The MMA world has seen some pretty massive upsets over the past few years, with some of the most dominant champions in the sport falling to unlikely contenders and changing the landscape of modern-day UFC.
2024 has also had its fair share of shocks when it comes to results inside the octagon. Major title fights have gone the way that many weren’t expecting, and there have also been some comebacks from obscurity that have shocked the world of MMA to, and I’ll be looking at the top 5 in this piece.
Most Shocking Upsets in UFC/DWCS of 2024
5. Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad II – UFC 304
Belal Muhammad‘s decision win over Leon Edwards back at UFC 304 was considered by many to be a massive shock. Edwards came into the July 2024 fight with a four-fight win streak, having defeated Nate Diaz, Kamaru Usman, and Colby Covington on his way to getting the rematch with Muhammad.
Belal Muhammad has opened the floodgates after win over Leon Edwards (Source: es.agfight.com)Edwards had last fought Muhammad back in March 2021 in a fight that would end in a no contest due to an accidental eye poke. However, prior to that, Edwards had not lost a fight since 2015. The Palestinian-American outgrappled Edwards to win the undisputed welterweight title at UFC 304.
Here are the official stats for the fight from UFC.com:
| Category | Leon Edwards | Belal Muhammad | Analysis Notes |
| Total Strikes | 89 (78%) | 192 (68%) | Belal landed more strikes overall, showcasing his aggressive output throughout. |
| Significant Strikes | 47 | 68 | Belal’s higher significant strikes likely contributed to his dominance. |
| Takedowns | 2/2 (100%) | 9/13 (69%) | Belal’s 9 takedowns displayed superior wrestling control, a crucial advantage. |
| Sub. Attempts | 0 | 0 | No submission attempts; the fight was dominated by striking and positional control. |
| Reversals | 2 | 0 | Edwards attempted to reverse positions, showing resilience despite being on defense. |
| Knockdowns | 0 | 0 | No knockdowns; the fight was decided by control and striking volume. |
| Fight Result | Loss | Win | Belal’s unanimous decision win was influenced by his takedowns and striking output. |
4. Yuneisy Duben vs. Shannon Clark – DWCS 70
Yuneisy Duben managed to pull off what is now considered the greatest upset in DWCS history when she threw a knockout blow to Shannon Clark at DWCS 70. Clark came into the fight as an LFA Champion, and her -700 odds showed just how much she was expected to leave the cage with her hand raised.
Yuneisy Duben’s knockout (via MMA Fighting)Duben wasn’t about to let that happen though, even at +450 odds to win, and the incredible right hand that she threw while Clark went for a leg kick stunned the LFA Champ. A fantastic knockout win and a major upset.
3. Ovince Saint Preux vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu – UFC Fight Night 239
Ovince Saint Preux managing to get the split decision win (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over Kennedy Nzechukwu was a shock for two reasons: 1. He was listed as +500 compared to Nzechukwu’s -700 odds, and 2. The fight itself was an absolute barnburner and could be ranked as one of the best fights of the entire year.
Ovince Saint Preux (via Open Source)Despite the win, Sain Preux would go on to lose his next bout against Ryan Spann at UFC 307 via submission. Nzechukwu conversely had far better luck later in the year, winning his next two fights against Chris Barnett (via TKO-Knee to the Body and Punches) and Lukasz Brzeski (TKO-Punches).
