With competition for places on the roster being so fiercely contested there’s no substitute for winning in the UFC, and as such it’s every fighters worst nightmare to find themselves trapped in the midst of a losing streak they just can’t seem to break out of. Every defeat brings a greater likelihood that their next
With competition for places on the roster being so fiercely contested there’s no substitute for winning in the UFC, and as such it’s every fighters worst nightmare to find themselves trapped in the midst of a losing streak they just can’t seem to break out of.
Every defeat brings a greater likelihood that their next fight could be their last in the Octagon, bringing even more pressure, anxiety and self-doubt that only seeks to further compound the problem.
For some fighters back-to-back defeats is all it takes before they are unceremoniously shown the exit door, but for one reason or another, some are cut a little more slack, which at first might seem like a blessing, but can often prove to be something of a curse as they dig themselves into an even deeper hole on the sports biggest stage.
It’s those unfortunate fighters that are the focus of this article as we count down the worst losing streaks ever recorded inside the UFC’s Octagon.
10. Gray Maynard – 4 losses in a row
Truth be told there’s a number of fighters who have suffered four-fight losing streaks in the UFC over the years, but Gray Maynard makes it onto this list due to the fact his slump came in the midst of a six-year spell in which he would register just two wins in nine Octagon outings.
A former two-time challenger for the lightweight belt, Maynard entered into another title eliminator with TJ Grant in 2013 having only lost once in his previous 14 bouts, but surprisingly was TKO’d barely two minutes into the fight.
Worrying signs that Maynard’s chin was deserting him then emerged when he was also TKO’d in the first round by Nate Diaz, and then Ross Pearson also finished him with strikes.
A further loss to the unheralded Alexander Yakovlev took his losing streak to four fights, but Maynard resisted talk of retiring and instead took over a year out before dropping down to the featherweight division.
He then briefly broke his losing streak with a win over the unheralded Francisco Bruno, but a loss to Ryan Hall since then leaves the 37-year-old’s fighting future in doubt again.
Every great sport has been built on the backs of men who absolutely sucked at it — athletes whose hapless failures made the champions’ triumphs look even more outstanding by comparison. Baseball has its Mario Mendozas, its Bob Kammeyers, its Pete Rose Jrs. We have our Joe Sons, our Tiki Ghosns, our James Toneys. So in honor of the brave competitors who proved that MMA is even harder than it looks, we humbly present this “tribute” to the worst UFC fighters of all time.
A couple of notes to start: 1) We chose fighters solely based on their performances inside the Octagon. Some of these fighters achieved great things in other organizations, before or after their time in the UFC; for the purposes of this feature, we’re not really interested in that. 2) Instead of ranking one form of suckitude against another, we’ll group the 50 fighters into sections and arrange them chronologically. Use the links below to navigate, and if we omitted anybody notable, please let us know in the comments section.
Every great sport has been built on the backs of men who absolutely sucked at it — athletes whose hapless failures made the champions’ triumphs look even more outstanding by comparison. Baseball has its Mario Mendozas, its Bob Kammeyers, its Pete Rose Jrs. We have our Joe Sons, our Tiki Ghosns, our James Toneys. So in honor of the brave competitors who proved that MMA is even harder than it looks, we humbly present this “tribute” to the worst UFC fighters of all time.
A couple of notes to start: 1) We chose fighters solely based on their performances inside the Octagon. Some of these fighters achieved great things in other organizations, before or after their time in the UFC; for the purposes of this feature, we’re not really interested in that. 2) Instead of ranking one form of suckitude against another, we’ll group the 50 fighters into sections and arrange them chronologically. Use the links below to navigate, and if we omitted anybody notable, please let us know in the comments section.
When “Style vs. Style” usually meant “Talented vs. Untalented.”
1. Art Jimmerson (UFC record: 0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 1, 11/12/93
Even before we really understood what the UFC was, it was clear that Art Jimmerson didn’t belong there. What was a one-gloved boxer going to accomplish in a no-holds-barred fighting competition? In the end, the glove gimmick was completely beside the point. Jimmerson wasn’t able to land a single punch with either hand before he was taken down by early franchise star Royce Gracie, and tapped out before Gracie even got a chance to sink a submission hold. These days, Art is gainfully employed as the head boxing instructor at the UFC Gym in Rosemead, California, and spends his free time calling out Kimbo Slice. Legend.
2. Fred Ettish (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 2, 3/11/94
A kenpo karate stylist who wanted to challenge himself beyond point-fighting tournaments, Ettish sent a letter to Art Davie asking for a spot on UFC 2, and was brought on as a stand-by alternate when Ken Shamrock broke his hand before the event. But instead of letting Ettish warm up and keep focused backstage, the UFC tried to kill two birds with one stone by having Ettish wrangle fighters at the arena, Burt Watson-style. When Frank Hamaker injured his hand during his round-of-16 victory over Thaddeus Luster, shit got very real, very fast:
“I’d just brought up [Minoki] Ichihara, the guy who fought Royce in the first round. I was going downstairs to find the next fighter at the same time Rorion Gracie was coming up the stairs. He grabbed me by the arm and asked, ‘Are you ready to fight?’…I had to go find my guys in the crowd, drag them backstage, get my gear, stretch and try to get myself prepared. This all happened in about a 10-minute window, and I was headed out to the Octagon…I wasn’t able to get my mind right. I checked out psychologically.”
