Woulda, coulda, shoulda (kind of).
If youâre a diehard mixed martial arts (MMA) fan, youâve probably heard of Jay âHurricaneâ Ellis. If not, buckle up for a quick intro to this infamous âlegend,â ⌠notorious for all the wrong reasons.
Ellis is the poster child for regional journeyman fighters, often dubbed the worst MMA fighter ever. As of this writing, his record sits at a jaw-dropping 16-110 in MMA alone, with some boxing and Muay Thai sprinkled in for good measure.
Hilariously, heâs âonlyâ on a 10-fight losing streak, thanks to a huge upset submission win over Rodrigo Almeida in 2021. Before that? A brutal 27-fight slide into oblivion.
So, why in the hell are you reading a story about a fighter who has lost 110 MMA fights? Well, itâs because he recently did a very rare interview with the MMA History podcast (a legit gem of a podcast for fans). They nailed an interview with the MMA white whale, and he opened up about his career.
Ellis knows heâs a journeyman, but heâs got a bold claim: he couldâve scrapped in the UFC.
âI have a hell of a resume, man,â Ellis said. âEvery time I look at those guys [I fought] in the UFC, I get kind of sad because I know I could have been there if Iâd stayed focused and taken it seriously. If Iâd had the right coaches and positive people around, I could have made it, man.
âAfter I left [Mark] Henryâs gym, I tried to be independent, and thatâs where I fell off,â Ellis added. âI was winning fights at first, and people didnât know what had happened. Things happened at home, and I couldnât afford gym fees anymore, so I was bouncing around, doing my own thing. That wasnât too smart because I shouldâve had a team. Then promoters kept calling, and I was taking fights left and right.â
I will give Ellis some props as his resume is nuts. Heâs faced 30 UFC fighters, including Colby Covington, Anthony Pettis, and Gerald Meerschaert. Even crazier? He actually beat Meerschaert back in 2007 (though âGM3â got revenge in 2013).
Ellis played a key role in regional MMA: the guy promoters called to âput overâ fighters needing a win. These days, beating Ellis doesnât mean anything, thanks to that bonkers record.
Still, âHurricaneâ is a regional MMA icon (for all the wrong reasons).
@MMAHistoryPodcast 
This ^ Is Why !
What would happen if he fought Bob Sapp?
Can there be 2 losers in a fight?
Sapp vs Ellis is the fight to make
You are correct
Impressive
Pfft, I could have easily taken that title if I pushed myself
The guy will certainly fight anyone at the drop of a hat.
That speaks volumes.
Book him against The Cannon. Weâve seen double KOs. This could be the first double dive in combat sports.
They go out and both just drop, like a double KO, but no punch is thrown