Here are the official stats for the fight from UFC.com:
| Category | Ovince Saint Preux | Kennedy Nzechukwu | Analysis Notes |
| Total Strikes | 143 (52%) | 106 (42%) | Ovince landed more strikes overall, displaying higher activity and accuracy. |
| Significant Strikes | 143 | 106 | All of Ovince’s strikes were significant, showing a focus on impactful strikes. |
| Takedowns | 0/2 | 0/1 | No successful takedowns, indicating a striking-focused battle. |
| Sub. Attempts | 0 | 0 | No submission attempts; the fight was contested entirely on the feet. |
| Reversals | 0 | 0 | No reversals occurred, reinforcing the stand-up nature of the bout. |
| Knockdowns | 1 | 0 | Ovince’s knockdown likely swayed the judges in the split decision outcome. |
| Fight Result | Win | Loss | Ovince’s higher striking output and knockdown led to a split decision victory. |
2. Gabriella Fernandes vs. Wang Cong – UFC Fight Night 248
The biggest odds defier in UFC during 2024 came at UFC Fight Night 248. Gabriella Fernandes defeated Wang Cong with a rear-naked choke in the second round at 3:49, defying her +625 expectation against the heavy favourite at -950. Wang Cong had a huge amount of hype behind her heading into UFC’s return to Macau, but Fernandes was having none of that and played spoiler with her submission win.
Gabriella Fernandes [via- UFC]Prior to this fight, ‘The Joker’ Cong had gone undefeated in her MMA career, putting together a 6-0-0 record with two of those wins coming inside the Octagon (vs. Paula Luna at UFC-Road to UFC Season 3: Shanghai Quarterfinals 2 and vs. Victoria Leonardo at UFC on ESPN 62-Cannonier vs. Borralho).
‘Gabi’ Fernandes had gone 1-2 up to that point in the octagon, with all three of those prior fights going to a decision. This just added to the shocking result from Fight Night 248, but it now all depends on how Cong is able to come back from this to establish herself in the flyweight division in MMA’s biggest promotion.
| Category | Wang Cong | Gabriella Fernandes | Analysis Notes |
| Total Strikes | 48 (42%) | 19 (31%) | Wang landed more total strikes, showing better volume in striking exchanges. |
| Significant Strikes | 46 | 18 | Despite lower striking volume, Gabriella focused on landing impactful strikes. |
| Takedowns | 0/1 | 0/2 | Neither fighter succeeded in takedowns |
| Sub. Attempts | 0 | 1 | Gabriella’s submission attempt led directly to her victory |
| Reversals | 0 | 0 | No reversals occurred, but Gabriella secured a submission opportunity. |
| Knockdowns | 0 | 1 | Gabriella’s knockdown likely set up her submission win, showing her dominance. |
| Fight Result | Loss | Win | Gabriella’s knockdown and subsequent submission secured her the victory. |
1. Neil Magny vs. Mike Malott – UFC 297
Mike Malott was undefeated before he got into the octagon with Neil Magny at UFC 297. Magny would take the win via TKO in the third round, giving Malott his first loss in the UFC/DWCS and MMA in general since 2014.
Moments before Neil Magny won the fight against Mike Malott (via Yardbarker)Magny hasn’t been able to capitalise on that success though, with the other two fights he had in 2024 ending in losses. He lost to Michael Morales at UFC on ESPN 62 and Carlos Prates at UFC Fight Night 247), only adding to the initial shock of “The Haitian Sensation” beating Malott in January.
Here are the official stats for the fight from UFC.com:
| Category | Neil Magny | Mike Malott | Analysis Notes |
| Total Strikes | 110 (69%) | 100 (78%) | Magny landed slightly more strikes, though Malott had better accuracy. |
| Significant Strikes | 57 | 45 | Magny’s higher number of significant strikes helped him wear down Malott. |
| Takedowns | 1/2 (50%) | 4/6 (67%) | Malott’s success in takedowns showed grappling superiority but lacked finishing impact. |
| Sub. Attempts | 0 | 0 | No submission attempts; the fight was primarily striking-based. |
| Reversals | 0 | 0 | No reversals, highlighting a controlled pace by both fighters. |
| Knockdowns | 0 | 0 | No knockdowns, but Magny’s endurance and strikes led to a decisive finish. |
| Fight Result | Win (KO/TKO) | Loss | Magny’s ability to outstrike Malott and maintain pressure earned him the TKO win. |
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