Johnny Rhodes destroyed him. Ettish’s front-kicks were more of an annoyance to his opponent than anything else, and by the time Rhodes knocked him to the mat and began firing strikes from above, Ettish only had the “earthquake defense” to protect him. Rhodes eventually won by way of a choke-hold that he seemed to have invented on the spot. Luckily, Ettish didn’t get discouraged. He went on to open a Pat Miletich-affiliated MMA gym, and returned to competition in 2009, scoring a first-round TKO of a guy who was half his age. See? Nice guys don’t always finish last.
3. Emmanuel Yarborough (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 3, 9/9/94
Manny Yarborough proved that a 416-pound weight advantage was no advantage at all, especially if you have zero practical combat training outside of shoving other fat guys, and you can’t get off the floor without assistance. As soon as his opponent Keith Hackney landed a Hail Mary palm strike, Yarborough tumbled to the mat and nearly swallowed Hackney up in his massive gravitational pull. After a re-start due to Octagon gate-failure, Hackney pot-shotted Yarborough until he was able to knock the big sumo down again, then smashed Manny with blows from above until Big John McCarthy was forced to intervene. Yarborough wasn’t invited back to the UFC, though he did pick up a win via smother-submission during a Shooto fight four years later.
4. Joe Son (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 4, 12/16/94
Maybe we’re biased, considering he’s arguably the worst person who ever competed in the UFC. When Joe Son cut his creepy UFC 4 promo in which he threatened to show us “the spirit of the Lord of Jesus Christ tonight,” nobody knew that he had participated in the horrifying kidnapping and gang-rape of a woman on Christmas Eve 1990, a crime that wouldn’t catch up to him until 2008. Once again, Keith Hackney played the role of regulator, repeatedly slugging Joe Son in the balls during their fight — perfectly legal back then, mind you — before making the “Joe Son Do” practitioner tap due to a choke.
How did a guy who never lost in the UFC make it onto this list? Well, just watch the video of Jon Hess‘s UFC 5 fight against Andy Anderson, and it’ll start to make a lot of sense. A co-founder of SAFTA — that’s Scientific Aggressive Fighting Technology of America, noob — Hess decided to pursue MMA after watching UFC 4 and concluding that he could beat Royce Gracie “very easily.” But once he got in the Octagon and started flailing around like a spaz, it wasn’t clear that he’d ever studied a real martial art. And despite his size advantage against Anderson, Hess resorted to blatant eye-gouging twice in order to get out of trouble.
In short, Hess was completely unathletic, would have been destroyed by any fighter his own size, and was most likely a total asshole to begin with. The UFC reportedly fined him $2,000 for his fouls and never allowed him back. In his second (and final) MMA fight the following year, Hess was invited to face Vitor Belfort at a SuperBrawl event on four days’ notice, and by the power of Christ, Belfort set the karmic balance back in order.
6. John Matua (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 6, 7/14/95
And now, the internal monologue of everybody who watched UFC 6 live: “Damn, John Matua looks like a beast. Did Michael Buffer just say he studies the ‘brutal Hawaiian art of bone-breaking?’ Yeesh…R.I.P., random biker guy. It’s kind of weird that I’ve been subscribing to Black Belt magazine for the last three years and yet I’ve never heard of Kuialua; I’ll have to ask my sensei about ways to defend against it. Okay, they’re fighting, and HOLY CRAP, TANK IS BEATING HIS ASS! BONE-BREAKING HAS BEEN EXPOSED AS USELESS IN A NO-HOLDS-BARRED SCENARIO! PIT-FIGHTING IS THE FUTURE! Oh man, is Matua dead? He’s definitely dead. Wow. Best $14.99 I’ve ever spent. [puts on Everclear CD]” See also:Thomas Ramirez
7. Paul Herrera (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 8, 2/16/96
8. Moti Horenstein (0-2) First appearance: UFC 10, 7/12/96 Final appearance: UFC 14, 7/27/97
With a background in karate, kickboxing, and krav maga, Israeli striker Moti Horenstein wasn’t looking to roll around the mat with anybody. His game-plan in the cage was to unleash the kind of vicious kicks that would later score him a Guinness World Record in baseball-bat breaking. (Yes, there is such a thing.) Unfortunately, Moti’s luck in drawing opponents was cosmically, hilariously bad. Horenstein debuted in the quarterfinals of UFC 10′s open-weight tournament against former NCAA Division I wrestling champion Mark Coleman, who swiftly took him down and unleashed his trademark ground-and-pound until Horenstein tapped from strikes at the 2:43 mark.
Horenstein gave it another shot the following year, entering UFC 14′s four-man heavyweight tournament. And who was his opponent this time? None other than former NCAA Division I wrestling champion Mark Kerr, who was simply a larger, younger, and more savage version of Mark Colemon. Bleacher Report aptly described the match as ”the worst case of a Jew being led to slaughter since Jesus.” Horenstein got TKO’d in 2:22 and thankfully never showed up in the UFC again.
