It happens everywhere. There are fighters who are in fear of getting knocked out and fall before getting killed like Bo Cantrell did against Kimbo Slice, or those who are simply out of breath, or losing the fight who fake getting hit by an illegal strike. The best examples are almost every Bob Sapp fight ever and some of the MMA events in your area. They happen everywhere and in a nutshell – athletes will do anything to win – even look like a jack ass.
Let’s look at three obvious times fighters won an Academy Award in the cage.
#3 Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley (UFC 113)
Thankfully someone made a video of this epic acting job. In trouble, Koscheck seized the opportunity to regain his composure when Daley threw a knee at him while Josh was on the ground. This type of strike is considered illegal when three of your four limbs are touching the mat. It barely touched him, but good old Koscheck nailed one hell of an acting performance shortly after it. At least Daley got a sucker punch in after the fight to even the score.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2I5s68bDvU
The revenge shot.
#2 Mario Saeed (Cage Warriors 72)
Saeed took on Azi Thomas at Cage Warriors 72 and was on the receiving end of an illegal upkick. After getting clocked he looks at the ref like “bro, do you even referee” and then closes his eyes like he’s trying to sleep, flops backwards, and lands softly on the pillow-like cage mat securing the DQ win. We guess he needed the money and not the respect. What do you think? Do you blame him?
#1 Derek Mehmen vs. Rolles Gracie (World Series of Fighting 5)
This is just embarrassing all around. This was on TV. Let that sink in. You have a chance to shine and throw the fight, or at least he made it look like it. Gracie eats a weak punch and then does his best Ric Flair impression by flopping on his face WWE style. It’s unforgivable and unprofessional, but hey at least Mehmen can say he “beat” a Gracie.
Ric Flair shows him how it’s done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTvX8fIWXm4
There are many more, but these are three of our favorites of all time.