Every sport's history involves dynasties that last for several seasons, as well as underdogs that never seem to win a game.
However, every once in a while an enormous underdog pulls out an improbable victory that no one saw coming. Whether it be Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, or Villanova upsetting Georgetown in the 1985 men's basketball championship game, upsets are an intricate part of the sporting world.
Mixed martial arts is no different. Whether it is just one punch, or capitalizing on an error by an opponent, the sport is filled with great upsets.
Brett Rogers, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Jason Miller will all be looking for an upset this Saturday night at Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Rogers".
Rogers is a 4:1 underdog entering his heavyweight bout with Fedor Emelianenko, Sokoudjou is over a 3:1 underdog heading into his fight with Gegard Mousasi, and Miller is over a 2:1 dog in his middleweight bout with Jake Shields.
However, the beauty of sports, especially mixed martial arts, is that an upset is always in order.
In honor of the three men looking for the big upset victory this weekend, lets take a look at the ten biggest upsets in the history of the sport and the men that made them happen.
10. BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes (UFC 46)
Penn and Hughes met at UFC 46 in a title fight for the UFC welterweight belt. The favorite was Hughes, who was expected to defend his welterweight gold for a sixth straight time.
“The Prodigy” had other ideas when he worked his way to Hughes’ back and locked in an inescapable rear naked choke at the 4:39 mark of the first round, robbing Hughes of his belt and halting his 13 fight win-streak.
Penn would leave the UFC for other endeavors, but would return to get his welterweight belt back. At UFC 63 he lost to Matt Hughes in a welterweight title fight, but his first fight with Hughes will forever be remembered as a true underdog story.
9. Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine (UFC 71)
Jardine had rolled to the top of the UFC light heavyweight division when he was matched up against Houston Alexander. The fight was Alexander’s UFC debut, and the odds had him a steep underdog at nearly a 5:1 underdog.
Both Jardine and Alexander came out swinging, but “The Dean of Mean” had no answer for Alexander’s inside shots. The official had to pull Alexander away from Jardine after “The Assassin” continued to pummel the light heavyweight contender.
The victory is to this date the biggest victory for Alexander, who lost his next three bouts. However, “The Assassin’s” quick technical knockout victory over Jardine will go down as one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history.
8. Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia (UFC 68)
After over one year of absence, Couture returned to the octagon at UFC 63 to fight for the heavyweight belt against giant Tim Sylvia. The aging legend entered the cage on the wrong side of the odds against the enormous knock out artist.
From the opening bell, Couture managed to outclass his gigantic opponent with superior striking and wrestling. Five rounds passed, and the judges’ scorecards rewarded “The Natural” with the UFC heavyweight belt.
This heavyweight championship was just another opportunity in which Couture capitalized in a pivotal situation. As he continues to grow older, Couture has proven that his age does not dictate how he performs in the octagon. Tim Sylvia will attest to that.
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