Mixed martial arts (MMA) can be a very rewarding sport for competitors. On the flip side, it can also be brutally unforgiving. One minute a fighter could be sitting atop a division, while the next that same fighter is wondering where everything went wrong.
There is no doubt that 2016 has seen its share of top MMA fighters plummet inside and outside the Octagon. LowKickMMA takes a look at five fighters under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner who had unfortunately rough years in 2016.
5. Rafael dos Anjos
There was a time where considering Rafael dos Anjos as a top lightweight was laughable. After losing two of three bouts, dos Anjos went on a tear in 2012 and 2013. In those two years, he went on a five-fight winning streak including a unanimous decision victory over Donald Cerrone.
He hit a minor snag in April 2014 when he came up short against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The loss didn’t stop him from going on another win streak on his way to capturing the UFC lightweight title by dominating Anthony Pettis at UFC 185. He later defended that belt against Donald Cerrone at UFC on FOX 19 to close 2015 the best lightweight in the world.
However, unfortunately all good things must come to an end, as they say. After just one successful title defense, the Brazilian was knocked out in the first round by Eddie Alvarez in July. He then got outgunned by Tony Ferguson on his way to a unanimous decision defeat last month.
When dos Anjos looks back at 2016, he may do so with regret. Not only did he lose twice to two top competitors, but he also missed out on what would’ve been his biggest payday. He was set to defend his lightweight championship against Conor McGregor at UFC 196 until dos Anjos was forced off the card with an injury while “Notorious” would go on to have two memorable fights with Nate Diaz that raised the current 155-pound titleholder’s stock even more.
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