9. Reza Nasri (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 11, 9/20/96
The UFC’s pre-Zuffa era featured two short-lived Iranian prospects — Tae Kwon Do stylist Saeed Hosseini, who competed at UFC 13, and Reza Nasri, who preceded him by three events. (Coincidentally, both fighters were matched up against juiced-up Americans wearing form-fitting Stars ‘n’ Stripes briefs, which made it clear who the fans were supposed to root for.) But while Hosseini put in a valiant effort before being TKO’d by Jack Nilsson, Nasri didn’t do anything for the budding reputation of Iranian MMA, getting beat down by Brian Johnston in under 30 seconds.
Nasri entered the Octagon with a Greco-Roman wrestling background, but it wasn’t clear if he’d done any striking training before joining the eight-man tournament at UFC 11, and he certainly hadn’t taken any jiu-jitsu lessons — you can tell that by the way he completely stopped fighting after Johnston put him on his back. Perhaps Nasri was waiting for the ref to award Johnston three points and stand them back up. Instead, Johnston unleashed a torrent of head-butts (still technically legal in those days) and punches that ended the Iranian’s UFC career as quickly as it began. Now, if Johnston had only come at Nasri with a knife in slow-motion, who knows what would have happened?
10. Tony Halme (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 13, 5/30/97
Unlike the inept first-timers in this section, Tony Halme already had a proven history of failure in MMA by the time he made it to the UFC, racking up an 0-3 record for Japan’s RINGS promotion. A former professional wrestler who had competed in the WWF under the name Ludvig Borga, the hulking, tatted-up Finn certainly looked like your stereotypical cage-fighter/Aryan prison-gang leader. But against a top-shelf wrestler like Randy Couture, he was roadkill.
Halme met the Natural in the semi-finals of UFC 13′s four-man heavyweight tournament — which happened to be Couture’s MMA debut — and opened the bout by running directly into a double-leg takedown. Couture easily placed the 300-pounder on the mat, transitioned to Halme’s back, then finished him with a choke, all in just 56 seconds. It was the last attempt at MMA for Halme, who went on to win a seat in Finland’s parliament for the ultra-right-wing True Finns party, before spiraling into drug-and-alcohol-fueled insanity, and killing himself in January 2010. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.
11. Greg “Ranger” Stott (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 15, 10/17/97
His entire MMA career lasted only 17 seconds, but it taught us so much. For one thing, being 240 pounds doesn’t necessarily make you a heavyweight — sometimes it just means you need to reduce your carb intake. Also, the Octagon is no place to test out new martial arts systems that you made up in your garage. So it went with Greg Stott, an Army Ranger who debuted his own Ranger Intensive Program (“RIP rules, and all other styles rest in peace“) at UFC 15 against the nightmare-inducing Mark Kerr, a true heavyweight in every sense of the word. After Stott tossed out a few awful-looking jabs to demonstrate how unqualified he was, Kerr clinched up and launched an Overeem-esque knee straight up the middle, putting Stott’s lights out. The Mississippi fans booed the quick stoppage, angry that Kerr didn’t literally beat Stott to death. Indeed, it was a crowd that desired bloodshed above all else.
12. Yoji Anjo (0-3) First appearance: UFC Ultimate Japan 1, 12/21/97 Final appearance: UFC 29, 12/16/00
The four-man heavyweight tournament at Ultimate Japan 1 featured two Japanese professional wrestlers, who entered as a publicity stunt for their Kingdom Pro Wrestling league. One of them was Kazushi Sakuraba, a last-minute injury replacement who managed to win the tournament and went on to become an MMA megastar in Japan. The other was Yoji Anjo, whose fight career couldn’t have turned out more differently. After losing a 15-minute decision to American fan-favorite Tank Abbott, Anjo was booked on two subsequent Japanese UFC cards, for no other reason than his nationality. In a pair of mismatches against middleweight up-and-comers, Anjo was choked out by Murilo Bustamante at UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3 and TKO’d by Matt Lindland at UFC 29. Yoji Anjo retired from MMA competition with an overall record of 0-5-1. The fact that he was also responsible for the most epically failed dojo-storming attempt in martial arts history is a tale for another day. See also:Daiju Takase
13. Chris Condo (0-1) Sole appearance: UFC 20, 5/7/99
I’m going to be honest with you — I don’t know a damn thing about Chris Condo. I don’t know where he came from, and I don’t know what became of him after his brief stint in the UFC. Maybe he was simply a spectator who was asked to replace a fighter who had dropped out at the last minute. Your guess is as good as mine. What I see in the screen-cap above is a heavy-set “grappler” whose dopey, innocent expression is reminiscent of Private Pyle from Full Metal Jacket. When Condo faced Ron Waterman at UFC 20, he was, to quote that movie, in a world of shit; Waterman TKO’d him in just 28 seconds. I remember watching the fight online a while back, and I remember that it was ugly, but the video has disappeared from the Internet. Chris Condo never fought again. His life remains a mystery.
(We’ll give “The Robot” this, he never left a *victory* in the hands of the judges.)
