When a karate fighter fought the world’s heaviest man in the octagon
When the Quarterfinals of the UFC 3 PPV featured a true David vs. Goliath battle. The early days of UFC did not have a weight class.
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UFC 3 PPV featuring Keith Hackney and Emmanuel Yarbrough (Image Courtesy - MMA Junkie)
Mainstream MMA promotions like the UFC, Bellator, and PFL no longer put on “freak show fights.” Usually, in freak show fights, there exists a deep disparity in size, skill, or experience among the combatants. Fights of this nature happened in the early days of the UFC. There were no official weight classes in MMA bouts. At UFC 3, 200-pound Keith Hackney went head-to-head with 600-pound Emmanuel Yarbrough, with Big John McCarthy officiating the bout.
In the first minute, the big man Yarborough threw Hackney out of the cage with a shove. The fight resumed after Hackney came back into the ring. However, it did not last long as he dropped the big man with multiple strikes and continued to pound on him to get the TKO stoppage. It was a David vs. Goliath gimmick fight in the UFC.
Keith Hackney was a martial arts practitioner with black belts in Kenpo Karate and Taekwondo. He had good striking skills. Emmanuel Yarbrough was a sumo practitioner and once held the Guinness record for the heaviest living athlete. Most fans thought that the size advantage would favor Yarbrough. However, Yarbrough’s size was betrayed by his durability. He could not absorb the punches of Hackney and lost the bout.
The bout was Yarbrough’s first and final appearance in the UFC. However, Hackney returned for the next tournament at UFC 4. He strangled Joe Son to win his first fight at UFC 4. However, the legendary BJJ fighter Royce Gracie submitted him in the tournament’s semifinals.
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Referee Big John McCarthy details UFC 2015 Fight of the Year experience
UFC 189 featured one of the most significant title bouts in the sport’s history. Robbie Lawler defended his welterweight title against Rory MacDonald. The fight was a bloody slugfest, with both fighters exchanging brutal blows back and forth.
Big John McCarthy officiated the bout and had this to say on the seventh anniversary of the fight. He wrote, “7 years ago today these 2 Warriors put everything they had into a 20+minute moment in time that still leaves me in awe today. Hard to explain how much was left in the cage that night….. never forget.“
McCarthy had the opportunity to witness it all inside the cage. He also officiated the freak show fight between Keith Hackney and Emmanuel Yarbrough.
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Nidhin Shibu
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