The 5 Most Infamous No-Contests in UFC History

There aren't many worse ways for a UFC fight to end than with a no-contest. Disqualifications suck, but at least that's a result: An outcome with a real winner and a real loser.

A no-contest means nobody wins or loses—effectively that the fight never happened.

No-contests can occur for a number of reasons. The most common reason is probably failed drug tests, which typically don't come to light until days or weeks after the fight itself is over, meaning the original result is overturned to a no-contest.

However, no-contests also result in situations where a foul occurs early in a fight, before enough time has elapsed for a technical decision to be ruled.

That's what happened in the main event of Saturday's UFC 321 card in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

In one of the most anticipated title fights in recent memory, challenger Ciryl Gane landed an inadvertent eye poke, and champion Tom Aspinall was unable to continue. A rematch seems to be on the cards for the near future, but it was still an anticlimactic outcome, particularly for a heavyweight title fight.

Of course, this is the kind of disappointment any long-term fight fan knows well. Over the decades, we've seen many anticipated bouts ruled no-contests, and some of those still sting even years after the fact.

Here are five of the most infamous no-contests in UFC history—outside of the weekend drama in Abu Dhabi.

Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier II

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Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier shared one of the most high-profile rivalries in MMA history—certainly the biggest not involving Conor McGregor.

The two MMA legends, who both held light heavyweight and heavyweight gold, first met in 2015. That time around, Jones defeated Cormier by unanimous decision to defend the light heavyweight belt—a clear but competitive result.

In the summer of 2017, they met again. This time, the rivalry was even more fiery. Originally, the fight ended decisively for Jones, who knocked Cormier out with a third-round head kick.

However, almost a month later, it was revealed Jones had tested positive for Turinabol, an anabolic steroid, in a test administered after the weigh-ins for his rematch with Cormier. That meant his knockout win was overturned, and the fight was ruled a no-contest.

It was an incredible disappointment—exacerbated by the month-long delay—that completely deflated the final chapter in one of the sport's great feuds.

Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad I

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Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad first met in 2021, when they were on two of the best win-streaks in the welterweight division.

The expectation was that the winner of their fight could be next for a crack at the division's title, particularly if it was Edwards, who had already won eight straight fights.

Unfortunately, the bout ended in much the same way Aspinall's fight with Gane did. Just 18 seconds into the first round, Edwards landed an inadvertent eye poke that was severe enough that Muhammad couldn't continue.

Because there was so much of their five-round fight left at that point, the bout was ruled a no-contest, rather an a technical decision. It was an extremely disappointing outcome that kept Edwards from his well-deserved title shot for some time.

Of course, Edwards did eventually fight for the title, and he shocked the world with a dramatic head-kick knockout of longtime champ Kamaru Usman. He defended the belt in a rematch with Usman and then against Colby Covington, before finally rematching Muhammad in his third title defense.

Despite the fact that he was seemingly in control of his first fight with Muhammad until the foul occurred, Edwards was soundly defeated by his rival in their second meeting, kicking off Muhammad's brief reign as welterweight champion.

Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz

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When Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz collided in 2015, they were two of the biggest stars in MMA and both had been champions in major promotions by then.

Silva had recently ended the greatest middleweight championship reign in UFC history. Diaz, on the other hand, was a former Strikeforce welterweight champ who had recently come up short in a pair of UFC title fights with Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre.

Silva and Diaz had five rounds to settle their score, and they used all of them. Despite plenty of showboating from the latter, the fight originally ended with a clear unanimous decision win for the former.

Unfortunately, much like Jones vs. Cormier II, the fight was later ruled a no-contest due to failed drug tests. Silva, who had been recovering from a broken leg sustained in a loss to Chris Weidman, tested positive for the banned substances drostanolone and androsterone. Diaz, meanwhile, tested positive for marijuana, which may not be quite the same but is still a violation of the rules.

It was a shame, because Silva vs. Diaz was one of the biggest fights of that year, even if it meant little in terms of middleweight title contention.

Dustin Poirier vs. Eddie Alvarez

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Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alvarez are two of the most accomplished lightweights in MMA history and met twice in the UFC Octagon before their recent retirements from the sport.

Their first meeting occurred in 2017, when both were among the top contenders in their division. It was a thrilling fight while it lasted, but the fight was waved off in Round 2, after Alvarez blasted Poirier with a salvo of illegal knees.

Ordinarily, that might have resulted in a disqualification, but it was clear Alvarez didn't realize Poirier was technically a grounded opponent when he threw the knees in question. That meant the fight was ruled a no-contest instead.

After that disappointing result, an immediate rematch would have been warranted. However, the pair didn't run it back for roughly a year. When they finally did meet again, Poirier put a stamp on their rivalry with an impressive fourth-round TKO in a Fight of the Night-winning scrap.

Gray Maynard vs. Rob Emerson

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As noted, no-contests most often occur due to early fouls or failed drug tests. However, there are other reasons fights can end with this most disappointing result. Case in point: a 2007 bout between Gray Maynard and Rob Emerson.

Maynard and Emerson met in the finale of the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighter. Maynard, a heavy favorite who would go on to challenge for the lightweight belt, seemed to be in control of the fight in the early going.

However, less than a minute into Round 2, he hoisted Emerson off the ground and slammed him into the canvas. The impact knocked his opponent unconscious. There was just one problem: Maynard hit his head on the canvas, and knocked himself out too.

In a fight where both athletes lose by knockout at the same time, there can be no winner, so a no-contest was the obvious verdict. It was one of the most bizarre endings to a fight in MMA history—hence its appearance in this article, nearly 20 years later.