Of all the fighters to be kept around by the UFC for longer than they should have, the story of Steve Cantwell‘s inexplicably long run with the promotion is perhaps the most confounding. That is not a knock on Mr. Cantwell, but more of a general observation. After defeating Brian Stann at WEC 35 to win the WEC’s last Light Heavyweight championship (not to mention a bit of redemption), Cantwell kicked off his UFC career in memorable fashion, snapping Razak Al-Hassan’s arm and then gloating over it like a serial killer at UFC: Fight for the Troops back in December of 2008. Unfortunately for “The Robot,” the win would be both his first and last while under the UFC banner.
Cantwell’s next fight would be an entertaining three round kickboxing match with Luiz Cane, a fellow light heavyweight prospect who has fallen on hard times as of late, at UFC 97. It was shortly thereafter where those following Cantwell (including Joe Rogan) began to notice a change in Cantwell’s character, at least when he stepped into the ring. His next four losses, which came to Brian Stann, Cyrille Diabate, Mike Massenzio, and Riki Fukuda, respectively, were marked by an all but total lack of striking defense on Cantwell’s part, who seemed as if he was literally trying to absorb as much damage as possible en route to defeat. All four of those losses came by way of unanimous decision, and all four would see Cantwell fail to engage with any sense of urgency on the feet while having his face put through a meat grinder in the process. None of his fights were incredibly memorable, and most of them took place on the undercard, yet Cantwell stuck around for as long as he possibly could.
Like we said, we’re not here to kick a man while he’s down, but rather to wish him the best at wherever he may land in the future. We just wish we could have seen a little more of that sociopathic fire in his eyes over the last couple years.
News of Cantwell’s release comes amidst a plethora of UFC firings, the complete list of which awaits you after the jump.
(We’ll give “The Robot” this, he never left a *victory* in the hands of the judges.)
Of all the fighters to be kept around by the UFC for longer than they should have, the story of Steve Cantwell‘s inexplicably long run with the promotion is perhaps the most confounding. That is not a knock on Mr. Cantwell, but more of a general observation. After defeating Brian Stann at WEC 35 to win the WEC’s last Light Heavyweight championship (not to mention a bit of redemption), Cantwell kicked off his UFC career in memorable fashion, snapping Razak Al-Hassan‘s arm and then gloating over it like a serial killer at UFC: Fight for the Troops back in December of 2008. Unfortunately for “The Robot,” the win would be both his first and last while under the UFC banner.
Cantwell’s next fight would be an entertaining three round kickboxing match with Luiz Cane, a fellow light heavyweight prospect who has fallen on hard times as of late, at UFC 97. It was shortly thereafter where those following Cantwell (including Joe Rogan) began to notice a change in Cantwell’s character, at least when he stepped into the ring. His next four losses, which came to Brian Stann, Cyrille Diabate, Mike Massenzio, and Riki Fukuda, respectively, were marked by an all but total lack of striking defense on Cantwell’s part, who seemed as if he was literally trying to absorb as much damage as possible en route to defeat. All four of those losses came by way of unanimous decision, and all four would see Cantwell fail to engage with any sense of urgency on the feet while having his face put through a meat grinder in the process. None of his fights were incredibly memorable, and most of them took place on the undercard, yet Cantwell stuck around for as long as he possibly could.
Like we said, we’re not here to kick a man while he’s down, but rather to wish him the best at wherever he may land in the future. We just wish we could have seen a little more of that sociopathic fire in his eyes over the last couple years.
News of Cantwell’s release comes amidst a plethora of UFC firings, the complete list of which is below.
Dongi Yang: 1-3 in his UFC career, “The Ox” is on the heels a unanimous decision loss to Brad Tavares at UFC on FUEL: Zombie vs. Poirier, his second straight UD loss in a row. Following his octagon debut (a split decision loss to Chris Camozzi), Yang picked up his lone win in the octagon by way of third round TKO over fellow UFC washout Rob Kimmons. Prior to his fight with Tavares, Yang was bested by TUF 11 winner Court McGee at UFN 25.
Efrain Escudero: This makes for the TUF 8 winner’s second failed run inside the octagon. Escudero was first released after showing up four pounds heavy for his UFN 22 bout with Charles Oliveira, a match he would subsequently lose by third round submission (rear-naked choke). After going 5-1 in various promotions, including a quick submission (guillotine) over Cesar Avila at Bellator 55, Escudero was called back to the UFC as a late injury replacement for T.J. Grant against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 141. He would be thoroughly outgrappled by Volkmann en route to a tedious UD, and would drop a follow up contest to TUF 6 winner Mac Danzig at UFC 145 last April.
Aaron Rosa – Compiling a 1-2 record in his UFC career, Rosa sandwiched a plodding majority win over Matt Lucas at the inaugural UFC on FOX event between a third round TKO loss in an entertaining slugfest with Joey Beltran at UFC 131 and a devastating first round TKO at the hands of James Te Huna in March.
Also rumored, but not yet confirmed to have been released are:
-Alex Soto (0-2, with losses to Michael McDonald and Francisco Rivera)
-Eric Wisely (0-2, with losses to Charles Oliveira and Jason Young)
The UFC is making it’s first trip to Japan since UFC 29, and what a better way to celebrate it than by having this website’s most beloved weekend contributer liveblog the prelims on FX? Unfortunately for you, Chris Colemon is busy- so instead Seth Falvo will be handling the liveblogging duties for the prelims this evening. Oh well, at least it’s something. Can Takeya Mizugaki make it two in a row against Chris Cariaso? Will former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell stop his four fight losing streak against Riki Fukuda? And what does fate have in store for aging JMMA legends Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi? Tune in here to find out as it unfolds.
