As we gear up for a heavyweight showdown between big-boned punchers Derrick Lewis and Mark Hunt in New Zealand this Saturday (June 10), let’s take a look at some of the best examples of fighters whose looks have proved to be deceiving.
Big Country
Roy Nelson
Known to celebrate knockout victories by rubbing his rotund gut, Nelson is unkempt and out-of-shape, yet still one of the toughest men on the planet.
The Super Samoan
Mark Hunt
The only thing bigger than Mark Hunt’s chest is the power in his fists. Soft around the edges, the Samoan has viciously knocked out some of the best in the world.
Big Rig
Johny Hendricks
Fluctuating between welterweight and middleweight, Hendricks remains a stranger to muscle definition. Didn’t stop him winning the UFC welterweight title, though.
The Mustache
Timothy Johnson
Overflowing midsection and horse shoe mustache, Timothy Johnson is your next-door-neighbour with deceptive cardio and combat skills.
The Barn Cat
Tamdan McCrory
Bullied as a child for being a ‘nerd’, McCrory exorcised those demons in the best way possible. ‘The Barn Cat’ became a professional fighter.
The Skyscraper
Stefan Struve
Struve is 6’11 with a pasty body, all straight lines, rubbery arms and a baby face. He made his debut at 17 and seemingly hasn’t aged a day since.
McLovin
Dustin Hazelett
Hazelett, the former fighter known as McLovin, the man responsible for some of the coolest submissions in MMA history, was anything but cool.
The Last Emperor
Fedor Emelianenko
Doughy Fedor, before fights, carried the distracted look of a man who had either left the gas on or his house unlocked. He then took this out on his opponent.
*** This feature appears in the July 2017 Fedor icon issue of Fighters Only, OUT NOW ***
