A debut is the most important thing no matter which sport you are in. For an MMA fighter, their debut UFC fight is the most important fight of their career because it is important to showcase some skills and abilities to show that you’ve earned your spot in the promotion. A fighter can be dropped or released if they give a poor performance in their first outing. There have been some bizarre and disappointing debuts in the UFC over the years.
10) Joe Son
Joe Son was an MMA fighter in the early 90s. He made his UFC debut against Keith Hackney at UFC 4, which was one of the toughest fights to watch. Hackney had a standup advantage, but the fight soon went to the ground. “The Giant Killer” then decided to land a flurry of groin attacks, which were legal during that time. As a result, the fight soon turned bloody and Keith got a submission victory over Son. Joe fought three more bouts after this for different promotions, but never won a single one of them. Later, he was involved in some legal issues and got a prison sentence.
9) Dean Barry
Dean Barry seemed like an interesting prospect when he signed with the UFC in 2022. He had a professional record of 4-1 and was a former kickboxing champion who possessed dynamic striking skills. Barry’s first opponent was Mike Jackson. As the bout began, the Irish fighter looked jumpy, landing two groin strikes on Jackson. “The Truth” was able to move and survive. Shortly after regaining consciousness, Barry landed one of the most dangerous eye pokes, losing by disqualification. In less than four minutes of cage time, Barry committed three devastating fouls to force a DQ.
8) Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt first turned down the UFC’s offer to buy out his contract following PRIDE’s closure. He wanted to fight in the UFC desperately. “Super Samoan” eventually proved his place in the promotion but didn’t live up to the expectations in his debt. Hunt made his UFC debut against Sean McCorkle at UFC 199. Hunt got submitted with an armbar just a minute into the contest.
7) Sean Gannon
The UFC decided to do an experiment in 2005. They didn’t want to bring in Kimbo Slice, but they wanted to bring in the only guy who defeated him in a street fight, Sean Gannon. His professional record was 2-0, so they gave Sean a fight at UFC 55. His opponent was Brandon Lee Hinkle, who took the fight to the mat and brutalized “The Cannon.” It was hard to watch, as Gannon was beaten on the ground for four minutes during a first-round TKO loss.
6) Max Holloway
Max Holloway is one of the greatest Featherweight fighters in UFC history. However, the skills he has shown over the last decade were not on display in his debut fight at UFC 143. Holloway’s opponent for his debut was Dustin Poirier. “Blessed” had no answer to Poirier’s slick boxing. “The Diamond” took his opponent down shortly thereafter and made Holloway submit to the triangle armbar.
5) Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson had a very short career in MMA. He fought his first professional bout in 2016 and his opponent was Mickey Gall. This was Jackson’s professional debut after an amateur career of 3–6. Gall took only 45 seconds in the first round to take down Jackson. Mickey took his opponent down and immediately made him submit to the rear-naked choke. After losing this bout, Jackson fought four more MMA bouts, winning two and getting one no contest against CM Punk.
4) James Toney
James Toney was a great boxer who amassed 77 wins out of his 92 fights. In 2010, the UFC tried another experiment by giving “Lights Out” a chance. Toney got former UFC champion Randy Couture as his UFC debut opponent. As the bout began, it could be clearly seen that Toney’s boxing skills did not fit in the MMA cage. Within a few minutes of the first round, “Lights Out” was taken down and slammed to the ground. He lost the bout via submission, demonstrating zero knowledge of jiu-jitsu.
3) Rolles Gracie Jr.
Rolls Gracie’s son, Rolles Gracie Jr., got shot at the UFC just after fighting three professional bouts. He got Joey Beltran as his debut opponent at UFC 109. “Rolls Junior” quickly proved that he didn’t belong in the promotion. He got several takedowns in the first round and looked as if he was going to faint in the second round. Rolls eventually lost the bout via TKO and was released from the promotion after that.
2) Wanderlei Silva
Wanderlei Silva had a great MMA career, but his UFC debut was quite disappointing. Silva fought Vitor Belfort in his UFC debut. Both were Brazilian prospects and everyone thought it would be a close contest, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. Within 44 seconds of the first round, Belfort landed a huge combination and got a TKO victory over Silva.
1) CM Punk
When CM Punk was signed by the UFC in 2014, it was surprising for many MMA fans. The promotion decided to give the former WWE star full-time training and tried not to rush anything. Punk’s highly anticipated debut came at UFC 203 against Mickey Gall. Although the Chicago native performed better than what Mike Jackson did in his debut, he was still defeated in the first round. CM Punk lost the bout via submission. He fought just one more bout in the UFC that resulted in a no-contest. Punk eventually returned to pro wrestling.
Also Read: Most Heartbreaking Retirement Bouts In The History Of MMA