The UFC is making it’s first trip to Japan since UFC 29, and what a better way to celebrate it than by having this website’s most beloved weekend contributer liveblog the prelims on FX? Unfortunately for you, Chris Colemon is busy- so instead Seth Falvo will be handling the liveblogging duties for the prelims this evening. Oh well, at least it’s something. Can Takeya Mizugaki make it two in a row against Chris Cariaso? Will former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell stop his four fight losing streak against Riki Fukuda? And what does fate have in store for aging JMMA legends Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto and Takanori Gomi? Tune in here to find out as it unfolds.
We are live from Japan and…wait- Did they really just do a “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chant? Those sarcastic bastards. I love this crowd already. The fact that they’re this enthusiastic well before noon is just the icing on the cake.
Oh, and martial arts were born in Japan. Suck it, Pankration.
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso
Round One: Cariaso comes out with a head kick that barely misses. He tries another, and Mizugaki counters with some nice punches. Mizugaki working his jab early. He attempts a takedown, but Cariaso easily stuffs it. Both guys are remaining active, but neither is landing anything significant. They clinch against the cage, and Mizugaki gets a takedown. Cariaso keeps Mizugaki in his guard and attempts an armbar, but Mizugaki escapes. He’s back in Cariaso’s guard, and Chris Cariaso is doing a good job controlling Mizugaki’s posture and throwing elbows from the bottom. Mizugaki breaks free and lands a few elbows, but Chris Cariaso did a great job keeping Takeya in his guard as the round ends.
Tough round to score.
Round Two: Mizugaki blitzes early, and pushes Cariaso against the cage to attempt a takedown. Cariaso breaks free, and we’re back in the center of the cage. Cariaso attempts a head kick, but it lands around Mizugaki’s armpit. Mizugaki pushes Cariaso into the cage and attempts a takedown. Cariaso avoids the initial attempt and tries for one himself, but Mizugaki tries again and gets it. Mizugaki is trying to pass Cariaso’s guard, but he’s having no success. He stands and lands a few punches on Mizugaki, but he’s back in Cariaso’s guard. Cariaso lands a nice sweep, but Mizugaki immediately gets back to his fight. The round ends with both fighters clinching against the cage.
Round Three: Cariaso lands a head kick, and Mizugaki immediately rushes in and presses Cariaso into the cage. A few knees, and Cariaso now gets Mizugaki against the cage. He briefly looks for a takedown, but Mizugaki stuffs it and both fighters are back in the center of the cage. Straight left from Cariaso, and they’re back against the cage with Cariaso landing knees. Cariaso misses with a hook. He attempts another head kick, but Mizugaki counters and ends up in Cariaso’s guard. Cariaso is really neutralizing Mizugaki’s attack with his surprisingly dynamic guard, but he’s doing nothing of significance in return. They get back to their feet, and Cariaso lands a punch as this one comes to an end. Close fight, but Mizugaki should have this one locked up.
I stand corrected. Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki by unanimous decision. This crowd is not happy about the decision, but it was a close fight. No complaints from me.
Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell
Round One: Cantwell works his jab early, but Fukuda gets in andearns a quick takedown. Cantwell works for an armbar, but Fukuda escapes and lands some heavy ground and pound. This crowd is loving it, punctuating every blow from Fukuda with an enthusiastic cheer. Cantwell escapes, and both guys are back on their feet. Cantwell lands a nice kick. Fukuda attempts another takedown, but Cantwell stuffs it. Fukuda with a leg kick, and another takedown attempt. Cantwell stuffs that one as well. Cantwell with a nice cross, and lands a knee in the clinch. Fukuda with a 1-2. Cantwell attempts a Superman punch, but let’s just say we’ve seen better today. Cantwell stays aggressive, moving forward and landing a kick as this round ends.
Round Two: Cantwell works his jab early again, but Fukuda lands some leg kicks. Cantwell answers back with one of his own. Fukuda gets a takedown, but Cantwell locks up a guillotine. Even though Cantwell only has him in half guard, it looks tight. He doesn’t have it, so he lets go and we’re back on the feet. Some leg kicks and uppercuts from Fukuda, as he shoots for another takedown. Cantwell stuffs it, and lands a nice left hook. Cantwell already looks tired, as he’s now just freezing up when he’s getting hit instead of trying to move away from the punches. Fukuda now has Cantwell covering up against the cage. Cantwell lands a counter punch and escapes, but he’s not faring much better in the center of the cage. A nice 1-2 from Fukuda gets Cantwell back against the cage, but Fukuda misses with an inside leg kick and catches Cantwell low. We’ve got a quick break in the action, and it appears that Fukuda tripped while he was throwing the kick that caught Cantwell. Cantwell comes out after the break and earns a takedown. Cantwell takes Fukuda’s back as this round comes to an end.
