In the world of competitive sports, there's very little that can get the heart pumping and the crowd on its feet like a fight between two athletes. It's personal, it's primal, and it can get quite brutal at times, not to mention the variety of fighting styles that clash in the ring into athletes and write bizarre. We think you'll agree these fighters are definitely some of the most unusual we've ever seen.
1. Nikolai Valuev
It's likely you've seen pictures of this boxer around the internet and immediately labeled them as photoshop. After all, look how absurdly huge this guy is. The crazy thing is - Nikolai Valuev is very real. The former Russian heavyweight champion often dwarfed his opponents thanks to a seven-foot height and 323-pound weight. Early in his career, the beast from the east crushed everyone in his path. However, his huge size wrecked havoc on his joints and in 2009 Valuev retired from the sport for health reason.
2. Michael Page
There's nothing unusual looking about this particular MMA fighter. Then you see him fight. On the surface, Michael Page practices a blend of kickboxing and karate. However, the 29-year-old has some rather strange body movements he uses in the ring. Anyone watching sees page move his arms, shoulders, and head in a rather exaggerated an unusual movement. At first, fans and commentators thought it was showboating. But eventually, it became obvious that these strange movements are used to throw off his opponents and concealed kicks and punches.
3. Izzadeen Burgos
It's generally understood that to be a boxer you need two good arms. Izzadeen Burgos showed that isn't always the case. When he lost his arm in an accident at a young age, boxing was probably the last thing on his mind. Then, when he was 12, Burgos started boxing and in 2012 entered an amateur competition where he took on other two armed opponents. While he was sadly shot dead in 2015, official tournaments and video footage from street fights show this unusual fighter was more than capable of holding his own in the ring.
4. Lee Hoy
If you're going to take on mixed martial arts fighting you need to be in shape. It's also assumed that you need good eyesight. You see, this twenty-seven-year-old is unusual because he's legally blind. To him, his opponents are just blurry outlines with no depth. Despite this massive disadvantage, Hoy is more than capable of holding his own and has medals proving his ability to defeat fully sighted opponents in the ring.
5. Emmanuel Yarbrough
At six foot eight inches and weighing 600 pounds, Emmanuel Yarbrough was definitely a big guy. When he stepped into the MMA ring, he became one of the most unusual fighters to ever grace the Octagon. He only ever fought three matches, winning just one. Despite his large size and strength, his mass meant he didn't have the speed to endure bout with smaller, faster opponents. He sadly died of a heart attack in 2015.
6. Gogea Mitu
In the world of boxing, there have been some pretty big fighters, but they are all dwarfed by the massive Gogea Mitu. There's a good chance you don't even know who he is, but in the 1930s the Romanian claim the record for the tallest pro boxer ever. Mitu was up to 7 foot six inches in height, around 330 pounds of weight and he only ever fought three pro matches. Making regular people look like hobbits, we bet his opponents felt a little uncomfortable when they step into the ring with him.
7. Drunken Fist
Drunken Fist is a style that comes from Chinese martial arts and imitates someone who is drunk. Fighters sway back and forth, seemingly losing their balance. It's all on purpose, however, as the fighter is actually in complete control. Opponents have trouble tackling this unusual technique because it seems so random. Well, it looks comical, it is actually very difficult to master.
8. Kangaroo Boxing
If you google this, you'll find footage of two kangaroos fighting or even humans sparring with one of these animals. There are actual exhibition matches that take place where humans really fight kangaroos. We don't know what's more unusual; the fact that kangaroos wear boxing gloves or that someone would actually sign up to box this animal in front of a crowd. It's definitely unusual all around, and we're pretty sure animal rights groups aren't big fans.
9. Mark Zupan
He may have only fought one MMA exhibition match, but Mark Zupan is an unusual fighter. Zupan is a wheelchair rugby player and a quadriplegic. In 2012 he took to the ring to fight Jason Ellis, an able-bodied fighter. Unfair fight you say? Not really. Ellis also used a wheelchair for the Las Vegas fight and saw that Zupan could bob and weave with the best of them. It also doesn't hurt that he beat Ellis.
10. Kyle Maynard
This unusual athlete and fighter is a type of person who rightfully makes the rest of us feel like a lazy slob. Kyle Maynard is a quadruple amputee and an MMA fighter. He actually started out playing high school football and then move to the wrestling mat. Not done there, he started training and taking part in MMA fight. Despite having no arms or legs, his speed and strength are truly incredible to watch.
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