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In the UFC, most of the world's best fighters sign with the promotion to compete against one another and determine the supreme fighter in each division. Unfortunately, winning a fight isn't always determined by who the better fighter is.
At times, bouts are decided by stylistic matchups, ironically drawing back to MMA's origin of trying to identify the world's best style. Fighters who are allergic to pressure will always struggle against pressure-based foes. Similarly, a striker with poor defensive wrestling will always struggle against relentless wrestlers.
This has been a universal truth throughout the UFC's history. This list details five fights that included some of the most onesided beatings in the promotion's history due to a stylistic mismatch.
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#5. UFC 173: T.J. Dillashaw vs. Renan Barão 1
Bantamweight great T.J. Dillashaw fought Renan Barão twice, with each win being equally dominant. At the time, the Brazilian was the undisputed UFC bantamweight champion. 'The Baron' was on a 32-fight unbeaten streak and fresh off of a second win against T.J. Dillashaw's former mentor Urijah Faber.
At UFC 173, very few people gave T.J. Dillashaw much of a chance against the Brazilian, whose dominance drew comparisons to featherweight legend José Aldo. However, when both men clashed inside the octagon, an upset for the ages was witnessed. While Renan Barão was a dangerous fighter, he was also limited.
The Brazilian's best performances came against stationary targets who were willing to stand right in front of him and afford him time to land devastating counters. Dillashaw was a different beast entirely. The American was a far more mobile foe than what 'The Baron' was accustomed to.
He mixed in level changes with shifting combinations, bouncing from one stance to the next while moving his head after strike. Soon, Dillashaw created an avalanche of strikes, using the threat of his wrestling to create openings as he ducked low and then struck high with a kick or punch whenever Barão dropped his hands.
Over time, all Barão did was react. Forced into a defensive shell, he was overwhelmed and dominated. It was one of the greatest championship performances in UFC history, and Dillashaw replicated it in his rematch with the Brazilian at UFC on FOX 16.
The Brazilian has never been the same since the first loss, having won only 2 of his last 9 bouts before vanishing from MMA without ever announcing his retirement.
#4. UFC 155: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos 2
Prior to their first-ever meeting at UFC on FOX 1, Cain Velasquez was an undefeated phenom and the promotion's newest heavyweight champion after his dominant win over Brock Lesnar. Similarly, Junior dos Santos was an extremely successful fighter, having only tasted defeat once in his career.
Their first bout ended in a quick 1-minute KO win for 'Cigano' after a level change from the Brazilian caused Velasquez to drop his hands and inadvertently expose his head to a crushing overhand right. While 'JDS' followed his success with a TKO win over Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez plotted his revenge.
The pair's rematch came at UFC 155 and one of the most brutal beatings in UFC history ensued. Junior dos Santos possessed crisp boxing skills and an indomitable takedown defense. Unfortunately, his footwork has often failed him.
The Brazilian darted in and out of range with his boxing combinations. However, the absence of lateral movement meant that 'JDS' always backed up in a straight line whenever he was pressured. He lacked the ability to pivot off of angles. Meanwhile, Cain Velasquez applied relentless pressure by smothering his opponents to deprive them of the space needed to land punches with leverage.
Furthermore, it was difficult for Junior dos Santos to time him because the Mexican-American always moved his head when stepping into range. This allowed him to effortlessly pressure 'JDS' towards the fence where he'd break the Brazilian's posture by shoving the top of his head against his foe's chin.
This straightened the Brazilian's back and exposed his face to an avalanche of short punches in dirty-boxing sequences in the clinch. The beating that ensued was so brutal that Junior dos Santos' face was unrecognizable in the final round, with the Brazilian himself stating that he remembered nothing after the 1st round.
#3. UFC 249: Justin Gaethje vs. Tony Ferguson
UFC 249 was originally planned as the UFC's fifth attempt at booking a bout between former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. However, as was the case with every attempt, the fifth one collapsed.
Fortunately, Justin Gaethje stepped in on short-notice to replace 'The Eagle' after the rise of the COVID pandemic imposed stiff travel restrictions. While fans today made pleas for Tony Ferguson to retire due to his 5-fight losing streak, 'El Cucuy' was in a different place before May 9, 2020.
