While size may prove advantageous during instances of hand-to-hand combat, the larger competitor certainly does not always prevail— particularly when the smaller fighter comes in with an advantage in speed, skill or dexterity. The age-old story of David and Goliath is one whereby the smaller of the two combatants overcomes towering odds to topple his colossal foe, and one that has been replicated at various sporting events in combat sports history. Let’s take a stroll through time and take a closer look at fights where an overwhelming size disparity was overcome.
5) Little Man vs. Big Man
Not all fights on this list have to be of the professional variety. This well-known street fight went viral across social media— mostly due in part to the protagonist in this barnburner— a much smaller man serving a knockout punch with panache.
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4) Mark Potter vs. Tomasz Czerwinski
In a mixed martial arts bout contested in UK organization, UCMMA, Mark Potter gave up a whopping 150 lbs in his fight with the gargantuan Czerwinski, but it took a mere jab in the very first round to chop the giant down to size— sending him crashing to the canvas and proving once more that being larger does not necessarily ensure victory in a fight.
3) Conor McGregor vs. The Mountain
When Game of Thrones star, The Mountain, clashed with Conor McGregor, it set the stage for a highly compelling sparring session. Perhaps the outcome would have been different if the two were going all-out, but McGregor clearly got the better of his enormous opponent during this friendly contest— lighting him up with blistering combinations to the body and seemingly enjoying every second of it.
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2) Keith Hackney vs. Emmanuel Yarborough
In the early days of UFC, we finally got to see what happened when fighters of different sizes and skill-sets were matched against one another. When Emmanuel Yarbrough met up against Keith Hackney, he outweighed him by nearly 400 lbs! The result was one that many in attendance did not expect. Hackney used his speed and his striking advantage to capitalize on the larger and slower man, stopping him with strikes in the very first round.
1) Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong-man Choi
Widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, Fedor Emelianenko was not exactly considered an underdog coming into his fight with 7’2, 350 lbs giant Hong-man Choi, but he certainly looked the part. Choi succumbed to Emelianenko in the first round when he fell victim to an armbar in what became one of the most iconic moments in mixed martial arts history.
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