In the UFC’s Heavyweight division, the limit for men is 265 pounds, and the featherweight limit for women is 145 pounds. Because of the weight limit, many MMA fighters have missed out on getting a chance to fight in the UFC Octagon. In this article, we will tell you about those fighters who never got a chance to display their skills on the biggest MMA promotion because of their sizes.
10. Giant Silva – 385 Pounds
Giant Silva is known for his stint in WWF during the late 90s. However, very few people know that he was offered a big contract to complete in PRIDE. This was after Silva’s run in NJPW. He only did a crash course in jiu-jitsu but gave his best. Sadly, his best wasn’t always enough. He went 1-6 during his tenure in PRIDE but ended his MMA career with a win. Giant Silva weighed 385 pounds, so he never got a chance to fight in the UFC.
9. Alexandru Lungu – 352 Pounds
Alexandru Lungu began his MMA career in 2005 and fought in various promotions like PRIDE, Strike Force and RXF. Lungu’s debut match was against James Thompson, which he lost, but after this, he won five consecutive matches and had a successful career. Apart from MMA, he also built a career in kickboxing and had amazing records there.
8. Choi Hong-man – 352 Pounds
Choi Hong-man was originally an accomplished kickboxer. He won the K-1 Seoul Grand Prix in 2005 and the following year, moved into the MMA world. He made his MMA debut against Bobby Ologun and won the match. His MMA record of 4-5 isn’t that great, but we can’t ignore the fact that he fought MMA veterans like Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop. Choi weighed 352 pounds, so he could never enter the UFC.
7. Baruto Kaito – 403 Pounds
Baruto Kaito’s MMA career was very short, but it was impressive. He made his debut in the Rizin promotion in 2015 and defeated Peter Aerts. The following year, he competed in Rizin World Grand Prix 2016 and defeated Kazuyuki Fujita in the first round and Tsuyoshi Kosaka in the second. However, his great run ended in the final round, as he was defeated by Mirko Cro Cop via knockout.
6. Gabi Garcia – 265 Pounds
Gabi Garcia is one of the greatest female MMA fighters on the planet. Her jiu-jitsu skills are on another level. However, the only issue she has in regards to her MMA career is that she is a heavyweight. Because of this, Gabi is not able to fight in America and is held solely in Asia. Her current MMA record is 6-0 with just one no-contest. However, she hasn’t fought since 2018.
5. Zuluzinho – 390 Pounds
Zuluzinho was an excellent Tudo fighter in Brazil, reportedly amassing a record of 38-0. He made his PRIDE debut in 2005, but his run there did not live up to expectations, going 0-3 with losses to Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Nogueria and Butterbean. After this, he fought in various promotions, but given his massive size, it is guaranteed that Zuluzinho will never be seen fighting in the UFC.
4. Mariusz Pudzianowski – 313 Pounds
Mariusz began his MMA career in 2009 and fought all his fights in the KSW promotion. He is famously known as the “Dominator.” His MMA record is 17-9, out of which 12 of his wins are by knockout. Between 2019 and 2022, Pudzianowski went on a five-fight winning streak, which was broken on December 17, 2022, by Mamed Khalidov. His most recent fight was in June 2023 against Artur Szpilka, which Mariusz won via knockout.
3. Eric Esch – 378 Pounds
Eric Esch, also known as “Butterbean,” has an interesting story behind his MMA career. He entered a tough man competition on a dare from friends and eventually chose fighting as a career after discovering that he was actually pretty good at it. Eric had a very successful boxing career with a record of 77-10 and then he entered the MMA world. He had an amazing career in MMA as well, as Eric compiled a record of 17-10. “Butterbean” fought in various promotions like PRIDE, Cage Rage and KSW.
2. Bob Sapp – 329 Pounds
Bob Sapp is one of the biggest MMA fighters who has never fought in the UFC. He was a dominant fighter in Japanese MMA and kickboxing. Sapp began his MMA career in 2002 and fought in promotions like PRIDE and K-1. His career began on a high note, but sadly, around 2011, Bob started losing almost every bout. His kickboxing career was better than his MMA career. Sapp’s long losing streak broke in 2015, both in kickboxing and MMA.
1. Akebono Taro – 514 Pounds
Akebono was one of the best sumo wrestlers in the 90s and then he decided to enter the kickboxing and MMA worlds. Unfortunately, Taro did not have much success in MMA, as he lost four matches from 2004 to 2006. His kickboxing career also did not go well. He went 1-9 in K1 and RIZIN. Despite not being a great fighter, Akebono figures in Japanese combat sports history.
Also Read:- 5 Best UFC Fights To Watch in December 2023
