WATCH: When UFC Fighters Cried: UFC News: Fighters who want to excel in the UFC’s Octagon must control their visceral emotions because MMA frequently elicits emotions of all kinds. Follow UFC News Updates with Insidesport.IN
While the weak allow the same tremendous emotions to impede their development, strong fighters use them to reach their full potential.
None of the 385 UFC fighters is spared from having their highs and lows. UFC is not just fighting your opponent. It comprises abundant emotions involved with the sport and the athletes. Here are some of the instances where the toughest of fighters broke down.
Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jon Jones, Rose Namajunas and Others: Watch UFC Fighters Break Down
Khabib after UFC 254 win: At UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje with a chokehold in less than two rounds to retain his lightweight title.
The finest fighter in the world according to weight fell to the ground in the Octagon after the bout, breaking down and crying in a very poignant moment.
Later, he too declared his retirement.
Khabib Nurmagomedov fought for the first time without his father on his side after his father and longtime mentor Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away in July.
Jon Jones in a press conference: The former light-heavyweight champion of the UFC was overwhelmed by emotion as he denied taking performance-enhancing substances with knowledge before UFC 200.
Although neither Jones nor Kawa identified the drug for which he had tested positive, it was implied that he had consumed a contaminated supplement.
Jones clarified that he had no idea what could have caused the test to come out positive.
Conor after beating Mendes, after losing to Khabib: Conor McGregor knelt in the centre of the Octagon with teary eyes after knocking Chad Mendes to the ground in the second round. Never before in front of a UFC audience had a competitor responded to a battle in such a macho and braggadocious manner.
In the post-UFC 189 press conference, The Notorious addressed why he was moved to tears after capturing the interim featherweight title. He claimed that he hadn’t anticipated how he would respond. But when he actually won, he couldn’t stop his tears as all his efforts and hard work had finally paid off.
Rose Namajunas after beating Jonanna: At UFC 217 on Saturday night, Rose Namajunas pulled off a spectacular upset by knocking out the reigning champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the first round to claim the women’s strawweight championship.
With a vicious left hook and a barrage of blows, Namajunas knocked out her opponent and forced a stoppage at 3:03, preventing Jedrzejczyk from matching Ronda Rousey’s women’s record of six consecutive championship defences.
After the bout, Namajunas was seized with emotion and broke down in tears in the cage as she realised her career dream after a life of adversity.
Daniel Cormier after losing against Jon Jones in the rematch : Daniel Cormier is one of the toughest fighters in UFC. He held the 205-pound title for a year and a half while Jon Jones was out of action for either suspension or injury. The only professional loss he had suffered before the night was to Jones in 2015 and he worked tirelessly to get this rematch at UFC 214.
So when he was knocked out by a head kick and subsequent punches in the main event on Saturday night in Anaheim, California, it should come as no surprise that the former champion was incredibly emotional. As Jones was announced as the new champion, Cormier, who suffered a concussion in the fight, was shown crying on his coach’s shoulder as it sunk in that he was truly defeated.
Belal Muhammad after winning at UFC Vegas 21: At UFC Vegas 21, Belal Muhammad faced Leon Edwards, who presented him with the biggest test of his UFC career. But after Edwards unintentionally poked Muhammad in the eye in round 2, the massive welterweight fight was declared a no-contest. Muhammad started crying in pain just after the unpleasant eye poke. After the incident, “Remember the Name” developed swelling in his right eye.
Edwards was Muhammad’s opponent in the first career main event of his career. The 32-year-old Belal Muhammad, who was hoping to compete for the title if he won, was severely disappointed by the no-contest decision.
Gilbert Burns After Losing at UFC 258: Gilbert Burns broke down in tears as his coach comforted him after Kamaru Usman defeated him. Later, as the champion complimented Durinho, the two warriors embraced.
In the main event of UFC 258, Kamaru Usman created history by successfully defending his UFC welterweight championship against former teammate Gilbert Burns. With a lightning-quick jab, The Nigerian Nightmare brought down Durinho, and as soon as Burns hit the earth, he rained down a barrage of lefts and rights, causing referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the fight in the third round.
Brandon Moreno after winning the UFC title for the first time: The transformation of Brandon Moreno from UFC castoff to champion was completed in UFC 263.
At UFC 263 on Saturday, Moreno defeated Deiveson Figueiredo via submission in the third round to win the flyweight championship, becoming the first person from Mexico to do so and the only fighter to do it in their second stint with the organisation.
Monero found it challenging to suppress his emotions after winning. During the press conference, he declared that he was happy from the bottom of his heart and then he began to cry. He believed that the occasion was unique for the folks who had helped him along the way.
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