If there is one outcome in mixed martial arts that fans, fighters, and promoters can all unite in hatred, it's the 'no contest'. There are no winners, no losers, just sadness all around as a fight that might have been overwhelmingly entertaining will now be lost forever in a weird limbo of fans remembering the fight happening but it not meaning anything long term.
At the time of writing, there have been a total of 66 no contests since the UFC debuted back in 1993, for many reasons. Whether it is declared on the night or overturned in the aftermath of an event, these outcomes are simply unavoidable in MMA. Without further ado, here's a look at 10 UFC fights that have ended in a no contest, with 10 different reasons as to why they occurred.
10 EDDIE ALVAREZ VS DUSTIN POIRIER - UFC 211
REASON: KNEE TO A DOWNED OPPONENT.
It's a rule that states around the US simply can't agree on. What consists of a "downed opponent?" Is it a fighter who is literally on the floor, or is it a fighter who's standing up yet has their pinky touching the canvas? Please decide because it's hurting the brains of fans who have to remember what rules are in play for each event, and the brains of fighters who are getting struck when they shouldn't be.
UFC 211 in Dallas, Texas, saw Dustin Poirier take a brutal knee from The Underground King in the second round of their highly anticipated fight. However, Poirier's fingers were touching the floor, and just like that, the fight was thrown out. The rematch was talked about immediately after the fight, which resulted in Poirier exacting his revenge, picking up the victory at UFC on Fox 30.
9 ALESSIO SAKARA VS RON FAIRCLOTH - UFC 55
REASON: ACCIDENTAL GROIN SHOT.
No one likes getting kicked in the family jewels. It's the one part of the male anatomy that should be protected at all costs for the sake of the fighters and the fighters' future children, something that Ron Faircloth did not care about at all when he fought Alessio Sakara in 2005.
This was an event that took place right after the hype of the original Ultimate Fighter series, so to see a fighter getting kicked in the groin and not being able to continue actually showed how far the sport had come in the 12 years since it broke through in 1993. Still, it's tough to watch and thoughts and prayers go out to Alessio Sakara's private area... that didn't sound good, MOVING ON.
8 YAIR RODRIGUEZ VS JEREMY STEPHENS - UFC FIGHT NIGHT 159
REASON: ACCIDENTAL EYE POKE.
Or in the words of Jon Jones: the perfect crime. If there is one offense in the UFC that still happens despite being easily avoidable if they just adjusted their gloves a tiny bit, is the eye poke. It's understandable that fighters want to gage their distance and their reach so they out-stretch their fingers, but eye pokes are far too frequent in MMA, and sometimes they can ruin genuine dream fights.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens was a fight that fans were touting as a potential fight of the year candidate. The no-nonsense, fight to the death style of Stephens against the flashy, unorthodox style of Rodriguez had fight fans drooling at what to expect. Instead, Rodriguez accidentally poked Stephens in the eye after just 15 seconds and the fight was thrown out. Audible sigh.
7 IURI ALCANTARA VS PEDRO NOBRE - UFC ON FX 7
REASON: PUNCHES TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD.
One of the most vulnerable parts of the human body is the back of the head. Getting hit from behind is so much more dangerous than seeing a punch coming because the brain doesn't have time to brace itself, resulting in a higher chance of a knockout, which is exactly what happened between Iuri Alcantara and Pedro Nobre in 2013.
The fight started off with a groin shot to Alcantara which is always good. Once the fight got going, Alcantara took the back of Nobre, flattening him out, and started raining shots down on the then 26-year-old Brazilian. At some point in the beat down, Alcantara KO'd Nobre with multiple shots to the back of the head, leading the fight to be thrown out and be ruled as a no contest.
6 ANDERSON SILVA VS NICK DIAZ - UFC 183
REASON: BOTH FAILED POST-FIGHT DRUG TESTS.
Naughty boys. It was one of the most hyped dream fights in UFC history. Anderson Silva returning from injury to take on Nick Diaz who was fighting for the first time in nearly two years, it was a fight that no one thought could be possible at one point, the fact it was happening was enough to get even the most casual of fans excited. Then the fight happened and oh no.
