The debut fight is one of the most important bouts in a UFC fighter's career. While it's possible to lose your first appearance in the octagon and be fine, it's important to showcase some skills and abilities to show that you've earned your place in the promotion. It's not out of the question that a competitor can be released after a bad first outing.
With that in mind, not everyone does indeed have a good debut. Instead, fans have been treated to some terrible debuts from fighters over the years. Everyone from future Hall of Famers to CM Punk have struggled in their first UFC fight.
10 Mark Hunt
Mark Hunt notably turned down the UFC's offer to buy out his contract after PRIDE shut down. He wanted to fight in the UFC badly. He would eventually prove his place in the promotion with time, but it didn't happen in his debut.
Hunt's debut at UFC 119 came against Sean McCorkle. The New Zealander was taken down and submitted by an armbar just a minute into the contest, it would up being McCorkle's only UFC win.
9 Max Holloway
Max Holloway has cemented his place in UFC history as arguably the greatest featherweight of all time. However, the skills that he's showcased over the last decade weren't on display in his debut fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 143.
Holloway seemed to have no answer for Poirier's slick boxing on the feet. The Lousiana native took his opponent down soon thereafter and dominated him on the mat en route to a triangle armbar win.
8 Mike Jackson
Houston's Mike Jackson has one of the strangest careers in UFC history. His journey began in 2016 when he was tabbed as a short-notice fight for prospect Mickey Gall. It would be Jackson's pro debut, after a 3-6 amateur career.
Gall proved that he was levels about Jackson, and it took about 45 seconds. He knocked down his foe almost immediately and submitted him with a rear-naked choke.
7 Joe Son
Later known as Random Task in Austin Powers, as well as for being a convicted felon, Joe Son was an MMA fighter in the early 90s. His UFC debut came against Keith Hackney at UFC 4, in what was one of the hardest fights to ever watch.
Hackney had the standup advantage, but the fight soon hit the ground. Hackney then decided to land a swarm of groin strikes (which were legal at the time), which soon forced a blood choke victory against Son.
6 Sean Gannon
In 2005, the UFC decided to do an experiment. They didn't want to bring in Kimbo Slice, but they wanted to bring in the only man to ever defeat him in a street fight, that being Sean Gannon. The heavyweight had a 2-0 professional record, so they gave him a fight at UFC 55.
His opponent Brandon Lee Hinkle took the fight to the mat and brutalized his opponent. This one was hard to watch, as Gannon was battered on the ground for four minutes en route to a first-round TKO loss.
5 Dean Barry
Ireland's Dean Barry was an intriguing prospect when he was signed to the UFC in 2022. Sporting a 4-1 professional record, he was a former kickboxing champion who had dynamic striking. It's fitting that he was the first opponent was none other than Mike Jackson.
Barry came out jittery early, hitting 'The Truth' with two groin strikes in the opening minutes. Jackson was able to continue and got knocked down after the break, but survived. Not long after regaining his senses, Barry landed one of the most vicious eye pokes seen in the octagon, to lose via disqualification. In under four minutes of cage time, the Irish prospect landed three devastating fouls to force the DQ.
4 Rolles Gracie Jr.
The son of Rolls Gracie, Rolles Gracie Jr. was given a UFC shot after just three professional bouts. The jiu-jitsu ace was given veteran Joey Beltran in his first octagon appearance at UFC 109 in February 2010.
He quickly proved he didn't belong in the UFC. After having his takedowns shrugged off in the first round, he looked like he was going to die of exhaustion by the second frame. He eventually got TKO'd in the second round and was released afterward.
3 James Toney
Another UFC experiment came when the promotion decided to give former boxing champion James Toney a shot in 2010. 'Lights Out' was quickly given former UFC champion Randy Couture in a bit of a cross-sport superfight.
Toney showed almost immediately that his boxing skills didn't translate to the cage. He was taken down seconds in and battered on the ground, showcasing zero jiu-jitsu knowledge en route to a submission loss.
2 CM Punk
CM Punk was signed by the UFC in 2014 as somewhat of a controversial move. The company decided to give the former WWE Champion all the time in the world to train and tried not to rush his development while he trained out of Rufussport. In all likihood, Punk was brought in due to his box office appeal at the time.
His highly-anticipated debut came against Mickey Gall at UFC 203. While he did better than Mike Jackson did, he was still taken down and mauled in the first round. The AEW star wound up losing via first-round submission. Punk would go winless in the UFC before eventually leaving the sport and returning to pro wrestling.
1 Wanderlei Silva
It's easy to forget, but Wanderlei Silva fought Vitor Belfort in his UFC debut. The two Brazilian prospects faced off in a battle of future Hall of Famers, but it wasn't even close.
Just seconds in, Belfort blitzed Silva and landed a massive combination. He wound up knocking down and knocking out his opponent in just 44 seconds.