Most Embarrassing Losses in MMA History

Every time an ego gets inflated in the realm of MMA, another seemingly gets shot down.

Little gets left to the imagination when two trained combatants take to a ring or a cage to do battle. Whether the fighters like it or not, strengths, weaknesses and everything in between gets revealed in this primitive process.

This countdown's stockpiled with fighters who should have thought more, or trained harder, before making outlandish pre-fight remarks. It also includes a number of competitors who froze up in significant bouts to inferior opponents.

Here are the most embarrassing losses in MMA history. 

All stats gathered via Fightmetric.com. 

Honorable Mentions

UFC 118: Randy Couture defeats James Toney by arm-triangle choke at 3:19 of Round 1. 

UFC 60: Spencer Fisher defeats Matt Wiman by flying knee at 1:43 of Round 2.

World Series of Fighting 3: Josh Burkman defeats Jon Fitch by guillotine choke at 41 seconds of Round 1.

UFC 159: Jon Jones defeats Chael Sonnen by TKO (elbows and punches) at 4:33 of Round 1.

UFC 83: Nate Quarry defeats Kalib Starnes by unanimous decision.

10. Shinya Aoki vs. David Gardner

Ironically, announcer Bas Rutten had just complimented David Gardner on his ability to defend Shinya Aoki’s rear-naked choke attempts seconds before the American slipped up and gave the Japanese submission ace a gift at Dream 7.

On several occasions, Gardner, who apparently grew bored with Aoki’s back control, sat up, waved and greeted the crowd at the Saitama Super Arena.

Acutely aware of Gardner’s shenanigans, Aoki waited patiently, and like a boa constrictor, latched onto Gardner’s throat when the American made his last attempt to interact with the crowd.

Aoki cinched up the choke and forced Gardner to tap 5:58 into the fight.

In the wake of the loss, a demoralized Gardner could only hang his head and shake it in disbelief.

9. Tito Ortiz vs. Ken Shamrock III

UFC president Dana White gave Ken Shamrock one last chance to best nemesis Tito Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 6.5. “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," however, had no plans of giving Shamrock the upper hand in their rivalry.

After coaching opposite Ortiz on Season 3 of The Ultimate Fighter, Shamrock took his third fight with the fellow Hall of Famer in October 2006 at the age of 42.

The then-31-year-old Ortiz put the rivalry to bed and scored his third straight TKO win over Shamrock, this time using vicious punches to stop the fight.

Shamrock never fought in the UFC again, finishing his career 2-3 in various regional promotions.

8. Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture

Few believed Randy Couture could come out of retirement and dethrone gargantuan heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia at the age of 43, but then again, “The Natural” made a living defying the odds.

Although Sylvia enjoyed a five-inch reach advantage and a seven–inch height advantage, The Miletich Fighting System’s product couldn’t contend with Couture’s grappling prowess and non-stop engine.

Couture scored on seven of 10 takedown attempts and outstruck Sylvia 138-39, including 73-25 in the significant strikes category.

Sylvia competed twice more in the UFC following his dejecting loss to The Natural before essentially being exiled to the minor leagues.

7. Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie

Billed as the best welterweight matchup in company history, Matt Hughes proved how quickly MMA had evolved by pummeling fellow Hall of Famer Royce Gracie at UFC 60.

Hughes grounded Gracie early in the first round and threatened the Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard with a straight armbar. The former NCAA Division I wrestling All-American eventually let go of the armlock and committed to pounding Gracie into an oblivion.

Gracie gave up his back and absorbed some brutal punishment before referee "Big" John McCarthy stepped in to save the day.

Gracie fought just one time after losing to Hughes, earning a unanimous decision over Kazushi Sakuraba at Dynamite!! USA.

6. Royce Gracie vs. Ken Shamrock

Based on the differences in their physiques, lanky Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner Royce Gracie seemed like a massive underdog to top the hulking but sculpted Ken Shamrock in the semifinal round of UFC 1. 

But as stunned fans quickly learned from Gracie, looks aren't always an indicator of things to come in the Octagon.

