The Biggest WTF Moments in MMA History

Part one of a three-part series celebrating outrageous, WTF moments in MMA and pop culture.

With so many, shall we say, intense personalities in the MMA world, there are bound to be some bizarre, hilarious and downright WTF moments from time to time.
From accidental self-knockouts to ring attire that give the term “adult diaper” a whole new meaning, these are the most insane, shocking and the just plain WTF moments in MMA history. And for more WTF moments that’ll have you picking your jaw up off on the floor, be sure to catch the return of the outrageous drama Preacher, premiering its third season Sunday, June 24th at 10/9c on AMC.

Ref Gets Sucker-Punched By Gilbert Yvel

Gilbert Yvel was known for his brutal, down-and-dirty fighting style (biting, thumbs to the eye, etc.) and multiple disqualifications. One of the most memorable incidents of his fighting career came during his 2004 match against Atte Backman. After multiple attempts by the ref to get Yvel and Backman off the ropes, Yvel registered his annoyance with a swift left hook to the ref’s kisser and a kick when he hit the ground. A nasty move, but one MMA fans would remember for years to come.

Dennis Hallman Goes “Full Superman”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co3L-SxE2rA

Also in the WTF fight outfit category is the time Dennis Hallman lived up to his “Superman” nickname and rocked a pair of blue Speedos during his fight against Brian Ebersole at UFC 133. (Unlucky viewers even got to see Hallman’s testicle at one point.) As it turns out, the embarrassing outfit was the result of a bet Hallman lost to fellow fighters Len Bentley and Sterling Ford. UFC President Dana White, however, was not happy with Hallman displaying his bait and tackle for all the world to see, calling the shorts “disgusting.” He even gave Ebersole a $70,000 bonus for getting the shorts off of TV “as fast as possible.”

MMA Fighter Floors “Soccer Mom”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drZ6RPgwvJc
Ilima-Lei MacFarlane made a bold fighting debut in an unsanctioned match against Katie Castro for the Xplode Fight Series. Macfarlane came to win, while Castro looked like she was ready to hand out orange slices after her little champ’s big soccer game. Needless to say, Macfarlane knocked out Castro after 10 seconds of brutal blows to the face. The resulting clip from the match, dubbed “Soccer mom loses to MMA fighter,” became a viral hit and put Macfarlane on the MMA map.

Tom Lawlor Makes Seth Petruzelli His Doggy

Tom Lawlor is known for his entertaining walkouts, and his entrance at UFC 100 was one of his strangest (and funniest). Guiding teammate and pal Seth Petruzelli on a leash to the tune of the Baha Men’s classic ditty “Who Let the Dogs Out,” Lawlor entered the Octagon for his match against C.B. “The Doberman” Dolloway with his signature off-the-wall flair. Tom and Seth would fit right in among the colorful and, um, canine-friendly characters on Preacher.

Want to see a really WTF fight? Check out what happens when Cassidy goes toe-to-toe against some chainsaw-wielding angels on Preacher…

Kimo Enters on a Cross

https://youtube.com/watch?v=QVov2TEYJ8k%3Fstart%3D122
Kimo Leopoldo set the standard for ring entrances way back at UFC 3 in 1994 when he paid tribute to his religious beliefs by walking out on a gigantic cross. Now that’s a fighter who would fit in well with Jesse Custer and the Preacher gang.

Heath Herring Returns a Kiss With a Fist

Kissing on New Year’s Eve might be a time-honored tradition, but planting a big wet one on your opponent’s lips before a fight is rarely a good idea. Yoshihiro Nakao found that out the hard way when he smooched Heath Herring during their pre-fight staredown at K-1 PREMIUM Dynamite!! on New Year’s Eve of 2005. Herring responded to the kiss by socking Nakao in the jaw, knocking him down and putting an end to the fight before it even began. In the end, the fight was ruled a no contest as both Herring and Nakao had committed fouls with their one-two kiss ‘n punch combo.

Gray Maynard KOs Himself

The fight between Gray Maynard and Rob Emerson at Ultimate Fighter 5 resulted in one of the weirdest finishes in MMA history. Maynard slammed Emerson into the mat, causing Emerson to tap out due to a rib injury he sustained earlier in the match. But since Maynard landed on his head during the slam, he was briefly knocked unconscious, leading to the ref to rule the match a no contest. Maynard contested the ref’s decision to no avail.

Looking for a heavy dose of WTF? Check out the season three trailer for Preacher, premiering Sunday, June 24th at 10/9c on AMC.