Nick Diaz proceeded to play mind games with the former UFC Middleweight Champion by lying down on the floor, standing against the cage, and inviting Silva over and posing in the middle of the cage allowing Silva to circle him. It was so weird. After being let down by the fight, it was ruled a no-contest due to Diaz testing positive for marijuana (obviously) and Silva having anabolic steroids and banned substances in his system. Boos all around.
5 KEVIN HOLLAND VS KYLE DAUKAUS - UFC FIGHT NIGHT 193
REASON: ACCIDENTAL CLASH OF HEADS.
Kevin Holland is still in the top 15 middleweight rankings despite agreeing to fight at welterweight at UFC 272, so maybe this blow to the head did do some long-term damage. In all seriousness, the outcome of this fight from October 2021 was extremely unfortunate for everyone involved.
Daukaus thought he had won the fight due to Holland trying to carry on fighting, despite his brain thinking it was in a different timezone. The win was turned into a no-contest since the clash of heads was the pivotal moment that led to the end of the fight, and no one was happy. Sadly it doesn't look like the rematch will happen anytime soon either as the rematch was scrapped for Fight Night 197 due to an injury to Holland.
4 GREG HARDY VS BEN SOSOLI - UFC ON ESPN 6
REASON: USE OF AN INHALER
This one is both understandable and confusing all at the same time. Greg Hardy was fighting Ben Sosoli at UFC on ESPN 6 and the former defensive end was 5-1 in his MMA career, which appeared to be extended to 6-1 after this fight went to the judges and Hardy picked up the UD win. Then the fight was ruled a no-contest and people started asking questions, the answers all laid within an inhaler.
Between the second and third rounds, Hardy could be seen using an Inhaler very briefly before coming out of his corner for the final round. While the inhaler was apparently approved by USADA, the athletic commission claimed it wasn't allowed and the fight was thrown out. Amidst all the confusion, Dana White stated that the whole thing was a "very bad decision from everyone in that corner," ouch.
3 BOBBY MOFFETT VS CHRIS SKELLY - UFC FIGHT NIGHT 139
REASON: POST-FIGHT APPEAL
This one took almost two years to be seen as a no-contest which is an achievement in itself, so what happened? Bobby Moffett had applied a submission to Chris Skelly at UFC Fight Night 139 and, even though it looked as if Skelly was doing okay, the referee called an end to the bout to the disappointment of everyone.
Skelly eventually appealed his decision, to which the Colorado state athletic commission said 'you've got a point there Chris, let's look at this again.' The decision was overturned and Moffett had his first win in the UFC taken off of his record. Sadly, Moffett wouldn't win another fight in the company and now competes for the PFL, while Skelly hasn't fought since 2019.
2 KAZUSHI SAKURABA VS MARCUS SILVEIRA - UFC JAPAN: ULTIMATE JAPAN
REASON: EARLY REFEREE STOPPAGE
Kazushi Sakuraba is one of the most celebrated combat sports athletes in Japanese history. His reputation as "The Gracie Hunter," along with his stints in the professional wrestling industry, have made him beloved by most fight fans, especially in Japan. This is why many people would like to forget that this fight ever took place because it's a bit suspect.
Referee 'Big' John McCarthy called the bout in under two minutes as it appeared Sakuraba had been knocked out by Marcus Silveira. However, Sakuraba was simply going for a takedown, McCarthy got a bit overexcited and the whole situation ended up being a big mess. The rematch happened later on that night with the Japanese star picking up the win, claiming after the fight that 'professional wrestling is strong.'
1 GREG MAYNARD VS ROB EMERSON - THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 5 FINALE
REASON: BOTH MEN UNABLE TO CONTINUE
Honestly, these two men could have fought each other a million more times and this ending would never happen again, it was incredible. It's 2007 and TUF 5 housemates Rob Emerson and Gray Maynard are facing each other on the prelims. In the second round, Maynard muscles himself into a position where he can slam Emerson to the floor, which he does. Emerson taps, signaling the end of the fight and Maynard doesn't get up.
What happened? Gray Maynard face-planted the canvas during the slam, knocking himself out. Since one man had literally tapped out and the other man didn't know what his own birthday was, the fight was ruled a no contest, which upset Maynard massively. He protested after the fight, even though Joe Rogan kept showing him the footage of one of the most incredible endings to a UFC fight ever.