Joanna, Author at SportsBettingMaverick

10 Best UFC Records – A List Of The Most Unbreakable Records

List Of The UFC Records:

Heavyweight UFC Fighter
The Youngest UFC Champion
Most Takedowns in one UFC Fight
Fastest UFC Knockout
Longest UFC Title Reign
Most Wins By Submission in the UFC
UFC Event With the Most Pay-Per-Views
Oldest UFC Champion
Fastest Knockout in A Title Fight
Most Bouts in The UFC

#10 – Heavyweight UFC Fighter – Emmanuel Yarbrough

The heaviest fighter that competed in the history of the UFC is Emmanuel Yarbrough, who weighed in at a whopping 616 lbs. He fought Kevin Hackney at UFC 3, who was 400 lbs lighter than Emmanuel.

At the time, there were no weight limits, and that’s why that big weight difference was allowed. Today, the UFC Heavyweight division has a weight limit of 265 lbs.

I’ve to say that this is an unofficial UFC record since this fighting promotion started their records after the UFC 28 event.

#9 – The Youngest UFC Champion – Jon Jones

Jon Jones is undoubtedly one of the greatest MMA fighters in history. In 2011, he set the record for being the youngest champion in the UFC when he brutally TKO’d Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128.

Jon was 23 years old when he became the new undisputed light-heavyweight UFC champion of the world. This record will remain one of the most unbreakable UFC records since UFC champions are primarily in their late 20s or early 30s.

Besides this record, Jon Jones holds the record for the most title defenses in UFC history—13.

#8 – Most Takedowns in one UFC Fight – Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov is among the best MMA fighters ever. In 2020, Nurmagomedov retired with a perfect undefeated record of 29-0. His fighting style included elite wrestling and grappling, which made his opponents feel absolutely exhausted.

He completed the most takedowns in UFC history in 2013 at UFC 160 when he destroyed Abel Trujillo, showcasing a wrestling spectacle, completing a record-breaking 21 takedowns.

Besides that record, Khabib is among the best UFC fighters in completed takedowns with 59.

#7 – Fastest UFC Knockout – Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal is an MMA fighter who has fought for 20 years in MMA and is considered one of the best brawlers and knockout artists.

He broke the record for the fastest-ever knockout in the UFC when he knocked out Ben Aksren in 2019 at UFC 239. Jorge landed a flying knee on Ben just five seconds into the first round, knocking Askren out.

#6 – Longest UFC Title Reign – Anderson Silva

One of the best and most unbreakable records ever set in the UFC was the longest title reign of Anderson Silva, which lasted 2,457 days. Nicknamed “The Spider,” Silva is among the MMA GOATS and one the most impressive strikers in all mixed martial arts. He retired in 2020.

This one record seems hard to beat since the 2nd fighter with the longest UFC title reign is Demetrious Johnson, with 2,142 days, who left the UFC in 2018. In addition, the 3rd place holds Georges St-Pierre, who held his title for 2,064 days, and he’s retired too. So, this record probably won’t be broken anytime soon.

#5 – Most Wins By Submission in the UFC – Charles Oliveira

The former lightweight UFC champion holds the fascinating record for the most submission wins in history with 16. He’s a black belt in Brazilian jiujitsu, and he submitted his opponents using multiple jiujitsu techniques like the rear-naked choke, guillotine choke, anaconda choke, triangle choke, calf slicer, etc.

Charles is still an active fighter in the UFC and will most likely extend this fascinating record in the near future.

#4 – UFC Event With the Most Pay-Per-Views – Khabib vs McGregor

The most pay-per-view buys ever recorded in a single UFC event was 2,400,000. This event headlined a championship fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. No doubt that for a long time, we won’t see an event that’ll exceed the amount of bought pay-per-views than that one.

What’s also interesting is that McGregor also headlined the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th event with the most pay-per-view buys in the history of the UFC.

#3 – Oldest UFC Champion – Randy Couture

A UFC Heavyweight legend, Randy Couture holds one of the most remarkable and best UFC records of all time. He became the oldest UFC Champion at the age of 45. He was mostly known for being a great wrestler and excellent in the ground and pound department.

Randy also reclaimed the heavyweight title three times and even became a champion after the UFC inducted him into their Hall of Fame.

#2 – Fastest Knockout in A Title Fight – Conor McGregor

Knockouts are impressive feats, even if they occur at the end of the fight. But when they happen fast and in a championship bout, that is a whole new level of excitement for the fans.

Conor holds the record for the fastest knockout in a championship fight when he knocked out Jose Aldo in 2015 at UFC 196 in just 13 seconds.

He took the belt from Aldo in an impressive fashion and became the UFC Featherweight Champion.

