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Every UFC fan wants to see fights that end definitively. Unfortunately, not every bout ends with a knockout or submission. Worse still, some matchups end due to disqualifications. Such finishes, which occur because of the breaking of rules, are fairly rare at the highest level of mixed martial arts.
Fighters are less likely to engage in any dubious activities inside the octagon when there's more to lose. While accidents do happen sometimes, the kind of action that results in a disqualification is usually deliberate. Throughout the promotion's history, there have been fights that have gained infamy for ending in disqualification.
Two such fights have had a historical impact on the sport. One led to an otherwise undefeated fighter having a loss on their record, while the other resulted in a new champion being crowned. This list examines five DQ finishes in the UFC.
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#5. Walt Harris vs. Mark Godbeer, UFC 217
Heavyweight standout Walt Harris hasn't had the best of luck inside the octagon in recent years. The power-punching 265-pounder is on a three-fight skid, with every loss being a brutal TKO. Prior to his winless streak, his previous loss came against Mark Godbeer in the UFC 217 prelims.
Their bout never went past the first round. After 'The Big Ticket' struck his opponent's groin with a knee, the referee stepped in to pause the action. Unfortunately, Harris seemed to ignore the referee's presence and landed a brutal head kick that rendered his foe unable to continue fighting.
Thus, Godbeer was awarded the win via disqualification. While Harris tried to contest the result, it was to no avail and it remains a DQ loss on his record.
#4. Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez, UFC Fight Night 167
Michel Pereira is currently at the helm of a five-fight win streak. However, prior to this run, the Brazilian action fighter was in need of a win after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Tristan Connelly. At UFC Fight Night 167, he faced Diego Sanchez.
While 'The Nightmare' is a UFC legend and the first-ever TUF winner, he was no longer in his prime by the time 2019 came along. So the task of overcoming a much larger and more athletically gifted fighter like 'Demolidor' seemed daunting at best. Once the matchup took place, it became clear why.
Pereira spent most of the bout dominating his opponent en route to what many expected to be a clear-cut win. Unfortunately, 'Demolidor' landed a knee on Sanchez's head while he was on the mat. Upon realizing that he could claim a win via DQ, Sanchez declined to continue fighting and was awarded the victory.
#3. Greg Hardy vs. Allen Crowder, UFC Fight Night 143
The events of UFC Fight Night 143 went on to be overshadowed by two different controversies. The first was TJ Dillashaw's positive PED test for EPO in the aftermath of his crushing defeat against Henry Cejudo. The second controversy took place in the co-main event of the evening.
At the time, Greg Hardy was an undefeated power-puncher on whom the UFC had put an enormous amount of their hopes. Unfortunately, his promotional debut against Allen Crowder went horribly wrong. In the second round, 'Pretty Boy' found himself with his knees on the canvas, making him a grounded opponent.
Knees to the head of a grounded opponent are not allowed. 'The Prince of War', however, showed no knowledge of this rule and blasted his opponent's head with a brutal knee. Crowder was unable to continue fighting due to the blow's impact and was declared the winner via disqualification.
#2. Jon Jones vs. Matt Hamill, 'The Ultimate Fighter' 10 Finale
The 2009 finale of the 10th installment of 'The Ultimate Fighter' was headlined by Jon Jones and Matt Hamill. At the time, 'Bones' was not the MMA GOAT claimant he has since become. Instead, he was an undefeated prospect in the hunt for his 10th consecutive win.
As expected, the future two-division champion was dominant against his opponent. However, an ill-fated decision ended up causing the only blemish on his record. Within four minutes of the first round, 'Bones' threw an illegal 12-6 elbow after securing the full-mount position against Hamill.
This immediately caused the referee to pause the action. After initially taking away a point from Jones, the referee ultimately ended the bout after 'The Hammer' was unable to continue fighting. Jones lost via disqualification and this remains the only stain on an otherwise perfect record.
#1. Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling, UFC 259
UFC 259 has gone down in infamy. The event featured the only title change in the promotion's history to happen due to a disqualification. It was the first of two encounters between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling. Back then, 'No Mercy' was the newly crowned bantamweight champion.
After a competitive first round, the Russian striker began taking over the bout as he scored a knockdown and secured various takedowns against an increasingly tired Sterling. While 'No Mercy' seemed en route to a certain win, he made the gravest mistake of his career with 31 seconds left in the fourth round.
With Sterling on his knees, Yan struck him with an illegal knee that left his opponent incapable of resuming their bout. Not only did it cost 'No Mercy' the win, but it also lost him his bantamweight title as 'Funk Master' became the first fighter to win a title via disqualification in the UFC.
