The 3 Biggest Mismatches in MMA History

In any MMA fight, there can only be one winner, and the contest of skills to be that winner is what makes things so exciting. However, as with any competitive sport, a large skill gap will sometimes be found between two combatants, and indeed some mismatches can be so obvious that the outcome is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Here are some of the biggest mismatches in MMA history.

Randy Couture vs James Toney

James Toney was a great boxer in his prime, having won a variety of boxing divisions in the 90s, including the IBF middleweight, super middleweight, and cruiserweight classes. In January 2010, he was seen at UFC 108, and was approached to consider fighting in the Octagon. And what better way to welcome an out-of-his-prime boxer with zero MMA experience than by pitting him against the legendary Randy Couture, who was a former division champ in the light heavyweight and heavyweight classes? Sure enough, come UFC 118, Toney was pinned at 0:15 in the first round and eventually submitted at 3:19. During the entire bout, Toney didn’t hit a single strike on Couture.

CM Punk vs Mickey Gall

CM Punk isn’t the first professional wrestler to try for the Octagon – that honor goes to Brock Lesnar, who eventually made it to heavyweight champion. But where Lesnar was barely 30 and had only 8 years of prior wrestling experience when he broke into the UFC and defeated Randy Couture to take the heavyweight championship, Punk was 37 and had spent 15 years in wrestling, which had taken a toll on his body. So when inexperienced Punk faced 24-year-old Mickey Gall, who had a 2-0 MMA record, it was no surprise that the match ended in round one.