Shamrock attempted a leglock on Gracie early in the fight, only to get his back taken in the process and eventually strangled with a rear-naked choke just 57 seconds in.

Gracie brought Brazilian jiu-jitsu to prominence with his early wins in the UFC, particularly this shocking victory over the seemingly bigger, stronger and faster Shamrock.

5. Mark Coleman vs. Maurice Smith

Before fighting Mark Coleman for the heavyweight title in his promotional debut at UFC 14, Maurice Smith had dropped seven of 11 bouts, including five by way of submission.

Coleman, a former Olympian (freestyle wrestling) and NCAA Division I wrestling champ, was expected to keep his belt and his undefeated record intact by bulldozing Smith.

But to "The Hammer's" unpleasant surprise, Smith stuffed five of Coleman's seven shots and outstruck him 129-47, including 55-19 in the significant strikes department, earning a unanimous decision.

Smith lost his belt to Randy Couture two fights later at UFC Japan. He finished his career with a 13-13 record.

Coleman, conversely, won the Pride Fighting Championship's Open-Weight Grand Prix in 2000. Coleman became the fifth UFC Hall of Fame inductee at UFC 82 in 2008.

4. Kimbo Slice vs. Seth Petruzelli

Along with Andrei Arlovski, EliteXC puts its faith and its finances in former street fighter Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice.

According to MMAJunkie.com, EliteXC paid Slice $500,000 to headline his fourth fight with the company at EliteXC: Heat.

When Slice’s originally scheduled foe, Ken Shamrock, had to pull out of the fight because of a cut suffered during the day of the bout, EliteXC called on journeyman and UFC vet Seth Petruzelli to fill in.

Petruzelli stunned Slice with a punch just seconds into the scrap and then finished the former University of Miami football player with a furious barrage of follow-up shots just 14 seconds in.

EliteXC subsequently held its last event less than five weeks after Slice’s humiliating setback.

3. Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz

The then-25-year-old Nick Diaz used linguistic warfare to let Frank Shamrock know that he didn't care what he'd accomplished before their bout at Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Diaz.

Once in the cage, Diaz employed his typical high-volume striking assault on the then-36-year-old Shamrock, battering the former UFC champion and eventually TKO'ing him 3:57 into the second round.

After defaming him in the pre-fight interviews and then flipping him off at the weigh-in, Diaz back up his antics and out-landed Shamrock 109-36. 

Roughly 14 months after his crushing loss to Diaz, Shamrock announced his retirement from the sport.

2.Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer

Losing successive fights to heavyweight legends like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Fedor Emelianenko may have resulted in Tim Sylvia losing his place as a headliner in major MMA productions.

But for the then 33-year-old Sylvia, getting KO'd by a then-48-year-old Ray Mercer in his pro MMA debut translated to a permanent exile from the big stage.

Just nine seconds into their bout at Adrenaline MMA 3: Bragging Rights, Mercer landed a thunderous right hand on Sylvia's button, rendering the former UFC champ temporarily unconscious.

While Mercer has yet to entertain another MMA scrap, Sylvia, who's fought 11 times since his setback to Mercer, has yet to compete again in the UFC.

Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva II

Chael Sonnen talked a great game in the months leading up to arguably the most anticipated rematch in UFC history.

But when it came time to lock horns with then-middleweight king Anderson Silva at UFC 148, "The American Gangster" simply didn't live up to the hype.

After controlling "The Spider" for the bulk of the first round, Sonnen got stuffed on three takedown attempts early in the second round. Seconds later, Sonnen attempted a telegraphed spinning backfist, only to miss and fall to the canvas, eating a thumping knee to the midsection as a punishment.

Silva never let Sonnen recover after the knee, smothering the Oregonian with strikes until referee Yves Lavigne called the bout just 1:55 into the second round. 

Months of trash talking culminated with a modest and humbled Sonnen complimenting Silva during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.

"They gave me the opportunity. Nobody owes me anything. I'm very grateful to be here and have the chance and he's a true champion, man."