Sometimes you need to take a break from all of the news, rumors, and fight card changes. It can all get a bit overwhelming, we know. So stop worrying about whether or not that fighter is gonna pull out of that pay-per-view in vegas that you already bought flights, hotels and tickets for. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy these 10 MMA gifs that will hopefully at the very least bring a smile to your face.
Hey, who did that?
If you’ve ever seen an episode of The Ultimate Fighter, you know that shenanigans are just a part of the deal. Whether it’s floating someone’s bed in the pool, defacing the other team’s pictures, or the timeless “hide a bucket of water on top of the door” trick, there’s always something going on. Now this one was pretty mild, but apparently Joe Lauzon doesn’t like a little friendly tap on the tush. Or at least not when it’s caught on camera.
And you thought your job was hard?
Surely you recognize the two guys pushing each other and throwing punches but could you imagine being that guy trying to separae them? That is Dave Sholler, the current UFC VP of PR, and director of communications at the time. He was standing in for Dana White that day and hopefully he demanded a raise immediately afterward. No one has been able to slow down Jon Jones yet but it was a valiant effort Dave. At least the banner broke your fall.
What the hell is in my ear!?
In the pre-Reebok days, fighters used to make a bunch of extra dough by hanging a banner on the octagon before the fight. Businesses would get their logo on TV for a few seconds and the fighter could afford to feed his kids – a win win situation. This time though, the banner went slightly rogue and tried to tell BJ Penn a secret. It’s fairly obvious that he was not particularly amused.
Why so serious?
That’s Fabricio Werdum, the current heavyweight champ of the UFC. If you’re familiar with Werdum, you’ve probably seen this “happy face” before, since he busts it out all the time: in the octagon after winning the belt, at the post fight press conference sitting next to Dana White, and now, during a faceoff with the next title challenger. He claims its based on the Joker from the old school batman movies and it’s actually not that far off.
Attack of the water bottle
After any win in the octagon that is not a main event, there’s a routine that most fighters will follow. They’ll turn towards the camera, smile, raise a closed fist, then walk towards the cage door. It’s pretty much what everyone does. Usually your coaches are there too, doing the same thing. So when Cub Swanson knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 152, he knew exactly what to do. Unfortunately, one of Cub’s coaches didn’t get that memo and he paid the price for it.
Hey honey, look!
If you’re a fighter or a celebrity sitting in the front row at a UFC event, chances are that you’re going to be put on camera at some point. Once you’re on camera, there are only three things you can do: humbly smile and wait, graciously smile and wave, or hold a closed fist and furrow your brow. So when it was Mickey Rourke’s turn, he knew exactly which option he wanted. His date on the other hand, decided to just play smug and make Mickey look like a douche. Not cool.
Oops, my bad!
No one was stopping Jon Jones at UFC Live in March of 2010. Brandon Vera didn’t and this security guard sure didn’t either. On his way out to the octagon, Jonny Bones caught this guy with a pretty solid right hand. The security guard took it pretty well in stride, though he appeared to need some help from the handler behind him. Believe it or not, Judge Cecil Peoples still scored the round 10-9 for the security guard though.
Stop hitting yourself!
Being active from the bottom position isn’t the easiest thing to pull off. Sure, you can tie up the other guy’s arms and hope for a stand-up, but if that takes too long, you’re gonna be on the losing end of the round. Of course you could use your jiu-jitsu skills to threaten a few subs but most judges don’t score that kinda stuff very high either. So you’re left with one option: punch the guy. Easier said than done.
Awkwaaard…
Did that really just happen? There aren’t very many outcomes worse than getting knocked out cold. Unless you could embarass yourself while unconscious, then ok, that would definitely be worse. You know the old, “add insult to injury” saying? Well this gif is pretty much the epitome of that. Sure, it’s all probably just a coincidence, but it definitely looks like that guy got knocked back to his childhood bedroom at the age of 13.
Boop!
So stare downs are usually pretty intense. Both guys hold up their fists, lock eyes, and keep edging closer until Dana White separates them or an all out brawl ensues. Other times, something completely unexpected happens. Sean O’Connell doesn’t subscribe to that mentality though. His stare downs are always unique, to say the least. If you were wondering, he went on to win that fight by knockout in the third round, plus a fight of the night bonus.
