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5 of the biggest upsets in UFC history

Some of the greatest, most shocking, and jaw-dropping moments ever seen in the UFC Octagon

By Thomas Albano

UFC 293: Adesanya v Strickland
UFC 293: Adesanya v Strickland / Mark Evans/GettyImages
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"Expect the unexpected." It might be a bit of a cliche saying, but it's one that fits right well in with the world of Mixed Martial Arts.

And boy, oh boy, has the UFC seen its fair share of upsets.

The underdog has been an integral and ingrained part of sports culture, with its idea portrayed across countless forms of media from music to movies and TV shows. And there's a reason for it — the underdog coming up and rising above all expectations, taking many people by surprise, is a tale that is always one that churns plenty of varying emotions within us.

Name almost any competition from sports or beyond and you are certain to find at least one example of a major upset happening. And whenever one does happen these days, social media always finds itself buzzing.

Anything can happen in the UFC and the following five examples showcase just that.

Before we go into these examples, some criteria that should be laid out. There are plenty of examples of some great upsets happening in the Octagon, so coming up with a top five for this can be quite the tall task.

But the following will go into consideration for the five selections: The magnitude of the result, any high stakes surrounding the bout (in other words, if a title, undefeated record, or long winning streak was on the line), the dominance of the individual who tasted defeat in the upset, what later happened to the winning fighter who pulled the upset off, and (if available) the odds surrounding the fight.

And so that no one has sour feelings, let's shout out the following honorable mentions:

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