SUMMARY
- There have been several UFC wardrobe malfunctions over the years.
- Although the company has improved its gloves, similar alterations to the fight kit are yet to be made.
The UFC has witnessed its fair share of drama over the years. With a rich history of instances across its 31 years of existence, we have also seen some unfortunate incidents with fighters and their attire. As such, let’s take a deeper look at some of the most popular UFC wardrobe malfunctions over the years.
Naturally, a fighter’s outfit makes up a pretty important part of their appearance. Over the years, we have seen some iconic fits and interesting customizations done by the fighters as well. Moreover, the outfitting responsibilities changed hands in 2021, after the UFC chose Venum instead of Reebok as their kit partner.
With that said, be it the old Reebok or the newer Venum kits, fighters have at times struggled in both. Although the company has improved its gloves to prevent eye pokes, similar alterations to the fight kit are yet to be made. As such, numerous fighters have found themselves in compromising positions, either live on broadcast or in massively sold-out venues.
Wardrobe malfunctions in UFC history
Notably, the list is a pretty solid one and includes some well-known fighters as well. With that said, let’s countdown the top picks for wardrobe malfunctions in the UFC. To start things off, we have some honorable mentions, which can be seen as wardrobe mishaps that almost happened. These include Ronda Rousey‘s almost ‘nip slip’ against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157.
Additionally, there is Miesha Tate’s weigh-in for UFC 200, where she had to completely strip to make weight. Another high-profile wardrobe malfunction includes Valentina Shevchenko’s torn shorts against Alexa Grasso at the Noche UFC. At the same time, we have Lando Vannata slipping out of his shorts during his fight against Charles Jourdain at UFC Vegas 52. Lastly, we have Tim Sylvia’s shorts coming down against Assuerio Silva in 2006.
1. Jessica Andrade vs. Erin Blachfield (UFC Vegas 69)
First up, there is Jessica Andrade, who supposedly lost her fight after her sports bra kept displacing. Taking on the up-and-coming prospect Erin Blanchfield at UFC Vegas 69, Andrade suffered a shock submission loss. Following the defeat, many questioned why Jessica, despite having elite grappling skills, did not adequately defend herself against Blanchfield.
Then, ahead of her fight against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 288, ‘Bate Estaca’ revealed that her sports bra kept ‘running’. Owing to her weight loss ahead of the fight, the kit was much looser than anticipated. As such, this prompted Jessica Andrade to don a much tighter kit for her next fight. She would go on to lose the fight via KO/TKO in the very first round.
2. Miranda Maverick vs. Priscila Cachoeira (UFC 291)
Up next, we have more of a forced wardrobe malfunction with Miranda Maverick, who took on Priscila Cachoeira at UFC 291. For the most part, Maverick was the clear favorite to win the fight from the get-go. However, her opponent chose to use the dark arts, using any means necessary to try and eke out a win. This resulted in Cachoeira trying to pull on her opponent’s top, trying to expose her chest.
Priscila Cachoeira is the direst fighter in the UFC. She intentionally tried to pull Miranda Maverick’s boobs out mid fight #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/2hmq1drvsU
— MMA Joey (@MMAJOEYC) July 30, 2023
During the fight, the Brazilian incurred numerous fouls, including fence grabs and intentionally keeping her fingers straight to try and catch an eye poke. However, her attempt to bare the 26-year-old American prospect was the lowest move of the night. Despite her best efforts, Miranda successfully dealt with her opponent, putting her away via an armbar submission in the third round.
3. Montana De La Rosa vs. Tatiana Suarez (UFC Vegas 70)
Only a week after Jessica Andrade’s unfortunate circumstances regarding her outfit, another fighter suffered a similar fate. Notably, Montana De La Rose took on Tatiana Suarez at UFC Vegas 70 for the latter’s return fight. Due to injuries and other complications, Suarez had been out of action for nearly 4 years. Although the 33-year-old enjoyed a triumphant return to the sport, it came at the cost of some embarrassment for her opponent.
Montana De La Rosa wants to see changes to the women’s UFC fight gear following a wardrobe mishap at last night’s #UFCVegas70 event.#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/qwrd1mqxcA
— Women’s MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) February 26, 2023
During the fight, De La Rosa and Suarez got into a grappling exchange against the cage. Whilst Tatiana went straight for the leg, Montana was left trying to stuff the attempt as best she could. Unfortunately, this resulted in massive pressure on her kit, which almost resulted in her breast popping out. Although nothing as extreme occurred, it did play a part in her performance, as she suffered a submission loss in Round 2.
4. Luana Santos vs. Stephanie Egger
By now, the APEX had become a hotspot for wardrobe malfunctions. As such, the trend did not stop, as only a few events later at UFC Vegas 83, fans at home witnessed something that should normally not be on a UFC broadcast. For her second fight in the UFC, Brazilian prospect Luana Santos took on the veteran Stephanie Egger in the prelims.
Despite the fact that many don’t usually tune in to the fight night prelims, the viewers that did, caught sight of a nip slip from Santos. During a grappling exchange, Luana’s breast popped out, prompting the much-experienced Egger to allow her opponent to sort herself out. Despite it being a wink or a miss moment, fans immediately took to social media to talk about it. Following the fight, Santos addressed the issue and explained what had happened.
5. Angela Mangana and Elizabeth Phillips
In addition to these, there were two more lesser-known instances where something similar occurred. Notably, Elizabeth Phillips is said to be the women’s fighter to have the first and second wardrobe malfunction in the UFC. During her fight against Jessamyn Duke in 2015, Phillips had two ‘nip slips’ during Rounds 1 and 3. Naturally, the entire blame fell on Reebok for their less-than-satisfactory fighter outfitting.
Another incident in 2017 revolved around Angela Mangana, who faced Amanda Cooper at UFC 218. During her unfortunate TKO loss, Magana found herself momentarily embarrassed after her sports bra was displaced whilst she was on her back. The moment was caught on live broadcast, and the fight was subsequently halted in order to give Angela the time she needed to get things back where they needed to be.