Only a handful of UFC fighters are capable of putting impressive streaks together, stringing win after win along as they make their trek toward the top of the divisional mountain.
But even the best fighters in all of the land watch their impressi…
Only a handful of UFC fighters are capable of putting impressive streaks together, stringing win after win along as they make their trek toward the top of the divisional mountain.
But even the best fighters in all of the land watch their impressive streaks come to an end.
Anderson Silva was caught with his hands down against Chris Weidman at UFC 162 as we all saw his impeccable 17-fight win streak come to a screeching halt. Brock Lesnar was overwhelmed by a game Cain Velasquez as we saw his impressive rise to stardom come tumbling back down to reality at UFC 121. Lyoto Machida was clipped by an aggressive Mauricio “Shogun” Rua before most of us could even finish uttering “The Machida Era” after his 16-fight undefeated streak.
Even the great Fedor Emelianenko saw his great reign come to an end, proving he could no longer outmuscle a strong grappler in Fabricio Werdum, outmaneuver a bigger fighter in Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva or absorb the crushing blows of a heavy-handed Dan Henderson.
What goes up must come down; it’s the way nature intended.
Scroll on to see which fighters have seen their recent success come to a halt, losing much of their steam in the process.
They say pimping ain’t easy, and that’s probably true for promoting too. (There’s a whole host of other uncomfortable comparisons to be made between the two professions as well.) Pimping is probably a lot harder when you constantly denigrate your talent. “Yeah, Mary? She makes a weird squealing noise when you bang her. But hey, it’s your money.” Yet, that’s exactly what UFC president Dana White does. Here are the top ten instances of Dana White burying his own fighters.
Kenny Florian and Nate Marquardt are two very different people. Where Florian is a suave, dark-haired Massachusetts lifer, Marquardt is a ginger mountain man who made sure to list himself first and foremost as a Christian on his Twitter bio. They have one thing in common though: Dana White called them both chokers.
Nate Marquardt lost a close fight to Yushin Okami at UFC 122. Okami was 9-2 in the UFC heading into the fight, and would go on to fight Anderson Silva for the title in his next appearance. That didn’t stop Dana White from calling Marquardt a choker and blasting the Greg Jackson-led corner (more on him in a bit!) for telling Marquardt he was leading on points.
As for Florian, White said he didn’t want to “take anything away from Gray Maynard” and wasn’t “bad-mouthing” or “trying to disrespect” Florian after UFC 118. But that’s exactly what he did when he said Florian “chokes in big fights” before reducing his performance to standing and staring at Maynard. Florian’s five UFC losses came to Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn, Maynard, and Jose Aldo — all champions or title challengers. Maybe, just maybe, the overachieving Florian just wasn’t on their level?
They say pimping ain’t easy, and that’s probably true for promoting too. (There’s a whole host of other uncomfortable comparisons to be made between the two professions as well.) Pimping is probably a lot harder when you constantly denigrate your talent. “Yeah, Mary? She makes a weird squealing noise when you bang her. But hey, it’s your money.” Yet, that’s exactly what UFC president Dana White does. Here are the top ten instances of Dana White burying his own fighters.
Kenny Florian and Nate Marquardt are two very different people. Where Florian is a suave, dark-haired Massachusetts lifer, Marquardt is a ginger mountain man who made sure to list himself first and foremost as a Christian on his Twitter bio. They have one thing in common though: Dana White called them both chokers.
Nate Marquardt lost a close fight to Yushin Okami at UFC 122. Okami was 9-2 in the UFC heading into the fight, and would go on to fight Anderson Silva for the title in his next appearance. That didn’t stop Dana White from calling Marquardt a choker and blasting the Greg Jackson-led corner (more on him in a bit!) for telling Marquardt he was leading on points.
As for Florian, White said he didn’t want to “take anything away from Gray Maynard” and wasn’t “bad-mouthing” or “trying to disrespect” Florian after UFC 118. But that’s exactly what he did when he said Florian “chokes in big fights” before reducing his performance to standing and staring at Maynard. Florian’s five UFC losses came to Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn, Maynard, and Jose Aldo — all champions or title challengers. Maybe, just maybe, the overachieving Florian just wasn’t on their level?
Jose Aldo is undefeated in 14 fights under the Zuffa banner. He’s lost a single fight in his career, submitting to a rear-naked choke in his eighth pro bout less than two years after his debut. He’s been very good for a very long time. Yet, Dana White couldn’t help himself after Aldo took a wide decision over Ricardo Lamas at UFC 169:
“The thing about Jose Aldo that drives me crazy is the kid has all the talent in the world. He’s explosive, fast. He can do anything but he just lays back and doesn’t let anything go.