#1 – Most Bouts in The UFC – Jim Miller

The veteran Jim Miller holds the outstanding UFC record for the most UFC bouts with 43. His first fight in the UFC was back in 2008, and he’s regarded as one of the most consistent fighters as well since he has fought a minimum of two times per year since 2008.

This UFC record will possibly remain unbroken for a long time.

*featured image taken from YouTube.

Ranking The Worst NBA Teams Of All Time – 10 Squads With Historically Poor Records

#10 – 2002/03 Cleveland Cavaliers

Record and winning percentage: 17-65 (.207)

Basketball fans are familiar that the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise isn’t among the best in the NBA, and the 2002/03 squad was probably the worst in the club’s history. Although, they had two seasons that ended with 15 wins (1970/71 and 1981/82).

In terms of scoring, these Cavaliers were 25th out of 29 teams with 91.4 PPG and the second-worst NBA team in conceded PPG with 101.0.

This Cleveland Cavaliers team only won 17 games, and their on-court performance was horrible, to say at least, and hard to watch for the fans. They did surprise many of their beloved fans when they beat the, at the time, NBA champions, the LA Lakers, in the fourth game of the season. After that, they had a 15-loss streak.

The Cavaliers’ 02/03 season was disastrous, but they still managed to get the first pick of the 2003 NBA draft, their future superstar, Lebron James.

Also, players like Ricky Davis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas were the bright stars who carried the team and didn’t let the Cavaliers end the season with a worse winning percentage. Davis averaged 20.6 points per game, while Ilgauskas managed to get 17.2 points per game.

#9 – 2000/01 Chicago Bulls

Record and winning percentage: 15-67 (.183)

The Bulls’ post-Jordan era was unimpressive, and the team was rebuilding. This season, Chicago had eight rookies on its roster and only a few veterans of the game. The majority of the rookies left the Bulls after a couple of years, but the one who stood out from the rest was Jamal Crawford.

The 20-year-old Jamal averaged 9.3 points and 2.4 assists per game. The star of this subpar team was Elton Brand, who had impressive numbers, averaging 20.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

At the 2001 NBA Draft, the Bulls made a strange decision when they traded their best player, Elton Brand, for the 2nd pick of the draft, Tyson Chandler. Even though Chandler was a solid contributor to the team in his five-year stint at the Bulls, he wasn’t nearly as good as Brand.

They also got Eddy Curry, who was the 4th pick at the draft.

This season was horrendous because they had too many rookies who weren’t great. Also, they were the worst NBA team in PPG with 87.6 and 17th in conceded PPG with 96.7.

#8 – 1982/83 Houston Rockets

Record and winning percentage: 14-68 (.171)

One of the toughest seasons for the Houston Rockets was the 1982/83 season, with only 14 wins. This team was in the middle of a rebuild, with zero stars and a few experienced players. When we look at their roster, even die-hard basketball enthusiasts will have a hard time remembering the best players of this Rockets team.

The star player on the roster was Allen Leavell, who led the team in scoring with 14.8 PPG, 6.7 APG, and 2.1 steals per game. The team’s power forward, James Bailey, was also helpful on the offense, averaging 14.1 PPG, and on defense, with 6.8 RPG (4.3 defensive RPG).

Apart from this duo, the whole team was struggling offensively, given the fact that they were 21st out of 23 teams (99.3 PPG) in the league in terms of scoring. On the other hand, they were 14th in conceded PPG (110.9).

This Rockets team was reasonably good defensively, but their offense was severely lacking, which was the ultimate reason for their poorest season in history.

However, the Houston Rockets did recover a couple of years later when the NBA superstar Hakeem Olajuwon joined the team.

#7 – 2004/05 Atlanta Hawks

Record and winning percentage: 13-69 (.159)

A sad season for the Atlanta Hawks fans was 2004/05. This team was among the worst NBA teams defensively and offensively as well. They averaged only 92.7 PPG, one of the worst offense seasons in NBA history. Also, the Hawks were 29th in the league with 102.5 conceded PPG. They went on to lose 13 and 14 games in a row.

Constant changes in the roster were no help to the Hawks since the rookie Josh Childress was the most consistent player, playing 75 games in the season with 10.1 PPG. Besides Josh Childress, another rookie who provided a glimmer of hope for the Hawks’ future was Josh Smith, who averaged 9.7 PPG and was one of their best players in the upcoming seasons.

Atlanta also traded their star player, Jason Terry, for seasoned veterans Gary Payton and Tom Gugliotta, who were 36 and 35 years old, respectively. What’s even more bizarre is that the Hawks waived Payton, who went back to Boston, where Jason Terry was traded.

But still, players like Al Harrington and Antoine Walker managed to steer the Hawks away from an even worse season. Harrington averaged 17.5 PPG, while Walker averaged 20.4 PPG.

The Hawks were terrible because they had many players with little experience and veterans who were past their prime.

