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The UFC takes pride in producing the best MMA events in the world. Rival promotions like Bellator MMA, ONE FC and Rizin struggle to match the starpower that's present on the UFC roster. Thus, fight fans from every corner of the globe tune in to watch fight cards with greater interest than any other MMA event.
However, this is not always the case. Sometimes unforeseen variables can lead to chaotic changes in a promotion's plans, whether leading to fighters withdrawing from their planned bouts or event cancelations altogether. Last Friday, UFC 279 experienced an abrupt change in its scheduled matchups due to a mishap helmed by rising welterweight contender Khamzat Chimaev.
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Unfortunately, 'Borz' is not the only fighter to spoil the promotion's plans. Throughout its history, the UFC has dealt with various situations that have negatively impacted their events. Given the events of the previous week, this list will outline 5 UFC fighters who ruined the promotion's fight cards.
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#5. Darren Till, UFC on ABC 2
The exact reason for Darren Till's recent string of unfortunate injuries is not public knowledge. Many speculate that he does not take his fitness as seriously as he once did, causing him to be in less than optimal shape for the rigors of MMA training.
Whatever the reason behind it, Darren Till has been unable to fight more than once a year since his return to the middleweight division, which contrasts with his low injury rate at welterweight.
Meanwhile, a social media feud has been brewing between Marvin Vettori and Darren Till for over a year. Vettori aimed trash talk in Till's direction, while 'The Gorilla' posted memes humorously comparing 'The Italian Dream' to an orc from the Lord of the Rings franchise.
When a matchup between the two was scheduled, Till withdrew from the bout due to an injury. The card was severely lacking in starpower and excitement and Till's removal rendered it even more dull.
While Kevin Holland showed balls and stepped in as Till's short-notice replacement, the resulting fight was a slogging grappling affair involving a fighter who was woefully unprepared for Vettori, nor had the fun history that gave the initial Till-Vettori matchup a built-in storyline.
#4. José Aldo, UFC 176
Well into his featherweight championship reign, José Aldo seemed like an unstoppable force at 145 lbs. At UFC 176, he was scheduled to face Chad Mendes in a rematch of their previous encounter years ago.
Aldo had won their first outing in dominant fashion, flooring Mendes with a brutal counter-knee as his foe shot in for a takedown. To rebuild himself for another title fight, Mendes embarked on a 5-fight win streak, earning 4 stoppages.
Anticipation was high for the rematch, yet worries persisted due to Aldo's penchant for pulling out of scheduled bouts. The Brazilian's history of frequent injuries was allegedly caused by the number of gym wars that once took place at Nova União. Unfortunately, a month before the scheduled matchup, 'Scarface' withdrew from the bout.
While the promotion scrambled to find a short-notice opponent to replace Aldo, their attempts were unsuccessful and the event was ultimately scrapped.
#3. Conor McGregor, UFC 223
UFC 223 is curious in that it did but also didn't involve Conor McGregor. The Irishman was not scheduled to fight at the event, but the lightweight championship he once held was being contested for. The main event featured Khabib Nurmagomedov facing Al Iaquinta.
Prior to the bout, a series of events involving Nurmagomedov and fellow Russian Artem Lobov culminated in a public confrontation between the two men.
Incensed over Lobov negatively speaking about his past withdrawals from bouts, 'The Eagle' slapped him in a filmed video that quickly reached 'The Notorious'.
As a friend of Lobov's, McGregor was furious. He immediately gathered his posse and flew to New York on his private jet. Upon his arrival, the Irishman infamously attacked the bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other fighters scheduled to fight at the PPV.
A metal chair was thrown at the windows, shattering the glass. The incident led to Michael Chiesa withdrawing from a bout with Anthony Pettis due to lacerations from shards of glass. Ray Borg was forced to pull out of his bout for similar reasons, while Artem Lobov was removed from UFC 223 for his participation in the melee.
#2. Jon Jones, UFC 151
The new generation of MMA fans might not appreciate just how great Dan Henderson once was. The retired MMA legend is one of the best fighters to have never won a UFC title.
However, at UFC 151, he was scheduled to fight Jon Jones in what would have been the penultimate title fight of his career. Unfortunately, a crippling knee injury forced him to withdraw from the bout 8 days before the fight.
Desperate to find a replacement opponent for Jon Jones, Dana White elected to have the then longtime middleweight contender Chael Sonnen take Henderson's place. In a move that stunned the MMA world, Jones declined to face Sonnen on such short-notice, with former coach Greg Jackson claiming that the bout would have been the biggest mistake of Jones' career.
The fight card was too thin to survive without its headline bout, and the whole event was ultimately canceled, with White blaming 'Bones' for the debacle.
#1. Khamzat Chimaev, UFC 279
Despite the fact that Khamzat Chimaev has defeated higher-ranked opponents compared to the unranked Nate Diaz, his expected win over the Stockton legend at UFC 279 would have been the crowning achievement of his career due to Diaz's starpower.
Unfortunately, the matchup never took place. Even the pre-fight press conference was scrapped, all due to Chimaev's shenanigans.
A brawl between 'Borz' and divisional rival Kevin Holland ensued backstage, which worsened when Nate Diaz and his entourage brawled with Chimaev's posse.
The resulting chaos was enough to convince Dana White to cancel the press conference altogether. Worse still, the Chechen phenom failed to make weight for his welterweight bout with Diaz.
Not only was Chimaev 7.5 lbs over the welterweight limit, but his blunder led to a massive reshuffling of the fight card. Nate Diaz was forced to face Tony Ferguson. Ferguson's previously scheduled opponent Li Jingliang was booked into a matchup with Kevin Holland's foe, Daniel Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Holland faced Chimaev himself, who was demoted to a co-main event spot.
