Watch 44 stone sumo wrestler get knocked out by opponent one-third his size during craziest fight in
In the UFC today, the most a fighter can weigh is 265lbs – but that wasn’t always the case and it made for some truly wild events.
Originally, the sport of 'Ultimate Fighting' was launched to find out which fighting style was the most effective and saw experts in karate, jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling, and other martial arts face off in one-night tournaments.
One of the most iconic UFC pioneers was Emmanuel Yarbrough, a 44 stone [616lb] former American football player who was ironically nicknamed 'Tiny' by his teammates.
During his college days, Yarbrough was also a wrestler at the NCAA Division II level, but he ultimately found success in sumo before transitioning to MMA.
For his first opponent, he drew Keith Hackney, who weighed in at 200lbs - less than a third of his rival's weight - heading into their historic fight during the UFC’s third-ever show in September 1994.
'The Giant Killer' earned his nickname when he dropped Yarbrough with an overhand right slap early in round one before looking for the finish on the floor.
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Yarbrough rallied and found himself on top of his opponent momentarily before both men returned to their feet and he tossed Hackney out of the cage in a bizarre scene.
When the fight recommenced, the giant New Jersey native tried to initiate a wrestling exchange after catching his opponent's kick but ended up eating several unanswered punches that dropped him.
Hackney followed up with a flurry of hammerfists that left Yarbrough dazed, confused, and looking at referee John McCarthy who ultimately stepped in to wave off the fight.
Despite suffering a painful defeat in his MMA debut, Yarbrough decided to continue fighting and he even travelled to Japan to test himself against the best.
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He defeated Tatsuaki Nakano by smothering him within 90 seconds of the first frame, before moving to PRIDE - which, at the time, was arguably bigger than the UFC – where he was stopped by Daiju Takase inside two rounds.
After ending his MMA career with a 1-2 record, the fan-friendly fighter transitioned to acting and notably portrayed Clarence Seroy in the HBO series Oz.
Yarbrough suffered a heart attack and sadly passed away in December 2015.
He'll always be fondly remembered by MMA fans, along with Hackney, for putting on a fight the likes of which will never be seen again in the UFC Octagon.
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