Top 10 Biggest UFC Controversies of All Time
#10: Human Cockfighting
Back in the early days of the UFC, it was a very different beast from what it is today, as it had a lot less regulation. In 1996, three years after debuting, the promotion saw its rising reputation take a severe beating from then-US Senator John McCain. After seeing a UFC tape and believing it to be “barbaric,” McCaine sent letters to 50 governors rallying for the promotion’s ban. Within it, he called the sport “human cockfighting,” a title that’s never left UFC. 36 States agreed with McCain’s assessment and prohibited “no holds barred” fighting, forcing the promotion to move UFC 12 from New York to Alabama. It got worse when McCain oversaw the cable industry, causing UFC to implement additional safety rules.
#9: The 2015 Match-Fixing Scandal
Unfortunately, combat sport and match-fixing has a long, problematic history. However, not many have been as dreadful an attempt as Tae Hyun Bang’s in 2015. For UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal, Bang faced Leo Kuntz in a lightweight preliminary bout. However, leading into the event, UFC informed the fighters that they knew of a significant shift in betting odds and warned them against fixing the outcome. After the bout, Bang ended up winning with a split decision. However, he wasn’t meant to win. Instead, working with three brokers, the South Korean was bribed with a little over $92,000 to throw it, which he proceeded to bet half of on Kuntz winning. Oops. In 2017, Bang was sentenced to 10 months in jail.
#8: UFC 151’s Cancellation
In 2012, an unprecedented incident happened in UFC’s history. Leading into UFC 151, the top fight featured reigning Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones defending his title against Dan Henderson. However, a little over a week before the event, UFC president Dana White announced that due to Henderson having a partially ruptured MCL, the Pay-Per-View was cancelled. White explained that the UFC offered Jones to fight Chael Sonnen in Henderson’s place. However, the champ rejected the proposition due to only having eight days to prepare. Instead, 21 days after UFC 151 was meant to air, UFC 152 took place, where Jones successfully defended his title against Vitor Belfort.
#7: UFC 199’s Journalists Ban
In 2016, Ariel Helwani and two of his MMA Fighting colleagues were getting ready to see the main event at UFC 199. However, instead of watching Michael Bisping win the Middleweight Championship from Luke Rockhold, the three journalists were escorted from the building by officials. UFC was livid that Helwani had broken the news of Brock Lesnar’s return at UFC 200 before the promotion could at UFC 199. Dana White announced that Helwani would be banned for as long as he was there. Well, after many journalists and even UFC fighters condemned the company’s action, Helwani was reinstated two days later. This also caused the creation of the Mixed Martial Arts Journalists Association, of which Helwani was a board member.
#6: Scale Gate
Out of all the ways possible for a UFC fighter to lose their title, in 2022, Charles Oliveira became the first to drop his in this bizarre way. At UFC 274, he was set to defend his Lightweight Championship against Justin Gaethje. However, during the official weigh-in, Oliveira came in at 155.5 pounds, half a pound over the lightweight limit. Despite this minuscule amount, he was stripped of the title. Regardless, Oliveira went on to beat Gaethje at the event as the championship was vacated. However, the UFC was heavily criticized for the decision, which many believed was harsh, and for not using more relatable digital scales when the balance ones need to be calibrated and can give false readings due to human error.
#5: Randy Couture Quits
After making his return to competition in the UFC after retiring in 2006, Couture quickly established why he’s one of the greatest in the octagon when the Hall of Famer took back the Heavyweight Championship. He should’ve been the face of the company. Instead, he became its biggest problem. In 2007, the UFC and Couture had a massive falling out, causing the latter to publicly state he was quitting the promotion as a fighter and analyst. After making it clear he wasn’t retiring, Couture also divulged that he was disenchanted with the UFC and its pay. The UFC refused to release the Natural from his contracted two fights, kicking off a lawsuit against him. However, Couture agreed to a new three-fight deal in 2008.
#4: The Many Problems of Jon Jones
When looking at the greatest to step into the octagon, Jones would be up there. Yet, as great as he is as a fighter, he also attracts many controversies. For starters, he’s been suspended and stripped of titles by the UFC multiple times for testing positive for banned substances. Yet away from competition, he’s also been in a lot of legal trouble. In 2015, shortly before he was set to defend his Light Heavyweight Championship against Anthony Johnson at UFC 187, Jones was arrested for a hit-and-run. As well as having his title vacated and getting banned by the UFC, he received 18 months of probation. Alongside several driving while intoxicated incidents, he’s also been arrested for assault and domestic violence multiple times.
#3: The Sobral Scandal
In 2007, fan favorite Renato “Babalu” Sobral faced David Heath at UFC 74 in a preliminary match. The Brazilian soon took control of the bout, eventually securing an anaconda choke. While Heath tapped out, Sobral wouldn’t let go, even ignoring the ref’s attempts to pull him off as his opponent lost consciousness. Post-fight, with the crowd now avidly against him, Sobral admitted he knew Heath tapped, but “he had to learn respect.” Unsurprisingly, “Babalu” was dropped by the UFC soon after. Rousimar Palhares did something similar in 2013 at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields. He held onto the heel hook long after Mike Pierce had submitted, resulting in Palhares’s release from the promotion afterward.
#2: Conor McGregor & Team's Bus Attack
While 2018’s UFC 223 was a mess on the card due to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s opponent changing multiple times before Al Iaquinta stepped up, it was the actions behind the scenes that caused more damage to the company. After feuding with Nurmagomedov due to the Russian slapping McGregor’s friend Artem Lobov, the Irishman and his entourage attacked a bus he was on backstage, all of which was captured on camera. McGregor even threw a dolly through the window, sending glass inside that injured others onboard, including Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa, resulting in them pulling out of UFC 223. McGregor was charged with the attack and was sentenced to complete five days of community service and attend anger management classes.
#1: The James Krause Betting Scandal
In 2022, Darrick Minner, who was coached by Krause, was set to face Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos. However, hours before the event, mass bets for Nuerdanbieke to win in the first round came in. As the bout got underway, it was clear Minner was fighting with an injured leg, resulting in Nuerdanbieke winning via TKO. It was then discovered that Minner had an undisclosed injury, leading to the belief that Krause had bet against his fighter with this knowledge. As betting was suspended against any fight Krause was involved with and UFC in general, the promotion banned any fighters working for him. The company also changed the rules to prohibit fighters and those closely connected from betting on UFC matches.
What other UFC scandal did we miss from our list? Let us know in the comments!
