The 15 Most Embarrassing Performances in MMA History

MMA often features some of the most exciting displays of competition a fan can see. Unfortunately, it can feature some really embarrassing performances as well.

Some of the most embarrassing bouts were a result of inactivity or a fighter looking like he was just there to collect a paycheck.

You would think the idea of fighting in front of thousands of people in attendance and hundreds of thousands of people watching on TV would be enough motivation for fighters to bring their A game, but the people on this list clearly missed the memo.

Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller

Jason "Mayhem" Miller had everything going for him in his return to the UFC. He gained a spot on the nationally televised The Ultimate Fighter show, he has his own show and he is regarded as a pretty decent fighter.

Nobody mentioned any of this to Michael Bisping.

"The Count" came in and simply ran through "Mayhem" in not only one of MMA's most one-sided beatdowns, but nothing short of embarrassing for Miller, as he gassed very quickly and offered no resistance outside the opening minutes of the bout.

BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson

The original plan for the BJ Penn-Joe Stevenson bout was for an interim title. But when Sean Sherk was stripped of his title, the match escalated into a legit title match.

In what would be the biggest opportunity for Stevenson since winning The Ultimate Fighter, he pulled a no-show and offered nothing against Penn.

Besides the insane beating he took, this match was very embarrassing for Stevenson, as the image of him crying while bleeding all over his face is an image that's been burned into the memory of MMA fans.

Tim Sylvia vs. Andrei Arlovski III

The rubber match between Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski was supposed to feature some fireworks. The first two matches certainly did.

We were instead treated to a five-round heavyweight title match. There's a reason most heavyweight fights don't go to a decision; most tend to willingly engage one another.

Instead, Sylvia seemed content to sit in his rocking chair behind a jab, and Arlovski seemed too timid to be aggressive after getting dropped in their second contest.

If you didn't see this barnburner, check out your local shuffleboard tournament. There's probably more action there than in this embarrassment.

Randy Couture vs. Tito Ortiz

Tito Ortiz believed that the old man Randy Couture had nothing to beat him with when they squared off at UFC 44.

The next 25 minutes would be a lesson in respect, as Couture dominated the much younger Ortiz en route to a unanimous decision win.

Unable to mount any offense against "Father Time," Ortiz positioned himself for a desperation leg lock, only to see himself get even more embarrassed as Couture spanked him.

Chris Lytle vs. Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy made another special request when he "called out" Chris Lytle because he felt Lytle would stand and bang with him.

Lytle, ever the competitor, obliged even though he has excellent ground skills.

Not only did Hardy get outclassed in the standup, but then he shot in for takedowns during the later minutes of the fight.

Hardy embarrassed himself by handpicking yet another opponent and by going for a takedown when he spent weeks giving explanations (excuses) and saying how wrestlers in MMA are boring (via MMAmania.com).

Dear Mr. Hardy: You can't complain about something and then try to do it when it benefits you.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Alistair Overeem

When Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem met each other for a second time, most of the talk focused on if Werdum could last long enough on the feet to get the bout to the ground.

When the two men finally stepped into the cage, the ensuing bout was one of the weirdest ever put on TV.

The fight saw Werdum flop to the ground more than Vlade Divac and beg for Overeem to politely jump into his guard.

What made the fight even weirder and embarrassing for Werdum was that he was winning the majority of striking exchanges and still deemed it necessary to flail on the ground, begging Overeem to follow.

Shinya Aoki vs. Gilbert Melendez

Shinya Aoki was widely considered one of the top lightweights in the world when he was paired up against Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez.

Someone forgot to tell Aoki that MMA stands for mixed martial arts.

While his one-dimensional style worked well for him overseas, Aoki flopped big time in his big opportunity.

Don't waste your time watching the full fight, because if you've ever seen a dog drag its rear end across the floor, that's basically what the bout looked like.

Brett Rogers vs. Alistair Overeem

When Brett Rogers received a title shot against Alistair Overeem, many fans were up in arms over Rogers getting shoved to the head of the line.

Overeem made those fans feel a little better inside with the beating he would lay on Rogers.

What made the bout embarrassing for Rogers was that after finding some initial success in his bout against the immortal (at the time) Fedor Emelianenko, Rogers seemed like a scared child against Overeem.

Rogers was tossed with an impressive Muay Thai trip and thoroughly beaten from bell to bell.

If only Overeem had a woman's wig on, Rogers would've had no problem hitting him then.

Frank Mir vs. Marcio Cruz

Fans envisioned the match between Frank Mir and Marcio Cruz to be an exhibition in high-level grappling, as the two have extensive jiu-jitsu backgrounds.

Instead, Cruz overwhelmed Mir on the feet with his standup and finished the former champion on the ground with punches and elbows.

In case you were wondering what Cruz's standup looks like, this picture should tell you all you need to know.

Mir may get a little bit of a pass because it was his first match since his motorcycle accident, but it seemed as if he wanted no part of being in the cage that night.

Mike Brown vs. Manny Gamburyan

After losing his belt to Jose Aldo, Mike Brown wanted back in the cage ASAP and found himself facing off against Manny Gamburyan.

In the bout, he looked incredibly slow and just didn't seem himself. It was later revealed that Brown was suffering through some major personal issues during his training camp.

Perhaps Brown should've just gotten his life together to save himself from being embarrassed on TV.

Brian Stann vs. Chris Leben

Chris Leben didn't believe Brian Stann would offer any resistance in their matchup at UFC 125.

Leben would be quoted as saying Stann couldn't punch his way out of a wet paper bag.

A few minutes into the match, Leben felt Stann punch his way through his head and subsequently knock Leben to the canvas.

For not having any punching power or ability, Stann certainly didn't have a problem finding "The Crippler's" chin and laying leather to face.

BJ Penn vs. Georges St-Pierre II

For weeks leading up to their climatic showdown, lightweight champion BJ Penn told fans he believed welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was a quitter and didn't work hard.

Then Penn did the unthinkable and quit between rounds.

Besides the fact it was a champion vs. champion bout and a rematch of a highly competitive fight, Penn was outclassed in every facet of the match.

Penn was busy trying to convince us GSP was the one who would falter, only to see the look of doubt creep onto his face more and more as each minute went by.

Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell I

This match was embarrassing for a number of reasons for "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell.

The first was that his vaunted takedown defense seemed to be gone, as Randy Couture was able to take him down in impressive fashion.

The other way this bout was embarrassing was because Liddell, the striker, was out-struck on the feet against Couture.

Most fans predicted an early KO for "The Iceman" if the fight stayed on the feet, but Couture had no issues with Liddell's standup and outclassed the champion in every way possible.

Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez

After the match against Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar found himself in a precarious situation.

Although he was the champion, many people were pegging new challenger Cain Velasquez to handle the UFC megastar.

On the episodes of UFC Primetime leading up to the fight, Lesnar would infamously say Velasquez was not the man to beat him and that he was going to have a Corona and a burrito.

Lesnar seemed to be working more on his dance moves as he flailed around the cage like a drunk frat boy on a Saturday night dance party. GIF makers found their Internet gold after Lesnar's cage dancing.

Nate Quarry vs. Kalib Starnes

Kalib Starnes already had a bit of a reputation for being a softy from his days on The Ultimate Fighter, but after he faced off against Nate Quarry, he had a new reputation.

In one of the most bizarre fights inside the Octagon, Starnes spent the entire 15 minutes running away from Quarry and refused to engage his opponent.

This eventually lead to Quarry mocking Starnes and doing "the running man" to close out the fight. Starnes was quickly released and shunned by the UFC, while Quarry collected his easiest paycheck ever.