Round Three: Nice leg kicks from Fukuda. Cantwell doesn’t have an answer for them. Cantwell spins and attempts a head kick, but Fukuda has this fight under control. Cantwell’s left leg is visibly Fukuda earns a takedown, and ends up in Cantwell’s guard. Cantwell attempts an armbar and a gogoplata (?!), but Fukuda avoids them both and takes Cantwell’s back. Fukuda moves to side control, but Cantwell manages to get back to his feet. Perhaps he should have tried to get Fukuda back in his guard, because Cantwell is getting picked apart with leg kicks and uppercuts, as he has been all fight. Some hard body kicks from Fukuda have Cantwell covering up, just trying to survive the round. Cantwell is done and both fighters realize it. With ten seconds left, Fukuda is content to land a final body kick and let this one go to the judges.
No surprises here. RikiFukuda def. Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision. Later, Steve. It’s hard to see the UFC keeping him around after a performance like this, especially considering he’s now lost five straight.
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee
Round One: Both guys start out throwing heavy shots, but neither guy landing anything. Yamamoto with a nice body kick. Yamamoto lands with a right hook, but trips as he moves away. Lee pins Yamamoto against the cage and attempts to drag him down after the trip, to no prevail. Yamamoto catches Lee and blitzes him, looking for the finish. This crowd is excited, but Lee escapes. Lee rocks Yamamoto with a huge knee, but seems content to just keep Yamamoto against the cage. Yamamoto escapes and lands an uppercut, but is blatantly still hurt from that knee earlier. Lee rushes Yamamoto again, and gets “Kid” on the ground. Lee attempts a triangle, but he doesn’t have it so he switches to an armbar. He’s got the armbar locked up, and Yamamoto taps.
Vaughan Lee def. Norifumi Yamamoto via submission (armbar), 4:29 of Round One. Great showing from Vaughan Lee tonight with this victory, much to the disappointment of this crowd. You can hear a pin drop while Kid Yamamoto addresses the fans after the loss.
Now for our final (preliminary) bout of the evening.
Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
Round One: Gomi working his jab early, but Mitsuoka is managing to slip inside and land punches. Mitsuoka clinches with Gomi against the cage, but Gomi lands some big knees and Mitsuoka abandons the clinch. Gomi switching stances often, pawing out his lead hand trying to set up the cross. Mitsuoka lands an uppercut, but is picking his spots carefully. Gomi lands a leg kick, and works his jab some more. Mitsuoka lands a huge counter right, and mounts Gomi. Mitsuoka locks in a mounted triangle, but there might not be enough time left. Gomi thinks about tapping, but decides to wait out the round. Turns out to be a good decision, as this round comes to a close with Gomi still awake, albeit barely.
Round Two: Gomi lands some kicks, but Mitsuoka is doing a surprisingly good job at countering Gomi’s unorthodox attack. Gomi blitzes Mitsuoka, but Mitsuoka survives and circles away. Gomi blitzes again, sensing that Mitsuoka is tired. Mitsuoka attempts a single leg, which Gomi avoids by grabbing the cage. Mitsuoka is too tired to do anything, and Gomi takes his back and begins to rain down punches. Mitsuoka covers up, but punches are landing and Mitsuoka is doing nothing to escape as this one gets called off.
What a wild fight. Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka via TKO (punches) at 2:21 of Round Two. It’s hard to believe that the same Takanori Gomi who almost tapped at the end of the first round would come back to dominate Mitsuoka like this.
(Similar to Georges St.Pierre, MMA pundits, and most fans heading into UFC 129, Dana White was looking right past Jake Shields.)
2011 is approaching it’s final hour, Potato Nation, and when we typically take a look back at the year that was, we often lump things in terms of the very best, and more often than not, the very worst. But even though it has been arguably the biggest year in the sport’s History, it hasn’t gone without it’s fair share of snoozefests, sparring matches, and fights that simply didn’t live up to their own hype. For every Rua/Hendo, there was a Torres/Banuelos, so to speak, that kept us from having a full-on Chuck Liddell style freak out. It’s not that these fights made us angry, it’s just that they failed to make us feel anything.
In a way, they were actually a good thing for the sport, as they raised our appreciation for the epic slugfests, the back and forth brawls, and the technical battles to new heights. So it is for these unsung heroes that we bring you The Ten Most Forgettable Fights of 2011, presented in chronological order.
We know what you’re thinking, Potatoites, you’re thinking, “My God, it’s only been a year since this clown (dis)graced the UFC with that performance?” Well the answer is yes, and almost to the exact date. On January 1st at UFC 125, Anthony Mckee made his long awaited debut in the UFC. And when we say “long awaited,” we mean by none other than Mckee himself. You see, Anthony Mckee followed the James Toney method of trolling his way into the UFC through a shitstorm of self absorbed and ridiculous claims, despite only claiming seven finishes in his previous thirty contests. Well, DW took the bait, and threw Mckee humble wrestler and future threat to Homeland Security, Jacob Volkmann, for his big debut.
(Similar to Georges St.Pierre, MMA pundits, and most fans heading into UFC 129, Dana White was looking right past Jake Shields.)