#6 – 1986/87 Los Angeles Clippers

Record and winning percentage: 12-70 (.146)

The 1986/87 wasn’t just one season in the franchise when they were. This LA Clippers team was poor throughout the entire 80s. In the 86/87 season, they were doomed from the beginning since they failed to get a first-draft pick from the 1986 NBA Draft, and the owner didn’t want to spend money to bring in top-quality basketball players.

Also, the team’s lead player, Marques Johnson, was injured for most of the season, playing only ten games with 16.6 PPG.

In Johnson’s absence, the squad’s most prolific point-scorer was Michael Cage, who put in some impressive numbers, averaging 15.7 PPG and 11.5 RPG.

The Clippers were below average on both ends, even though seven players on the roster averaged more than 10 PPGs. Offensively, they were 21st out of 23 teams with 104.5 PPG, and defensively, they were 22nd with 115.9 PPG conceded, which is a testament to an overall embarrassing season. Also, they had losing streaks of 12, 14 as well as 16 games.

#5 – 2009/10 New Jersey Nets

Record and winning percentage: 12-70 (.146)

The very start of the 2009/10 season was one of the worst for the Nets since they lost 18 games in a row. Before the season began, this team got a new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, who sold numerous players, including the star player Vince Carter.

The New Jersey team struggled on both sides of the court since they were the last in the league with only 92.4 PPG and 17th in the league with 101.5 PPG conceded. This wasn’t really a surprise since they had so few consistent point-scorers and a lack of star power.

Undoubtedly, the best player on the Nets roster was Brook Lopez, who scored 18.8 PPG with 8.6 PPG. Apart from him, point guard Devin Harris was a solid contributor to the team, averaging 16.6 PPG with 6.6 APG.

What’s pretty strange is that New Jersey also changed the head coach 3 times in one season.

The 2009/10 season was a true nightmare for their fans.

#4 – 1992/93 Dallas Mavericks

Record and winning percentage: 11-71 (.134)

The 1992/93 Dallas Mavericks were the worst NBA team in that season, with only 11 wins. They were offensively the second-worst team in the NBA in terms of PPG, with only 99.3, and the last team in conceded points per game (114.5).

This Dallas team was unlucky since the All-Star player Fat Lever was out for the whole season because of an injury. Another key player, Roy Tarpley, was suspended since he had issues with substance and alcohol abuse, too.

The Mavericks had a few good players, like Derek Harper, who had 18.2 PPG and 5.4 APG, and the rookie Jim Jackson, who averaged 16.3 and 4.7 but only played for 28 games.

The Dallas Mavericks really struggled throughout the whole season and even had a 4-57 record. Nevertheless, they still somehow got 7 more wins, finishing this horrible season with a .134 winning percentage.

#3 – 1997/98 Denver Nuggets

Record and winning percentage: 11-71 (.134)

The number three spot on the list of the worst NBA teams of all time goes to the 1997/98 Denver Nuggets. They had a tough season, scoring only 89 points per game and ranked 26th out of 29 teams in conceded points per game (100.8).

The Nuggets started the season with 0-12, and later in the season, they had losing streaks of 16 and 23 games too.

They failed to re-sign the legendary Dikembe Mutombo, leaving them with no superstars in the team. The Denver Nuggets also got the 3rd pick in the draft lottery and chose Raef LaFrentz, even though they could’ve chosen players like Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, or Vince Carter.

Eric Williams was impressive, averaging 19.8 PPG, but he only played four times during the season. LaPhonso Ellis and Johnny Newman were more consistent and averaged 14.3 and 14.7 PPG, respectively.

No one can deny that the performance of the 97/98 Denver Nuggets was an all-time low for the franchise.

#2 – 1972/73 Philadelphia 76ers

Record and winning percentage: 9-73 (.110)

The second NBA team on this list is the 1972/73 Philadelphia 76ers, who finished the season with one of the worst NBA records ever, with only 9 wins. Just six seasons before, Philadelphia won the NBA title.

A once-proud NBA franchise made a couple of bad management decisions by trading Wilt Chamberlain for far less efficient players, which ultimately led to the team’s demise.

On both sides of the court, the Sixers were abysmal, with only 104.1 PPG, and they were the worst NBA team when we look at the conceded PPG (116.2). On different occasions, this team had four consecutive losing streaks: 13, 14, 15, as well as 20 games.

Putting aside the dreadful season, the Sixers had a couple of solid contributors. Fred Carter was the leader, scoring 20.0 PPG. Then there was John Block with 17.9 PPG, and also Tom Van Arsdale, who averaged 17.7 PPG.

