A Russian sports publication has compiled a ranking of the 10 worst title fights in UFC history, gathering input from 10 journalists and analysts. Israel Adesanya versus Yoel Romero from 2020 was ranked third on the list. The bout was criticized for its complete lack of action, with only 48 total strikes landed and zero takedown attempts over 25 minutes. The first round featured just one significant strike to the head. Both the elite striker Adesanya and Olympic wrestling medalist Romero remained cautious throughout, with Romero standing in the octagon center while Adesanya circled and threw occasional low kicks, resulting in one of the most inactive title fights in promotion history.
A Russian sports publication has placed the 2020 UFC middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero third on a compiled ranking of the ten worst title bouts in UFC history, drawing on the assessments of ten journalists and analysts.
Adesanya, now 36, entered that contest as the middleweight champion and one of the sport's most celebrated strikers. The Nigerian-born City Kickboxing product carries a professional record of 24-6 and currently sits eighth in the middleweight division. Known for his movement and volume, he averages 4.03 significant strikes landed per minute at 48 percent accuracy across his career — numbers that made the Romero bout a sharp outlier. He stands six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach.
Romero, now 49 and fighting out of American Top Team, brought a 13-5 record and a reputation as one of the most physically imposing wrestlers in the division's history, including an Olympic wrestling medal. Despite averaging 1.57 takedowns per 15 minutes over his career, the Cuban-born southpaw never attempted a single takedown across the full 25 minutes that night.
The result was a historically stagnant championship fight. Only 48 total strikes were landed across five rounds, and the opening round produced just one significant head strike. Adesanya circled the octagon and threw occasional low kicks while Romero occupied the center, and neither man committed to sustained offense at any point in the contest.
Why it matters
- The fight is now formally catalogued among the most criticized title bouts in UFC history by a panel of ten combat sports journalists
- Both fighters were capable of high-level striking and grappling, making the passivity a notable contrast to their career profiles
- The ranking renews discussion around how inactivity in championship fights shaped judging and pacing rules in the years that followed