2011 is approaching it’s final hour, Potato Nation, and when we typically take a look back at the year that was, we often lump things in terms of the very best, and more often than not, the very worst. But even though it has been arguably the biggest year in the sport’s History, it hasn’t gone without it’s fair share of snoozefests, sparring matches, and fights that simply didn’t live up to their own hype. For every Rua/Hendo, there was a Torres/Banuelos, so to speak, that kept us from having a full-on Chuck Liddell style freak out. It’s not that these fights made us angry, it’s just that they failed to make us feel anything.
In a way, they were actually a good thing for the sport, as they raised our appreciation for the epic slugfests, the back and forth brawls, and the technical battles to new heights. So it is for these unsung heroes that we bring you The Ten Most Forgettable Fights of 2011, presented in chronological order.
We know what you’re thinking, Potatoites, you’re thinking, “My God, it’s only been a year since this clown (dis)graced the UFC with that performance?” Well the answer is yes, and almost to the exact date. On January 1st at UFC 125, Anthony Mckee made his long awaited debut in the UFC. And when we say “long awaited,” we mean by none other than Mckee himself. You see, Anthony Mckee followed the James Toney method of trolling his way into the UFC through a shitstorm of self absorbed and ridiculous claims, despite only claiming seven finishes in his previous thirty contests. Well, DW took the bait, and threw Mckee humble wrestler and future threat to Homeland Security, Jacob Volkmann, for his big debut.
And after unleashing a verbal assault on Volkmann the likes of which we had yet to experience, “Mandingo” proceeded to stick his foot so far down his mouth that his leg nearly snapped at the knee. The fight was terrible, with neither fighter even attempting to engage over the course of 15 minutes. In fact, Mckee’s most significant offense was captured in the above photo, in which he decided to use his strongest asset as a fighter to attempt a takedown. Volkmann would walk away the victor via split decision, and Mckee would be served his walking papers, which he would then try and pass off as some old school racism by the UFC. Good riddance, d-bag.
#9: Steve Cantwell vs. Cyrille Diabate – UFC Live 3
Best known for his trilogy of wars with top middleweight contender Brian Stann, Steve “The Robot” Cantwell found himself sidelined and on a two fight losing streak in 2009. His losing efforts to Stann and Luiz Cane had been relatively entertaining, and before that Cantwell had scored a SOTN award by breaking Razak Al-Hassan’s arm at UFC: Fight For the Troops. Cyrille Diabate, on the other hand, had scored a TKO victory over Cane in his debut before being submitted by Alexander Gustafsson. The fight was placed on the Facebook prelims, and promised to be a technical kickboxing clinic. To say it was a letdown would be an understatement.
The match was little more than a light sparring session, at one point drawing that exact comparison from Joe Rogan during the third round when neither fighter remotely attempted to pick up the pace. It would be mark the halfway…uh…mark of Cantwell’s current four-fight losing streak, and would be Diabate’s last win as well; he would go on to drop a second round submission to Anthony Perosh at UFC 138.
Phil Davis had a hell of a year in 2010. Not only did he go 4-0 in the UFC, scoring wins over the likes of Alexander Gustafsson and Brian Stann, but the man even invented a submission, a hammerlock/kimura hybrid dubbed “The Mr. Wonderful.” Not bad for someone who had been training MMA for less than two years at the time. With his aforementioned submission win over Tim Boetsch, Davis was almost immediately pegged as the next Jon Jones by MMA critics and fans alike, despite the fact that Jon Jones had barely begun his own rise to success. When Davis was placed against former PRIDE star Antonio Rogerio Nogueria, who had knocked out then undefeated Luiz Cane in under two minutes and scored a razor thin decision over Jason Brilz in his own UFC run, the MMA community was ready a grand display of fireworks, and walked away with sparklers.
After a tense first half that saw little to no significant strikes landed, the first round was mainly comprised of Davis trying unsuccessfully to take Nogueria down. And when he was forced to stand, we saw a different, less wonderful version of Davis, complete with an array of awkward push/teep kicks and one-to-two punch combinations that were all but completely ineffective against Lil Nog. Davis was able to secure his first takedown midway through the second round, and to his credit, was able to control the BJJ black belt down when he did so. “Minotoro” on the other hand, never really looked like he was that concerned about finishing the fight, despite Davis’ increased takedown success over the next round and a half. His punches came slower and slower, and by the end of it many in the silent audience were simply awaiting a decision.
It’s not that there was anything particularly bad in this fight, it’s just that there wasn’t much to write home about, including Phil Davis, who’s momentum train found itself at the bottom of a very large hill afterward. And as it turns out, this would be the first of many lackluster main events to come…
Filed under: UFCUFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work …
UFC 136 may be the rare event to include two title fights, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some men fighting for their livelihoods in Houston this Saturday night.
We all know that professional pugilism isn’t the line of work you go into if you really crave job security, but some of this weekend’s competitors are on much shakier ground than others, and it might take only one more loss to send them plummeting into the void of unemployment.
Who are they, and what are their chances to revive their careers with a win at UFC 136? For answers, we turn to The Cut List.