#1 – 2011/12 Charlotte Bobcats

Record and winning percentage: 7-59 (.106)

The worst NBA team ever to grace the basketball court was the 2011/12 Charlotte Bobcats. They were last in the league regarding PPG with only 87.0 and 27th in conceded PPG (100.9). Throughout the 2011/12 campaign, the Charlotte Bobcats were just atrocious, ending the season with a terrible streak of 23 losses. A sad fact was that the second worst team after the Bobcats was the Wizards, who had 13 more wins.

Gerald Henderson and Corey Maggette were the best players in terms of scoring, with 15.1 and 15.0 PPG, respectively. The rookie Kemba Walker was also solid, with 12.1 PPG and 4.4 APG.

In this shortened season because of the lockout, the Bobcats weren’t so lucky even in the 2012 NBA Draft since they got Michael Kidd-Gilchrist as the 2nd pick instead of the better prospect, Anthony Davis.

The Rise Of European NBA Players – How The Best European Players Are Shaping The League’s Future

Why Are European Basketball Players On The Rise?

Below, I’ll delve deeper into why European basketball players are making such a great impact on the NBA.

Talent and Work Ethic

NBA players from Europe are often praised due to their exceptionally high basketball IQ and versatility. They have an impressive all-around skill set, including good off-ball movement, great passing, strong defense, and unique scoring techniques.

All those skills help them to be successful in multiple positions on the court, which translates into the teams’ success. European players often get positive recognition because of their hard work ethic, discipline, and nurturing of teamwork. They also adapt quickly to the NBA, given the fact that they are well-prepared, tactically as well as technically.

Scouting

A few decades ago, NBA teams didn’t invest much energy and time into bringing in European players. Mainly because there have been a couple of first-round pick busts, such as Jan Vesely or Darko Milicic, that have not proven to be a great choice overall.

However, today, that indeed isn’t the case. Highly talented players from this continent are often chosen at the NBA draft among the first picks. For instance, a future superstar from France, Victor Wenbanyama, was the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Another reason that NBA teams choose European players at the NBA Draft is that they almost always have experience playing high-level basketball in competitive European leagues. A great example is the 3rd pick in 2018, the Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, who played for Real Madrid from age 16.

Improved Globalization and Reach

With players from Europe who’ve taken the NBA by storm, basketball fans take extra interest in watching them play. Without a doubt, today’s NBA basketball is a more global phenomenon with an ever-growing fan base compared to a couple of decades ago when it was primarily popular in Northern America.

The NBA’s global exposure, advanced technology, and social media make it much easier for top European players to show their talent. Fans worldwide can watch NBA games, and scouting networks are a lot bigger, giving NBA teams more means to search for the best players that Europe offers.

Best European Players That Are Shaping the NBA’s Future

Here’s a top-five list of the best basketball players from Europe who are the most deserving for the rise of players from that continent.

#5 – Domantas Sabonis

Lithuanian player, Domantas Sabonis covers the positions of a power forward and center. He’s widely regarded as one of the NBA players from Lithuania besides Jonas Valanciunas.

Domantas is a true leader of the Sacramento Kings and a double-double machine. He also played for the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s the son of the legendary NBA player Arvydas Sabonis, who played in the 90s and early 2000s.

#4 – Lauri Markannen

One of the best natural scorers in the NBA is the Finnish small forward Lauri Markannen. Besides being a great scorer, he’s also solid in the rebounds department and a power dunker.

He was the 7th pick in the 2017 NBA draft, initially chosen by the Timberwolves but later traded to Chicago, where he played until the end of the 2020-21 season. Markannen’s amazing 2022-23 season, where he averaged 25.6 points and 8.6 points, earned him the title of the Most Improved Player at the end of the season.

#3 – Luka Doncic

Luka is one of the biggest talents to come from overseas to the NBA. His previous professional experience as a Real Madrid player, alongside a superb basketball skill set, was the main reason the Dallas Mavericks chose him as the 3rd pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

This Slovenian player can easily score 30 points in one game and makes shots from all positions. Luka’s always in contention for the MVP title, and one day he may get it.

#2 – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis “The Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo is one of the most dominant players in the modern-day NBA. His unreal athleticism combined with insane reach helped him to make rebounds, steal the ball, and create some jaw-dropping dunks.

While playing for the Bucks, Giannis won back-to-back MVP titles and even carried this team to an NBA championship title in 2021. This Greek power forward had a monstrous 2022-23 season, averaging 31.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game.

#1 – Nikola Jokic

Another Eastern European player besides Luka and the No. 1 spot on this list is the Serbian center, Nikola “The Joker” Jokic. He’s the Denver Nuggets superstar who can easily produce triple-doubles. Nikola is a versatile player who is exceptionally talented and has some of the best passing as well as playmaking skills in the entire NBA.

He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2014 as one of the best young European players, and since then, he’s been a force to be reckoned with. Nikola’s accolades speak for himself, which are back-to-back MVP titles alongside winning the NBA title in the 2022-23 season.