MMA fans get their dose of entertainment regularly with the best fights featuring amazing fighters, but still, there are some What if questions that make them wonder many things. There are several topics that MMA fans think about on a regular basis. The world’s largest MMA promotion, UFC, has made many questionable decisions and has an illustrious history.
#10 Weidman didn’t pulled out from UFC 199 bout
Chris Weidman’s withdrawal from UFC 199 is still a big question. He pulled out of his fight with Luke Rockhold, allowing Michael Bisping to step in and become the Middleweight champion. If Weidman had not withdrawn, Bisping would likely never have become champion, which means Georges St-Pierre probably would not have come out of retirement. Furthermore, it is not hard to imagine how the former champion would have won the Weidman vs. Rockhold II bout, given how competitive their first encounter was.
#9 McGregor never fought Diaz at UFC 196
Rafael dos Anjos pulled out of his fight with Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz stepped in on short notice and claimed the victory to become a star. However it was Diaz’s rivalry with The Notorious that propelled both fighters to super-stardom. If there had never been a fight between the two, where would their careers be today ? is still a question in a few minds.
#8 Lesnar joined MMA earlier
Brock Lesnar was close to 30 when he debuted in MMA but quickly became one of the best fighters around the world. Soon, he was tracked by the UFC and finished with a record of 5-3-1. His record is deceiving, as he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion and had multiple title defenses. However, The Beast lacked skills outside of wrestling. Many fans wonder what would have happened if he had trained in MMA sooner.
#7 TJ Grant never got injured
TJ’s entire MMA career is a huge What if. He was a moderate UFC welterweight until dropping to 155 lbs in 2011. After the change in weight, he quickly became a contender. Grant scored a knockout over Gray Maynard to receive a UFC Lightweight title shot. However, he never got the chance to fight for the gold. He suffered a serious injury during training and could not be cleared. As a result, Grant never returned to MMA.
#6 Ken Shamrock never left UFC
Ken Shamrock was at Prime in 1996 when he decided to leave the UFC. He was only one bout away from becoming a UFC Super-fight Champion when he decided to return to his pro-wrestling roots and join the WWE. When Shamrock returned to MMA four years later, he was not the same because he spent his prime years wrestling. How would his career have ended had he not gone in 1996?
#5 The Ultimate Fighter failed ?
The Ultimate Fighter saved the UFC. The promotion was largely in debt, but the show’s finale with the first season helped boost the UFC’s popularity and rating. The question that comes to people’s minds is: What if the show had failed ? Could the UFC have been sold? Would the UFC still exist in any capacity today?
#4 Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather
Conor McGregor was arguably the best MMA fighter around the globe in 2017. He was a dual-weight champion in the UFC, in the two toughest divisions in the promotion. McGregor had wins over names like Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendes and Max Holloway before taking up a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. He lost the match and it’s hard not to imagine what his legacy would have been had he remained active in MMA.
#3 Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson
The UFC has missed out on some big bouts over the years. However, none worse than Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson. The two best fighters in the world at the time were scheduled to compete five times. In the end, they never fought in the octagon. Their fights always got canceled due to certain reasons and with Khabib now retired and Ferguson continuing to lose, it will have to stick in fans’ imaginations.
#2 Vince McMahon bought the UFC
This might be surprising to many, but it is true that Vince McMahon almost bought the UFC once. His son, Shane, urged him to buy the promotion because it had great potential. McMahon held meetings with the promotion’s owner in 2001, but discussions went no further. In the end, it was the Fertitta brothers who bought the company and made Dana White president. It would have been a strange world to see MCMahons running the UFC.
#1 Fedor Emelianenko joined the UFC
Fedor Emelianenko is the greatest MMA fighter who never competed in the UFC. His prime was spent in the PRIDE promotion, but most fans wanted to see him compete inside the UFC octagon. In fact, in 2009, he almost came close to signing for the promotion and facing Brock Lesnar in his first fight. However, negotiations fell through and now fans just wonder: what if he really joined the UFC?
Also Read:- 8 Unknown Facts about Khabib Nurmagomedov