“When you talk about being the pound-for-pound best in the world, you can’t go five rounds with guys that it looks like you can defeat them in the second round. That’s what Aldo has a habit of doing.”
Jose Aldo fights Chad Mendes in two weeks at UFC 179. This is what happened the last time Aldo met Mendes.
Josh Koscheck, for all intents and purposes, is a UFC lifer. After two fights outside the UFC, Koscheck joined the inaugural Ultimate Fighter cast and made his real deal UFC debut in April 2005. He’s fought every single one of his next 23 pro fights in the UFC, amassing a 15-8 record inside the Octagon against the top fighters at 170 pounds.
On the UFC 169 undercard, Alistair Overeem met former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Overeem outstruck Mir 139 to 5 en route to a unanimous decision. (A decision that saw zero 10-8 rounds handed out because we can’t have nice things in MMA.) Dana White gave Overeem a thumbs down and called it a “crappy performance.” Whatever you say, Commodus.
Unhappy with the terms of his contract, Nate Diaz held out most of 2014. I mean, hey, it worked out famously for his brother, who wound up with a three-fight extension and a fight against Anderson Silva. Nate quietly ended his holdout a few weeks ago, and what did he receive? No new contract, and Dana White labeling him as someone who “doesn’t move the needle.” So, the UFC matched him up with some schlub and put him on the Fight Pass prelims, right? Oh, no no, my friend. Nate Diaz, prohibitor of needle moving, gets a top-five opponent in Rafael dos Anjos in a featured bout on Big Fox.
Let’s be honest: Jon Fitch doesn’t have the best reputation among fans. Between 2005 and 2010, the only thing more secure than Fitch’s spot near the top of the welterweight rankings was the inevitable fan backlash about his “boring” style every time he fought. But, you know, it’s probably in a promoter’s best interest not to feed that perception. Yet, here’s Dana White ahead of UFC 141 in 2011:
“You hear the same thing from everybody about Jon Fitch: ‘If I want to get to sleep and I can’t get to sleep at night, I’ll put in a Jon Fitch fight.’ … [F]ind one person that will tell you they love a Jon Fitch fight, it’s the most exciting thing they’ve ever seen and they just get so excited for it.”
And we were surprised this guy cut Fitch after he went 1-2 in his next three fights.
Continue to the next page for Dana’s four greatest fighter burials!
The UFC might have absolutely adored Renan Barao a couple of months ago, but he now finds himself on “the list.” Not the good list, either. By withdrawing from UFC 177 following complications related to his weight cut, he has landed in Dana White’s dog…
The UFC might have absolutely adored RenanBarao a couple of months ago, but he now finds himself on “the list.” Not the good list, either. By withdrawing from UFC 177 following complications related to his weight cut, he has landed in Dana White‘s doghouse and out of title contention.
Still, Barao remains one of the best fighters in the UFC’s lower weight classes, and there is no reason to believe he won’t be back with a vengeance in the near future. With a title rematch opposite T.J. Dillashaw off the table, the question now is, who could be next for RenanBarao?
So let’s take a quick look at some of the potential opponents for the former champ’s return, shall we?
Winner of Dominick Cruz vs. TakeyaMizugaki
The winner of Dominick Cruz vs. TakeyaMizugaki is the logical next opponent for T.J. Dillashaw without a doubt. However, depending on how things pan out with the champ’s health (and depending on how the fight itself plays out), we could see Cruz or Mizugaki asked to face Barao in a likely top-contender match.
If Cruz wins in decisive fashion and is anywhere near as good as he was before his knee injuries, he will almost certainly be booked to face Dillashaw. However, if he isn’t quite as nimble as he used to be, or if his cardio fails him, a match with Barao both buys him more time to prepare for a title shot and gives the UFC time to reacquaint fans with Cruz.
On the other hand, if Mizugaki wins with anything short of a savage knockout of Cruz, he will almost certainly be tasked with facing Barao rather than moving on to a title shot.
In spite of the fact that Mizugaki is an accomplished veteran and on an impressive 5-0 run, he is a near-anonymous figure in the UFC at this point. The promotion has little financial incentive to move him to a title shot, and as such, a fight with Barao would make sense to further build him up or give Barao a logical fight before facing Dillashaw again.
Matchmaking logic aside, both of these fights are dreams for the technically minded fan and would make for a solid pay-per-view co-main event or UFC on Fox headline.
