5 UFC Fighters Who Have Fallen off the Radar

MMA fighters are only as good as their last fight, and some guys have struggled with that recently. Staying active is a surefire way to get fans to pay attention to your career, but so too is winning.

The fighters on this list have fallen completely off the radar due to a number of factors. Some have been on the sidelines for far too long, while some haven't had their hand raised in the Octagon in a while. Others have experienced a combination of both.

Many of the fighters were in the mix for title contention, but now they're struggling. Luckily, most have plans lined up down the road that should get them back into the title conversation, but a few have seemingly no direction back to the Octagon.

Chan Sung Jung

USA TODAY Sports

At one point, Chan Sung Jung was perhaps the most popular fighter in the featherweight division. Fans could count on The Korean Zombie to give them their money's worth every time he stepped in the Octagon.

But Jung's name is now an afterthought in the division. Jung isn't entirely to blame for his recent struggles, as his injuries haven't helped the matter.

The Korean Zombie lost his title bid against Jose Aldo at UFC 163 in August 2013 after separating his shoulder. He recovered from that injury and was scheduled to compete at UFC Fight Night 53, but another injury forced him off the card.

Now he will endure another few weeks of rehab and be re-evaluated. During that time, he'll continue to slide further away from UFC contention.

The rise of Conor McGregor has completely hijacked any plans of the featherweight contenders, which is why fans will be treated to a Cub Swanson vs. Frankie Edgar bout in November. Jung still sits at No. 6 in the UFC rankings, but surging fighters like Dennis Bermudez and Max Holloway are nipping at his heels.

Junior Dos Santos

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

It wasn't too long ago that Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez were considered the 1a and 1b of the UFC heavyweight division. However, after two vicious beatdowns by Velasquez, those days seem like they were in the pre-Zuffa era.

When JDS faces Stipe Miocic in December, it will be the Brazilian's first foray into the Octagon since October 2013. The two were originally scheduled to face off earlier this year, but a broken hand forced Dos Santos off the card.

He will be out of action more than a year by the time he faces Miocic, and in that time he's seen his spot as the best heavyweight outside of Velasquez taken away from him. Fabricio Werdum is challenging Velasquez for the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 180 in November.

Luckily for JDS, the heavyweight division is full of aging contenders and his penchant for delivering highlight-reel knockouts means he's always one win away from being near the mountaintop. He may not get another title shot so long as Velasquez holds the title, but at the very least he can be ready to step into a title fight should Velasquez drop the belt.

Michael Johnson

USA TODAY Sports

Michael Johnson was on the fast track to a title shot after putting together three straight victories in the Octagon, including a dominant showing against fan favorite Joe Lauzon. But just his luck, an injury derailed his plans to insert himself into the title picture.

Johnson has at least competed this calendar year, picking up a win over former UFC lightweight fighter Melvin Guillard in March. He was set to face perennial contender Josh Thomson earlier this year, but the aforementioned injury put him on the sidelines.

Johnson has been on the sidelines ever since and doesn't have anything lined up for the rest of 2014. That's not good news considering the lightweight division is a shark tank.

Donald Cerrone is having one hell of a year. Khabib Nurmagomedov is undefeated, and Rafael dos Anjos just picked up the biggest win of his career by taking out Benson Henderson. Don't forget about Myles Jury, who is riding a six-fight winning streak in the UFC, and Bobby Green, who just defeated Thomson.

Johnson is quickly being swept aside due to being on the sidelines. He needs to get another fight on his schedule—even if it's not a high-profile contest—to stay relevant in a crowded title picture.

Michael McDonald

USA TODAY Sports

Remember when Michael McDonald was the "next big thing" in the UFC's bantamweight division? One of the youngest competitors in the UFC, he was on a one-way trip to UFC gold.

Then, he ran into a buzz saw in the form of Renan Barao.

McDonald held his own against the champion for three rounds, but ultimately fell to Barao in the fourth. He bounced back with a win over Brad Pickett but ran into yet another roadblock in the form of "The California Kid" Urijah Faber.

That loss to Faber was in December of last year, and McDonald hasn't been heard from since.

A nagging hand injury has kept him out of action since the Faber loss, and McDonald has decided to switch up the way he game-plans for upcoming fights. It's good that McDonald wants to get his health in order prior to coming back to the UFC, but he should expect to take his place at the back of the line in the division.

Dominick Cruz made a triumphant return in dominant fashion at UFC 178. T.J. Dillashaw still has some unfinished business with Barao if the Brazilian can make weight, and Raphael Assuncao continues to hold his place in the top five.

Josh Barnett

USA TODAY Sports

Josh Barnett was in the midst of a career resurgence in 2013 after winning back-to-back fights including one over fellow MMA heavyweight legend Frank Mir at UFC 164. Prior to that streak, Barnett had been on an 8-1 roll with his only loss coming to top UFC light heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier.

But his career resurgence fell flat at UFC 168 when Barnett was "Hapa'd" by Travis Browne. That was in December 2013. Barnett has yet to step back into the Octagon, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been staying active.

Barnett competed at Metamoris 4 against grappling legend Dean Lister. Not only did Barnett hold his own on the mat but he actually tapped out Lister with seconds remaining in the contest.

He's had no shortage of challengers waiting to welcome him back to the Octagon including Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and fan favorite Mark Hunt. Barnett has always moved to the beat of his own drum, and I'd wager he's more likely to stand opposite Hunt in the future given it's a bigger payday.