Which UFC fights promised much, but ultimately failed to deliver? Dana White reveals his shortlist

The UFC prides itself on delivering exciting fights for the fans, week-in, week-out. But sometimes fights that look like surefire hits on paper don’t always live up to the hype on fight night.

During an “Ask Me Anything” on Reddit on Wednesday, White was asked to name three fights that he was excited about that didn’t pan out as well as he had expected.

“What fight do you believe was on your highest expectations but ultimately the biggest let down,” White was asked.

“Yoel vs. Israel, Lewis vs. Francis and Woodley vs. Wonderboy,” White responded.

When Paulo Costa underwent surgery, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya wanted to stay active and decided to take a risk by facing the explosive Yoel Romero at UFC 248. He ended up outpointing Romero for the decision win, but the fight ended in boos, not cheers, after a somewhat lackluster matchup.

A UFC 226 Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis pitted two of the UFC hardest-hitting heavyweights head to head, with many fans expecting a big knockout. Instead, both men were tentative to engage, with Lewis scoring a decision win after a fight where minimal strikes were thrown.

White didn’t mention which fight between former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson he was referring to, but it was likely the rematch between the pair at UFC 209, where Woodley won a majority decision after a cagey, tactical contest.