Winner of Raphael Assuncao vs. Bryan Caraway
A lot of the top bantamweights are booked right now, it seems…but anyway, Raphael Assuncao vs. Bryan Caraway is slated to go down in the co-main event spot at UFC Fight Night 54 (headlined by Rory MacDonald vs. TarecSaffiedine). Whoever happens to win that bout, as with Cruz vs. Mizugaki, is a strong candidate to face Barao.
Obviously, the appeal of this fight is largely rooted in Assuncao being the logical top contender at 135 pounds courtesy of his 2013 win over Dillashaw (and his overall 6-0 record as a bantamweight). It’s silly that Assuncao has to restake his claim for this spot, but the UFC hasn’t been kind to him and the scheduling certainly hasn’t helped.
Caraway, meanwhile, is an unproven commodity but has long looked the part of an upper-level bantamweight.
While Barao vs. Cruz or Mizugaki would be a strong top-contender bout, Assuncao and Caraway largely serve as tuneup opponents for Barao. Caraway is pedestrian off the mat, and while Assuncao is solid all over the cage, Barao owns superior striking and wrestling. For the UFC, who would prefer Barao to be champion over Dillashaw, that makes this a solid option.
While Dana White didn’t harp on it too much, one of the many things he said while discussing Barao‘s withdrawal from the fight was that he believed that Barao should consider a move to featherweight (and his teammate and friend, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, should mull over a move to lightweight).
While it’s unknown if Barao‘s cut is a particularly difficult one or if this was a one-time incident, Barao moving to 145 pounds is a fun mental exercise.
There are plenty of potential opponents for him in the stacked 145-pound division. Chan-Sung Jung, Jeremy Stephens and Dennis Bermudez all come to mind. The most interesting potential matchup (short of a title fight with Aldo) would be against high-flying striker Cub Swanson.
Swanson essentially exists on a separate plane from other fighters when it comes to trading leather. He has reached that point where he can basically do whatever he feels like, from front-leg body kicks to all manners of spinning s–t, and it works more often than not.
Now…can you imagine what kind of fireworks he could put on against RenanBarao? Man, that would be fun.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao saw opportunity slip through his fingertips Friday, as just 24 hours before a title rematch with T.J. Dillashaw, he passed out from a bad weight cut and was unceremoniously removed from the fight.
Howe…
Former UFC bantamweight champion RenanBarao saw opportunity slip through his fingertips Friday, as just 24 hours before a title rematch with T.J. Dillashaw, he passed out from a bad weight cut and was unceremoniously removed from the fight.
However, Barao‘s coach and manager, Andre Pederneiras, told Combate the whole incident was the result of one bad, freak mishap and not because his star client cuts too much weight to make the 135-pound weight limit, per a translation by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting.
We started the first rounds at the tub and, after approximately 20 minutes, when Barao was leaving the tub, he completely fainted. When he was going down, I held him, but he had so much cream on him, (he slipped) and his head touched the wall. We laid him on the ground but, from that moment on, he stayed out for a long time. … When he had to go to the hospital, the UFC had to cancel the fight immediately. It was UFC’s option, and based on Barao’s situation, I saw no way how he could fight.
Pederneiras goes on to say that The Baron never had a problem making bantamweight in the past and blamed a heavy workload (three scheduled fights since February) on the issues with the scale this time around.
The UFC shockingly announced Barao‘s removal from UFC 177 just hours before Friday’s weigh-ins, with former Bellator featherweight champ Joe Soto stepping up to the plate on just a little over a day’s notice, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports.
Soto was already set to make his UFC debut at the pay-per-view event against Anthony Birchak, but given the circumstances, that bout was quickly scrapped to salvage the main event of the evening.
Soto became one of the unlikeliest title challengers in UFC history on the strength of a six-fight win streak (five finishes) on the regional scene.
While Soto proved to be a game opponent for 20-plus minutes, the Team Alpha Male standout was too much for him. Dillashaw finished Soto off with a head kick and subsequent punches midway through the fifth and final frame.
Not surprisingly, UFC President Dana White showed zero empathy for Barao in this situation, making it abundantly clear that the Brazilian won’t be receiving a pay check from the company after his weight cut debacle, per Jesse Holland of MMA Mania.
When he is ready to make his return to the Octagon, who will be a suitable opponent for Barao, and will that bout be contested at 135 pounds?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
Dana White lobbed a financial insult at Renan Barao in the wake of UFC 177.
In case you’ve been away from the Internet for the last few days: The main event of UFC 177 was supposed to be bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao–an unnecessary rematch of their bout from May. Barao botched his weight cut, which caused him to fall and hit his head in the shower. He was rushed to the hospital and couldn’t fight. Weight cutting is a serious health issue, but Dana White and the UFC apparently don’t care.