The former interim champion was on a 12-fight win streak that included victories against the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee and Edson Barboza. When 'El Cucuy' met 'The Highlight' inside the octagon, the result was a one-sided bout that reached dark heights.
As a fighter, Tony Ferguson has always been about applying pressure. The former interim titleholder moved forward with the intention of overwhelming his foes with a high volume of strikes. Unfortunately, whenever he comes forward with front kicks and more, he always does so with his chin in the air and his hands low.
Justin Gaethje took advantage of those tendencies by countering 'El Cucuy' with calf kicks to the lead leg every time his foe stepped forward, disrupting his stance. As Ferguson tried to reset his stance, Gaethje crushed him with hard crosses and hooks.
He also pivoted to the side to land those counters when Ferguson came forward or intercepted him with a ducking and looping punch over his foe's jab. Three minutes into the 5th round, referee Herb Dean waved off the fight after a punch from Justin Gaethje caused 'El Cucuy' to shake his head.
Not only was Tony Ferguson bloodied and battered beyond recognition, but the loss completely changed the trajectory of his career, turning him gun-shy and putting 'El Cucuy' on a now 5-fight losing streak.
#2. UFC 205: Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez
The version of Conor McGregor that fight fans had the privilege of seeing at UFC 205 was arguably the best-ever version of the Irishman. In his quest for immortality in the UFC, 'The Notorious' sought to become the promotion's first-ever simultaneous two-division champion.
After overcoming a minor setback in the form of a loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196, Conor McGregor challenged Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title. While the bout was not brutal by any means, it was extremely one-sided to the extent that Eddie Alvarez didn't seem like he belonged in the same octagon as the Irishman.
During the bout, 'The Notorious' bounced in and out of range as he always does. Initially, he duped his foe into trying to counter him as he hopped into range. However, once 'The Underground King' committed his weight to a punch, 'The Notorious' simply hopped away, causing his foe to overextend.
The moment his foe was out of position, the future double champion pounced, bouncing back in with a straight left. Within moments, Alvarez was stunned and became gun-shy. After the former Bellator champion stopped running into McGregor's shots, the Irishman used range trickery to set up his counters.
He threw non-committal punches to convince his foe that he wasn't close enough to land. Seconds afterwards, 'The Notorious' leaned his entire upper-body far forward until his shoulders were almost parallel to his lead knee. Doing so extended his reach, allowing him to catch Alvarez by surprise.
The Irishman looked a class above his foe and the former Bellator champion didn't have a single moment of noteworthy offense. 'The Underground King' suffered 3 knockdowns en route to a 2nd round TKO loss wherein he looked absolutely hopeless against his foe.
#1. UFC 193: Holly Holm vs. Ronda Rousey
At the very peak of her career, Ronda Rousey was subject to a level of hype that was unheard of. UFC color commentator Joe Rogan even went so far as to say that 'Rowdy' could defeat half of the UFC's male bantamweight division, a claim that he has since walked back on.
Regardless, the sheer dominance Ronda Rousey showcased was reminiscent of Mike Tyson's reign of terror. Like Tyson, Rousey defeated her foes early and quickly. While 'Iron Mike' was a knockout artist, 'Rowdy' was a judoka who won most of her bouts with an armbar.
Towards the end of her career, the former UFC women's bantamweight champion focused more on boxing. At UFC 193, she faced her stylistic kryptonite. Ronda Rousey lacked lateral movement and an understanding of footwork to counter an opponent's lateral movement.
As a result, 'Rowdy' chased her foes in a straight line. Worse, she did so without moving her head off the center-line whenever she threw punches, nor did she keep her hands up or tuck her chin. When she and Holly Holm stepped inside the octagon, she was out of her depth.
Holm used lateral movement to circle away from Rousey's charges while causing her move into counter-straight lefts from 'The Preacher's Daughter'. Furthermore, Holm always kept her elbows tucked close to her torso every time Rousey secured a clinch, denying the judoka a free arm to set up a trip or throw.
Holm completely dominated her foe as 'Rowdy' stumbled around the cage, bloodied and confused. By the 2nd round, it was all but elementary. Holm dropped her opponent with a straight left and flattened her with a high kick as she tried to stand back up.
