Top UFC Fights That Ended in Ruined Careers

Mixed martial arts is an unforgiving world. While one victory might suddenly see a fighter catapulted into superstardom, one devastating loss can irreparably derail what may have been a promising career. In the years since its inception, there have been many fighters who entered the Octagon with high hopes, only to exit with their careers irreparably damaged. It discusses some of the biggest UFC fights that not only saw defeat for the fighter but effectively ended their career.

1. Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm (UFC 193)

Ronda Rousey was the face of women’s MMA and one of the most dominant champions the sport has ever seen. Entering her fight with Holly Holm at UFC 193, Rousey was undefeated, having finished all but one of those opponents in the first round. She had every expectation to steamroll over Holm—a former professional boxer and kickboxer who was relatively new to the UFC—going into their bout at UFC 193.

However, Holm stunned the world by outstriking Rousey from the first bell. Holm connected with a beautifully devastating head kick that knocked Rousey out cold in the second round, handing her the first loss of her career. The nature of the defeat was brutal—not just because it ended Rousey’s aura of invincibility but also because it marked the beginning of the end of her MMA career.

Rousey tried to come back a year later at UFC 207 against Amanda Nunes, but she was dispatched quickly in just 48 seconds. Following the loss, Rousey chose to retire from active MMA competition and join the professional wrestling organization WWE. That Holm fight was a turning point which did shatter Rousey’s confidence and effectively ended her reign as queen of women’s MMA.

2. Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans, UFC 88

Chuck Liddell was one of the most popular and successful fighters in UFC history, known for his knockout power and exciting fighting style. However, when he fought Rashad Evans at UFC 88, Liddell wasn’t really at the level he had been during the height of his success. Indeed, he had suffered some knockout losses. Despite that, many felt Liddell could turn back the clock to his glory days.

Evans was an undefeated rising star at the time, and had other ideas. Evans came out in the second round and connected on a perfectly timed overhand right which knocked Liddell out cold. The knockout was so severe that Liddell’s body went limp before he even hit the canvas, creating one of the most memorable knockouts in UFC history.

The defeat at the hands of Evans sealed the end of Liddell’s reign as a top contender. He would then lose his next two fights, both by knockout, before retiring in 2010—although Liddell briefly returned for a third fight against Tito Ortiz in 2018. By that stage, though, it had become apparent that the Evans contest had been the start of the end for “The Iceman.”

3. Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman-(UFC 162 & UFC 168)

Anderson Silva is often cited by many as the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time, but the only titleholder for the most extended reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. His career took a major swing when he fought Chris Weidman at UFC 162 and UFC 168.

At UFC 162, Silva was caught in the second round while taunting Weidman. He was stopped by Weidman when he received a left hook to knock him out, making him lose the current reign of the UFC Middleweight Champion. The loss shocked the MMA world and marked Silva’s first defeat in the UFC.

He sustained another shattering blow to his career in the 168 rematch. During the second round, a Silva leg kick was checked perfectly by Weidman, and Silva’s leg snapped in a horrific injury. The picture of Silva’s leg snapping is undoubtedly one of the most gruesome moments in UFC history.

Although Silva continued fighting despite his injury, he was never the same. He won just one of the next seven fights ahead of him, among a plethora of losses and no-contest bout endings. It also finalized the end of the reign of dominance by Silva in the UFC and marked the start of the senior year for a legends-filled career.

4. B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar (UFC 112, UFC 118 & The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale)

B.J. Penn was a stupendously talented and successful UFC fighter, who won titles at lightweight and welterweight. His trilogy with Frankie Edgar marked his nose-dive down the spiral of defeat.

First, Penn lost his lightweight title to Edgar at UFC 112. It was only by a very small margin, in a rather competitive decision that either way seemed reasonable to most people’s eyes. The two rematched shortly thereafter at UFC 118, where Edgar defeated a prominent decision, dominating Penn for five rounds and sealing the deal: he was the new lightweight king.

After the losses to Edgar, Penn’s career went on free fall. He would move up to Welterweight and remained there for a couple of fights with mixed results before finally meeting Edgar for a third time at The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale. In the third fight, Edgar completely dominated Penn, finishing him in the third round with ground and pound confidently.

That trilogy with Edgar would mark the end of Penn’s career as a top fighter; he would go on to lose his next five fights, often looking sadly like a shell of himself. Contests against Edgar finished off the reign of BJ Penn as one of the world’s best fighters and left him heading down a mediocre path that, at that point in time, seemed to besmirch his legacy like there was no tomorrow.

5. Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon at UFC 136

Melvin Guillard was one of the most formidable and explosive fighters in the UFC’s lightweight division. With a powerful knockout ability and athleticism, Guillard got into the bout riding on a five-fight win streak as he faced off against Joe Lauzon at UFC 136. Many believed that another win would really put him well within view of title-starved contendership.

But Lauzon had other plans. Just 47 seconds into the first round, Lauzon dropped Guillard with a left hook and quickly locked in a rear-naked choke on him to force the tapout. The loss was huge for Guillard, who, then, was really just one win away from cracking the division’s elite ranks.

Following the Lauzon defeat, Guillard’s career went into free fall. He would lose six of his next eight UFC bouts before being released by the promotion. His battered body and wounded confidence came crashing down at UFC 136, where it began a slide that would eventually be insurmountable in his career and closed out his time as a top contender at lightweight.

