Russian MMA media outlet "Na Sporte" compiled a ranking of the 10 worst UFC title fights in history, based on input from 10 journalists including Oleg Volodin, Grigoriy Stangrit, and others. The author's personal pick for third-worst was Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero from 2020, a fight he described as exceptionally boring with only 48-40 total strikes landed and 0-1 head strikes in the first round. The bout featured Romero standing in the octagon center while Adesanya cautiously landed low kicks, with zero takedown attempts over 25 minutes. The article notes that despite both fighters being an elite striker and Olympic wrestling medalist respectively, they became trapped in mutual caution and produced one of the most tedious title fights. The full ranking includes fights like Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia and other historically criticized championship bouts.