Insults to the ego are one thing, insults to the wallet are another. The former is naught but the buzzing of flies, but the latter stings like Head and Shoulders in the eye. Renan Barao will probably get over Joe Rogan essentially calling him an embarrassment to himself and the UFC. But will Barao get over Dana White refusing to pay him his show money? Because that’s what Dana White is doing. He’s not paying Barao.
(Photo via Getty.)
Dana White lobbed a financial insult at Renan Barao in the wake of UFC 177.
In case you’ve been away from the Internet for the last few days: The main event of UFC 177 was supposed to be bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw vs. Renan Barao–an unnecessary rematch of their bout from May. Barao botched his weight cut, which caused him to fall and hit his head in the shower. He was rushed to the hospital and couldn’t fight. Weight cutting is a serious health issue, but Dana White and the UFC apparently don’t care.
Insults to the ego are one thing, insults to the wallet are another. The former is naught but the buzzing of flies, but the latter stings like Head and Shoulders in the eye. Renan Barao will probably get over Joe Rogan essentially calling him an embarrassment to himself and the UFC. But will Barao get over Dana White refusing to pay him his show money? Because that’s what Dana White is doing. He’s not paying Barao.
“Barao’s not making any money,” Dana White said at the post-UFC 177 media scrum. “I’m not paying Barao. Barao showed up and didn’t fight.”
Henry Cejudo, who also messed up his weight cut and couldn’t fight, did not get paid. In the scrum, White referred to Cejudo as a “kid.”
First: Don’t call an OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST “kid.” That’s denigrating and stupid.
Second: What the fuck, Dana?
So Cejudo and Barao don’t get paid for draining their bodies of precious nutrients because Dana White is mad at them? It wouldn’t be a shameful Dana White moment without weapons-grade hypocrisy.
Sacramento, California, we have a problem.
Sactown native T.J. Dillashaw took Renan “The Baron” Barao apart in their first meeting at UFC 173 in May. The rematch was set for Saturday at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. It could have been a homecomi…
Sacramento, California, we have a problem.
Sactown native T.J. Dillashaw took Renan “The Baron” Barao apart in their first meeting at UFC 173 in May. The rematch was set for Saturday at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. It could have been a homecoming of sorts for Dillashaw. The new UFC bantamweight champion seemed ready to dish out out another lopsided beatdown in the rematch.
Well…Dillashaw might be giving someone a beating, but it won’t be Barao. Per multiple sources, Barao is out of the fight due to health reasons and will be replaced by former Bellator champion Joe Soto.
While some might look at this matchup and automatically assume Dillashaw will make mincemeat of Soto, having opponents switched this close to the fight can cause major issues.
Emotional letdowns and style changes can be the difference between winning and losing.
Will Dillashaw suffer a such letdown and lose to Soto? Don’t bet on it.
While it is probably a bummer for Dillashaw that he won’t get a chance to further silence the critics who still question if he is indeed better than Barao, the needed intensity will be supplied by his home crowd.
There’s no way Dillashaw will want to give anything besides his best with the opportunity to defend his title in his hometown. If having his opponent switched has any effect on Dillashaw, it’ll be a positive one. He was already miffed that Barao remained ahead of him on the pound-for-pound list—even after he handily defeated him in May.
This occurrence will likely only fuel the me-against-the-world fire that seems to be burning inside the bantamweight champion. Soto will almost certainly try to do what Barao should have done in the first fight, and that’s take Dillashaw to the mat.
Eight of Soto’s 15 professional wins have come by submission, and that’s going to be the best course of action against the nimble and slick Dillashaw. I’m sure the champion’s team will have him as prepared for Soto as possible. One also has to remember, Soto didn’t train for Dillashaw either.
He was originally set to face Anthony Birchak on Saturday. Birchak is the one left out in the cold so far in this situation. He doesn’t have an opponent yet. The UFC is presumably scrambling to find a body to bring the fight count up to nine.
He is still listed on the card on UFC.com, but his opponent is TBA.
Yes, things have suddenly gotten real. The hardcore fans will be there no matter what.
If fight fans in Sacramento only want to see a Dillashaw win and don’t care about the strength of the undercard, they’ll be happy. However, if they are looking to get the most bang for the buck, maybe it’ll be wiser to watch Person of Interest or something.
Follow Brian Mazique aka FranchisePlay, the Sports and Video Game Journalist on Twitter.
The UFC might have absolutely adored 
