, Rousey did attempt to retool and go back to what worked best for her. Unfortunately, it was too late for the bloodied, disconcerted champ. Weakened from trying to throw hands with Holm, Rousey’s crack at locking in the armbar did not pan out.

Had Rousey not pushed full steam ahead with a boxer’s approach to this fight, the result could have been very different.

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#3. Francis Ngannou at UFC 220

Plenty feared for Stipe Miocic's crown when he entered the Octagon with Francis Ngannou at #UFC220.Instead the Baddest Firefighter on the Planet became the first man to defend the heavyweight title three times! 🔥#UFC220 Replay | 9PM | BT Sport 3 HD pic.twitter.com/tp37XsKP8F

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) April 30, 2020

The world’s hardest puncher was a little too happy relying on just that heading into his first title fight with Stipe Miocic. ‘The Predator’ was a rising star tipped to be the UFC’s next big thing leading up to this 2018 showdown.

Miocic, meanwhile, was just one successful title defense away from establishing a new record in the UFC heavyweight division. Frustrated by the UFC’s considerably heavier promotion of Ngannou than himself, Miocic came into this fight even more laser-focused than usual.

The explosive Ngannou went for the knockout shots early on but was met with exceptional head movement and takedown offense from Miocic. An increasingly tired and anxious Ngannou had little else to offer beyond his potentially coma-inducing strikes, nearly all of which Miocic had well-scouted.

By the end of round five, it was clear ‘The Predator’ had not put much effort into any aspect of his fighting beyond striking. Miocic secured the unanimous decision victory thanks to his more complete approach that night. Needless to say, Ngannou had learned his lesson by the time UFC 260 came around...