Leonard Garcia (15-7-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Nam Phan Why he’s in danger: Garcia’s 2-3 record in the Octagon is a little misleading for a couple of reasons. He went 1-2 in his first UFC run, which precipitated a drop to featherweight and a full-time move to the WEC. He came back after the merger and won a highly suspect decision over Nam Phan last December, then got twister’d by Chan Sung Jung in March. In a more just world, Garcia would be 0-2 in his latest stay with the UFC, and there’s a good chance that this is how he’s viewed by the people who matter. The good news is, Garcia is unquestionably one of those fighters who, in Dana White’s words, brings it. And boy does he bring it. No defense. No fancy technical stuff. Just straight-up bringing it. As a matter of fact, so much space in his brain is devoted to bringing it that there simply isn’t any space for thoughts of self-preservation. That makes Garcia the exact kind of fighter who can keep his job with a losing record in the UFC, but it also makes him predictable. Opponents who can keep their wits about them and resist the urge to brawl with him should be able to take great advantage of his incessant need to bring it, which might result in Garcia bringing it right on out of the UFC if he’s not careful. Chances of getting cut: Decent. Phan should win this, but Garcia could still get another shot afterward with the right kind of showing. His brawlability quotient is simply too high, and the UFC has too few name brand featherweights to go and get rid of one people know and like.
Nam Phan (16-9, 0-2 UFC) Who he’s facing: Leonard Garcia Why he’s in danger: Just like Garcia, Phan’s record is also skewed by some questionable judging. If he’d have gotten that decision in his UFC debut, he’d be sitting at 1-1 after his not-at-all questionable decision loss to Mike Brown in August. But as it is, he’s winless in the UFC, at least on paper, and you know what typically happens after you lose three in a row. Again, the edge in this fight likely goes to Phan, but in a way it might be more interesting to see what would happen if he were to lose. Would the UFC give him a mulligan on that first loss to Garcia, with the understanding that it was complete nonsense from the judges? Or would a second, more legitimate loss to Garcia make all that irrelevant anyway? Hard to say, but I’m sure he’d rather not find out. Chances of getting cut: Unlikely. I think he beats Garcia more clearly and obviously the second time around, thus securing his status for at least a few more months. That is, if he can resist the siren’s song of a bonus-worthy street fight. We know Garcia’s game.
Eric Schafer (12-5-2, 3-4 UFC) Who he’s facing:Aaron Simpson Why he’s in danger: If Schafer’s name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s been around — in a manner of speaking — for a good little while. This will be his third stint with the UFC in five years, and let’s just say that the UFC isn’t known for handing out fourth chances, so he’d better make this one count. Schafer went 1-2 in his first Octagon installment and 2-2 in the second, but all his losses came against tough opponents like Michael Bisping, Stephan Bonnar, Ryan Bader, and Jason Brilz. If you’re going to get beat, those aren’t bad guys to get beat by, but then you turn around and look at his three UFC wins. Rob MacDonald, Houston Alexander, Antonio Mendes — none of them remained in the UFC for long after losing to Schafer, and that’s not a good sign. Now Schafer has dropped to middleweight and, like virtually every fighter who moves weight classes, seems convinced that it has changed everything for him. We’ll see if he’s right, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up. Chances of getting cut: Very good. I sure wouldn’t want to fight a grinder like Simpson if my career was on the line. Schafer lacks the wrestling prowess of a Mark Munoz and the punching power of a Chris Leben, so I don’t see how he stops the “A-Train” here. I think he gets outwrestled and roughed up, and then I think the UFC gives him his participant ribbon and sends him home.
Steve Cantwell (7-4, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Mike Massenzio Why he’s in danger: Honestly, I’m a little surprised he hasn’t already been cut. He entered the UFC with a full head of steam as WEC light heavyweight champ, and then he enthusiastically bent Razak Al-Hassan’s arm out of shape in his Octagon debut. After that, however, he lost three in a row. Now he’s dropping to middleweight, which he should have done a long time ago, but it’s mildly amazing that the UFC let him hit a three-fight losing streak before either suggesting that he drop down or go win a few in the minors. As it stands, Cantwell’s claim to fame is that he won one of three fights against Brian Stann (and, sure, also the Al-Hassan arm snap thing), so if he wants to stick around at all after Saturday, he absolutely, positively needs to win. Chances of getting cut: Good. Massenzio is a beatable opponent for Cantwell, but by no means an easy one. If he wins, he stays. If he loses, he’s gone for sure. Dan Hardy might get to lose four straight, but Cantwell is no Dan Hardy.
Mike Massenzio (12-5, 1-3 UFC) Who he’s facing: Steve Cantwell Why he’s in danger: Massenzio got cut after going 1-2 his first time around, but earned himself some points with the UFC when he took a fight out of his weight class on extremely short notice at UFC 131. Even though that resulted in an ugly decision loss to Krzysztof Soszynski, it represented him stepping up and doing the UFC a solid just to get back in there. Now, as is customary, he gets a fight back in his own weight class and with adequate time to prepare. That’s the UFC’s version of repaying a favor, and if Massenzio can’t capitalize on it he’ll find himself all out of brownie points. Chances of getting cut: Good/Very good. I give Cantwell the slight edge, but it’s very slight. Whoever loses this one is probably also going to lose his job, and let’s just say Massenzio is not the favorite.
