Win, lose, or draw.  Those are the three outcomes fans can expect at the end of every mixed martial arts bout, right?

Wrong.

On some occurrences, fans witness the rare "no contest," which usually means the bout ends in a way that is outside a fighter's control. While most instances involve accidental strikes, such as an inadvertent eye poke or groin blast rendering a fighter unable to continue, some results are overturned after it is discovered one of the fighters entered the cage or the ring with an unfair advantage.

So without further ado, here the top-five examples of fights ruined by circumstance or by drugs.

Honorable Mention: Gray Maynard vs. Robert Emerson | The Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale

This was Maynard's fight to lose, as he seemed to have his way with Emerson throughout the first round. That was until he attempted to slam Emerson onto the canvas with a powerful takedown.

Once the two hit the canvas, Emerson almost tapped out after suffering an injury to his ribs. However, it also appeared Maynard had knocked himself out by driving his forehead into the canvas during the slam. Since both fighters could not continue, it was ruled a no-contest. While Maynard was seen arguing with anyone who would listen, UFC President Dana White commented, "I know one thing--that Maynard was out cold."

Maynard would eventually work his way back to the top, where he would put on some of the most memorable bouts in UFC history against Frankie Edgar. But one has to wonder if he would have gotten there faster if he had kicked off his UFC career with a win instead of one of the most bizarre no-contests in UFC history.


Nov 28, 2015; Seoul, South Korea; Alberto Mina (blue gloves) competes against Yoshihiro Akiyama (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Olympic Gymnastics Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lili Troncale-USA TODAY Sports

5. Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Kazushi Sakuraba | K-1 PREMIUM 2006 Dynamite!!

What should have been the passing of the guard from a Japanese icon, Sakuraba, to a dashing young fighter, Akiyama, quickly turned into one of the most infamous and downright despicable fights in MMA history.

While the bout was originally ruled a TKO win for Akiyama, a world-class Judo practitioner with model-worthy looks, the outcome was almost immediately changed to a no-contest after it was revealed he had coated his body in grease before entering the ring in order to escape Sakuraba's deadly submission game.

What's worse is Akiyama has been accused of inserting brass knuckles under his gloves, which, if true, should have barred him from ever competing inside a ring or cage again.


Feb 19, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Royce Gracie (red gloves) enters the arena prior to his fight against Ken Shamrock (not pictured) during their main event fight at Bellator 149 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

4. Royce Gracie vs. Kazushi Sakuraba II | Dynamite!! USA

The hype around this fight was palpable, as it marked the rematch of what may be the greatest fight in MMA history.  

Gracie and Sakuraba had previously met at the Pride Grand Prix 2000 Finals. Back then, it was billed as the man who put the UFC and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu on the map against the man known as "The Gracie Hunter."  At the end of their initial bout, Sakuraba emerged victorious after a ridiculous 90 minutes of battle, etching his name in MMA lore.

The rematch would come seven years later. At first, it appeared Royce had gotten his revenge after he was awarded the unanimous decision. However, the win was later overturned to a no-contest after Gracie tested positive for anabolic steroids, shattering the hearts of every fan who had looked up to him in the early days of the UFC.


Nov 15, 2015; Melbourne, Australia; Antonio "Bigfoot' Silva (blue gloves) exits the octagon after his bout with Mark Hunt (not pictured) during UFC 193 at Etihad Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

3. Mark Hunt vs. Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva | UFC Fight Night 33

In what has widely been called the greatest heavyweight fight in the history of the UFC, Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva demolished each other for 25 minutes.

By the end of the bout, Hunt's platinum blonde hair had turned pure red, soaked in a combination of his own and his opponent's blood. Bigfoot looked as if he had been hit by an 18-wheeler as he limped to his corner, his white shorts turned a deep shade of crimson.

To cap off the magical performance, the bout was ruled a draw, much to the delight of the sold-out Australian crowd. The two men embraced in front of the erupting fans. But what had become one of the most memorable moments in MMA history quickly came crumbling down, as it was revealed Silva had tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, which all but erased what should have been the Fight of the Year.

It should be noted Hunt's record still shows a "draw" from this bout. Silva's was overturned to no-contest, since he was the one who failed his drug test.

2. Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz | UFC 183

When Anderson Silva defeated Nick Diaz in January 2015, fight fans thought they were witnessing one of the all-time greats regain form. After all, this fight marked Silva's first time inside a UFC Octagon since the grizzly injury that cost him the win against Chris Weidman at UFC 168.

However, it was later announced both Silva and Diaz had failed their out-of-competition drug tests administrated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It was also revealed Silva failed his post-fight drug screening after testing positive for drostanolone (again) as well as the anti-anxiety medications oxazepam and temazepam.

For Diaz, who tested positive for marijuana, this marked the third time he had failed his post-fight drug test. Each time, he tested positive for marijuana metabolites. Diaz had previously tested positive following his 2007 win over Takanori Gomi (more on that later) and again following his 2012 loss to Carlos Condit.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission initially sought a lifetime ban due to Diaz's two previous positive tests but eventually decided a lifetime ban for marijuana was excessive. Diaz's sentence was then dropped to five years before the commission again reduced its penalty against Diaz after a settlement, resulting in a suspension of 18 months (retroactively). He was also fined $100,000.


Jan 31, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Nick Diaz (blue gloves) walks to the ring before a middleweight fight against Anderson Silva (not pictured) during UFC 183 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1. Nick Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi | Pride 33

This fight, for as long as it lasted, was an absolute war. It was Gomi in his prime against a young and hungry Diaz. For two and a half rounds, both men battered each other in front of a sold-out crowd in Las Vegas.

For American fans, it was a delight, as Pride FC rarely ventured overseas from its native Japan. To cap off the extraordinary contest, Diaz slapped on the once-thought-impossible gogoplata, forcing the former Pride lightweight champion to submit.

However, Diaz's THC levels were an astronomical 175, meaning he was absolutely under the influence during the fight. I mark this moment in history as the birth of everyone's favorite Stockton bad boy, as he was essentially skyrocketed into the cult icon status that has followed him ever since.