5 times an undercard fight completely overshadowed a UFC main event

#4 Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Hunt overshadowed Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes – UFC 200

Brock Lesnar's fight with Mark Hunt was seen by most as the real main event at UFC 200

This entry comes with a caveat, as the UFC bantamweight title fight between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes was never intended to be the main event of UFC 200. That spot was initially supposed to go to Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz and then Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier – but both fights fell through.

Had a landmark show like UFC 200 been headlined by Tate vs. Nunes alone, it would undoubtedly have gone down as one of the UFC’s all-time biggest letdowns. However, thankfully the promotion pulled a rabbit out of their hat.

Desperate for a big-name fight, the UFC managed to bring former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar back from WWE for his first octagon appearance in five years and match him with legendary knockout artist Mark Hunt.

Can't wait for The Beast to make his return! #UFC200 @BrockLesnar vs @markhunt1974https://t.co/EJdcjN9ToH pic.twitter.com/CWZRoxIjus

— UFC (@ufc) June 27, 2016

To say that the Lesnar vs. Hunt fight overshadowed Tate vs. Nunes would be an understatement. Tate and Nunes were – and still are – undoubtedly great fighters. In fact, their clash was a far better fight than the three-round plod that the two heavyweights put on.

However, the fans in attendance at UFC 200 – and the millions who watched the show on pay-per-view – were clearly there to see ‘The Beast Incarnate’ in action, and had the show been stopped following his victory, few would’ve minded.

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#3 Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir overshadowed Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia – UFC 81

UFC fans were more focused on Brock Lesnar's fight with Frank Mir than UFC 81's actual main event

UFC 200 wasn’t the first time that the presence of Brock Lesnar overshadowed a big-time UFC main event. UFC 81 featured an all-time great heavyweight bout, and yet when the event was over, Lesnar was the only name on fans’ lips.

The event was headlined by a fight between Tim Sylvia and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim heavyweight title. Not only was it an excellent clash of styles, but it was also one of those long-awaited UFC vs. PRIDE meetings that fans had clamored over for years.

And yet what fans were really watching UFC 81 for was the debut of former WWE champion Lesnar, who arrived in the promotion with plenty of fanfare despite only holding a 1-0 MMA record.

Faced with former heavyweight champion Frank Mir, Lesnar seemed more than happy to play the villain and was roundly booed by the fans in attendance who believed him to be nothing but a pro-wrestling pretender.

Seconds into that fight – when he took Mir down and brutalized him with punches and elbows – it became clear that Lesnar was far more than just a WWE star. And despite falling prey to a kneebar, it was clear that Lesnar was for real.

Tamed the beast! #OnThisDay - Frank Mir was the ultimate spoiler in Brock Lesnar's UFC debut 😳[ Watch more classic fights on @UFCFightPass ] pic.twitter.com/YibWQJpjG3

— UFC (@ufc) February 2, 2021

And while Nogueira overcame Sylvia in a tremendous main event, by the end of 2008, it was Lesnar who was holding the UFC heavyweight title – arguably justifying the overshadowing he’d done at UFC 81.