Who Is the Mma Fighterwith the Funny Face Offs
Who would've ever guessed that drawn out eye contact could get weird? Staredowns are part of the job in the fight game. Primarily at the ceremonial weigh-ins, fighters will step on the scale and then in front of their future foe. That's not the only time fighters will come nose-to-nose, however. Media scrums, press conferences and even the streets have seen their fair share of intense face-offs.
Mutually beneficial for press and athletes because it garners attention to the event and fighters, staredowns have been prolific with highlights beyond the fights themselves. These staredowns have not always gone as expected though. Making an impression, letting personality out or even an awkward and odd sight to see, face offs have repeatedly strayed from average.
10 Jon Jones Vs Anthony Johnson
Jon Jones' career almost seems as if it's held together by red tape. Jon's bout prior to being slated against Anthony Johnson saw him decisively defeat Daniel Cormier, in what is regarded as one of MMA's most heated rivalries. Jones and Cormier gave the UFC quite the scare at a media event. The two fighters went from forehead to forehead, to pushing, to fighting in the lobby of the MGM Grand.
Fast-forward to Jon Jones vs Anthony Johnson. A bout left unfulfilled, this particular 'rivalry' went as far as seeing a press conference. A cautious Dana White stood between Jones and Johnson. A very familiar situation began to unravel as foreheads clashed. Dana then frantically stepped between the fighters. No mayhem this time, as Jon and Anthony both broke out into laughter and shook hands. A better prank on Dana White doesn't exist.
9 Mike Perry Vs Hyun Gyu Lim
First impressions really do go a long way. Former UFC Welterweight Mike Perry kicked in the proverbial door at the much-anticipated UFC 202 ceremonial weigh-ins. Making your debut on a McGregor card is the gift of a lifetime. McGregor has been the crosshair, or at least close to it, of the media's lenses from 2013 to present. With that being said, UFC 202 was certainly a hub for attention.
After walking up to the stage, Perry had a little detour to greet the four ring girls present. Mike then hit the scale, flexed, and waited for his opponent, Hyun Gyu Lim. Lim walked up and did his weigh in, nothing terribly out of the ordinary. A fired up Perry extended a handshake as Lim approached for the staredown. As Lim reached to shake Mike's hand, Perry quickly retracted said hand. "Thought you had a friend, boy?" was shouted by Perry, and punctuated by a scream as Mike engaged a fighting stance. Mike Perry is a wildly entertaining man, it's no wonder that this staredown was a bizarre one.
8 Stefan Struve Vs Pat Barry
Fighters come in all shapes, sizes and heights. The Heavyweight division, ranging from 206 pounds to 265 pounds, really broadens the types of builds you'll see between fighters. Pat Barry was a well known heavyweight fighter with an easy to like personality. Additionally, you'll see Pat around currently, as He's the fiancé of UFC Strawweight champion Rose Namajunes.
Stefan Struve is an easy to recognize fellow in his own right. Be it the warming smile, the wingspan, or maybe the astounding fact that he's 7 feet tall. Struve has taken part in a few bouts that featured the largest height discrepancy -- including his bout with Pat Barry. Struve took to the scale and was positioned in the appropriate spot for the staredown. Barry, however, had other plans. Pat jokingly stayed on the scale for the face-off originally, but finally stepped down so that fans could really see the height differential.
7 Israel Adesanya Vs Yoel Romero
Adesanya and Romero really covered any genre of staredown one could think of. Particularly odd was the final staredown before fight day. The two athletes seemed to be cordial, even engaging in an impromptu dance battle days before.
The cordiality seemed to have paused at the ceremonial weigh-in. Neither fighter wanted to break eye-contact. Adesanya and Romero stood there staring at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time, as Joe Rogan stood there seemingly enjoying every moment.
6 Cody Garbrandt Vs Dominic Cruz
What was strange about the staredown between Cody Garbrandt and Dominic Cruz was how the roles were reversed right there. The entire buildup of the fight was Dominic claiming that Cody was overly emotional. Cruz played it calm and did at times seem to get under the skin of Garbrandt.
The staredown is where things switched and foreshadowed the fight itself. Cody looked relaxed and carefree, whereas Dominic was biting on every gesture of Cody. Cruz even got heated and tried to rush towards Cody, and Garbrandt responded simply by sticking his chin up towards Cruz.
5 Khabib Nurmagomedov Vs Tony Ferguson
This is possibly the most disappointing storyline in MMA because of how this fight so often never came into fruition. The storyline between these two is quite the weird story in and of itself. Moreover, a staredown where we really saw the disdain between both athletes shook up the media.
Khabib has a notoriously strong mentality, his temper flaring is a rare sight. Tony managed to crack that barricade at the UFC 249 Press conference. Ferguson put his interim belt on the floor in between himself and the champ, Nurmagomedov. Tony offered many looks in his staredown, from a wrestling stance to more of the well-known Ferguson funky stuff. Khabib eventually had enough and kicked the floored interim belt of Ferguson.
4 Cody Garbrandt Vs Sean O'Malley
Squaring off with your opponent is the norm. But for two fighters, in (at the time) separate weight classes, that have their current opponents present? That's a new one. Sean and Cody have butted heads before. Both fighters shared a spot on UFC 250. Garbrandt and O'Malley were the two conversation pieces in the Knockout Of The Night conversation for said card, which carried into more trash-talk between the two.
The tension continued when both fighters were present for a UFC 269 press conference. Sean and Cody aimed their words at each other more than their contracted opponents. In hopes to plant a seed to fight a former champion, Sean O'Malley requested that he and Cody square up. This impromptu staredown wasn't given much time, but it was enough to become a highlight for the press conference.
3 Sean O'Connell Vs Matt Van Buren
When fans discuss hilarious moments that the UFC has produced, Sean O'Connell is cemented into that conversation. A funny guy that just so happens to know how to fight, Sean really let his personality shine at the weigh-ins.
A very stoic Van Buren stood opposite of O'Connell. Nonetheless, Sean's going to do what Sean's going to do. O'Connell placed an ever-so-delicate boop on the nose of his opponent. Dana had to step in, which might've even added to the levity of the situation.
2 Ion Cuțelaba Vs Magomed Ankalaev I
Ion Cuțelaba might just be the most intense person in combat sports. Ion takes the weigh in's and staredowns very seriously and uses these moments to get a mental edge on his opponents. It's even a customary scene for Cuțelaba to force a staredown moments before the fight.
Magomed Ankalaev isn't one to shy away from an intense situation. When Bruce Buffer was introducing these fighters, Ion did his routine and marched towards his opponent. Ankalaev wouldn't let Cuțelaba have this moment, and marched forwards also. This staredown, moments before the fight mind you, nearly turned into the fight itself. A scuffle was quickly separated and the event went on as usual. However, that itself was far from the normal introduction or staredown.
1 Anderson Silva Vs Chris Weidman
Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman went beyond the normal in a couple of ways. Staredowns are often intense, but a stern Silva is another level. Weidman's fighting style was hinted at in this face-off, with him holding his ground.
From intense to comical, neither fighter backing down resulted in a championship peck on the lips. Chris Weidman flipped the intensity off like a switch and even joked about it immediately after when Joe Rogan inquired about kissing Anderson.
Source: https://www.thesportster.com/ufc-weirdest-staredowns/
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