Oh, heavyweights. Such power. Such promise. Such an endless capacity for boring us to tears when it all goes wrong.

A good heavyweight fight is usually brief and brutal, with all the eager anticipation of a high-wire act. But with their often limited cardio and obsessive focus on the singular knockout blow, a bad heavyweight fight is maybe the worst that MMA has to offer.

The three-round staring contest between Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou at UFC 226 offered a potent reminder of that fact, but was it really the worst heavyweight fight in UFC history? Because a quick tour through the archives suggests that there’s stiff competition for that ignominious title.

Just consider the contenders …

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Kevin Jordan

The place: UFC 56, Nov. 19, 2005

The action: For a fight that ended with a dramatic Superman punch knockout by Gabriel Gonzaga, it was a rough journey getting there. For nearly three full rounds, Gonzaga and Kevin Jordan did absolutely nothing. The crowd booed. Referee Herb Dean (the same man who warned Lewis and Ngannou for timidity Saturday night) called for action. Joe Rogan practically sighed into the microphone. Then, with about 30 seconds left in a fight that felt like it had lasted for two weeks, Gonzaga ended it with a single punch. Thank God. Where was that in the first round?!

The verdict: It was bad, but a) expectations were nowhere near as high as they were for Lewis-Ngannou, and b) at least there was, eventually, a finish.