6. Johnny Hendricks vs. Stephen Thompson – UFC Fight Night 82:

At one time, Johnny Hendricks was the UFC Welterweight Champion, best known for his destructive knockout punches and wrestling background. Penned by many as a top contender, Hendricks continued to reign supreme in said weight division after being defeated by Robbie Lawler in a highly competitive rematch for the title. However, his bout against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC Fight Night 82 would define his career.

Thompson came out from the implemented start, picking Hendricks apart with his striking and karate-based style. The precision and speed were just way too much for Hendricks to handle, who became overwhelmed, finishing via TKO in the first round. It was another tough pill to swallow for frustrated Hendricks, who had once been one of the most feared welterweights in the UFC.

After the loss to Thompson, Hendricks’s career went off a cliff. He has missed weight multiple times since then and has lost five of his next six fights, while now being retired from MMA. He faced Thompson on the verge of Hendricks’s rapid decline and the end of his days as a top welterweight.

7. Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar (UFC 125 & UFC 136) Quincy:

Gray Maynard was the top contender to a UFC lightweight belt, and at that point in his career, he was wrestling his way to power. His trilogy with Frankie Edgar can be placed among the most memorable ones in UFC history, but also something from what marked the decline in his career.

The first time the two fought at UFC Fight Night 13, Maynard won via unanimous decision. They rematched for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 125, where Maynard came out swinging in round one and almost ended Edgar’s night. Edgar weathered that storm and had some great moments, leading to a majority draw.
The trilogy fight occurred at UFC 136, where Maynard again came very close to finishing Edgar off in the first round. Edgar would wriggle off once more, however—this time knocking Maynard out to retain his title in the fourth round. The defeat was a huge setback for Maynard, who had been so close to becoming the champion on two various occasions.

Maynard never recovered from the trilogy-inspiring fights with Edgar. He lost seven of his next nine fights, with many of those losses coming by knockout, before finally retiring. The series with Edgar was the beginning of the end for Maynard, who would never again fight as a top contender.

8. Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit (UFC 120)

Dan Hardy was one of the most popular and electrifying competitors in the UFC’s welterweight division. Clearly, his exhilarating striking and charisma earned him the opportunity to fight for the title at UFC 111 against Georges St-Pierre, where he lost via very wide decision. However, Hardy remained one of the top contenders and looked to rebound with a win at UFC 120 over Carlos Condit.

This fight was hyped incredibly by the fans, and both power punchers showed their stuff. Both men came out looking to throw simultaneous left hooks, but Condit connected first to knock Hardy out stiff in the first. It was a bitter end to those hopes that were, at least somehow, guiding Hardy back toward a title shot.

After being defeated by Condit, Hardy lost his next three fights, after which he was forced to sit out due to a medical condition that would soon end his fighting career. Things went downhill for Hardy after the loss to Condit via knockout, and hence came the fall of one of the UFC’s top welterweights.

9. Renan Barao vs. T.J. Dillashaw (UFC 173 & UFC on FOX 16)

The real Renan Barao once touted as one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters before he lost his record winning streak and the UFC Bantamweight Championship. His two fights against T.J. Dillashaw marked the beginning of the end of his reign and a steep decline into the obscurity of his career.

Their first contest was at UFC 173, when Dillashaw became that massive underdog who dominated Barao from pillar to post, knocking him clean out in the fifth to capture the title. It was a shock of absolute proportion throughout the mixed martial arts community, finally putting a lid on Barao’s reign of supremacy over the division.

The two rematched at UFC on FOX 16, and once again, Dillashaw dominated Barao, finishing him with strikes in the fourth round. Following his heartbreak from consecutive losses to Dillashaw, Barao’s career spiraled entirely out of control. He lost five of his next seven fights altogether – and was ultimately released by the UFC itself.

Those fights versus Dillashaw were skeptical of marking the end of his reign as champion and also the general decline in his career. Once known as an invincible man, Barao’s career was essentially ruined by the two bouts against Dillashaw.

10. Gabriel Gonzaga vs Randy Couture—UFC 74

After his incredibly measured head kick knockout over Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović at UFC 70, which had earned him a title shot for the UFC Heavyweight Championship against Randy Couture at UFC 74, Gabriel Gonzaga was a rolled-up force. Many people were of the view that he would be the next big heavyweight person who might dethrone the aging Randy Couture. That wasn’t part of the script for Couture, a grizzled veteran of the sport. Despite Gonzaga’s imposing size advantage and both power and athleticism, Couture used his wrestling and clinch game to wear Gonzaga down and eventually break his nose with an accidental headbutt before finishing him against a flurry of ground-and-pound in the third round.

That loss to Couture was pretty indicative of what would later transpire in Gonzaga’s career. He would go on to fight in the UFC, but he would never again hit those lofty heights that many predicted he would ultimately reach. Gonzaga plugged on through a variety of losses, surviving as the gatekeeper of sorts in the heavyweight division before retiring. The bout with Couture represented the beginning of the decline of Gonzaga and the end of his time as a top contender.

Conclusion
One fight in the UFC can shift the trajectory of a fighter’s career upside down. For the fighters in this article, it was the latter who were in the beginning of their end as top contenders in the sport. Some had the opportunity to keep fighting, but it was never the same again after these moments. These fights remind one of just how unforgiving mixed martial arts really can be—meaning that any great fighter may see their careers derailed due to having just one bad night in the Octagon. To the fans, such moments last forever as lessons learned of when life in the UFC can become very unpredictable and merciless.