The Worst Career Moments for MMA's Top 50 Fighters

Ultimately, every fighter experiences low points in their career.

Even Fedor Emelianenko—who seemed invincible and, like his career and name, could never be tarnished—has fallen on hard times recently.

Some fellow standouts are much younger and have yet to experience those kinds of lows, but do not worry, there is always something...

Here are the worst career moments for MMA's top 50 fighters.

Tito Ortiz

Unanimous Decision Loss to Randy Couture (2003)

Ortiz was looking to extend his title reign to an incredible six title defenses.

Unfortunately for Tito, Randy Couture proved to be the superior MMA athlete and beat him for five rounds—culminating with a literal "spanking" in the final seconds.

Tito lost his title and air of invincibility.

Rick Story

Unanimous Decision Loss to Charlie Brenneman (2011)

After coming off the biggest win of his career, Story tried to keep his momentum by replacing an injured Anthony Johnson in the UFC Live headlining spot.

In a twist of bad luck for Story, his opponent, Nate Marquardt, was replaced last-second by Charlie Brenneman.

Brenneman is a more highly decorated wrestler than Story, and without sufficient time to prepare, Story was out-wrestled for three rounds to watch all his newfound momentum slip away.

Mark Hominick

Triangle Choke Submission Loss to Hatsu Hioki (2006)

Coming off of the biggest win of his career in his UFC debut, Hominick went to Canada to try and defend his TKO Featherweight Championship for an impressive fourth time.

Apparently Hioki was not impressed with Hominick's triangle over Yves Edwards and submitted Hominick with a triangle of his own.

Demetrious Johnson

Unanimous Decision Loss to Brad Pickett (2010)

In Johnson's WEC debut, he got shut down by English star Brad Pickett.

Johnson will now be challenging for the bantamweight title and his fight with Pickett is the only blemish on his record.

Anthony Pettis

Unanimous Decision Loss to Clay Guida (2011)

Poor Anthony Pettis was set to challenge for the UFC Lightweight Championship and never got his chance.

Instead of waiting for nearly a year for his shot, Pettis stepped up to the plate to fight fellow contender Clay Guida.

Guida won a unanimous decision, crushing Pettis' chance at a championship fight in the near future.

Phil Davis

Injury-Related Pull-Out of PPV Headlining Spot at UFC 133 (2011)

Just by looking at his record, undefeated prospect Phil Davis does not have much to hang his head about.

But consider this fast-rising contender was set to headline his first-ever pay-per-view against the biggest challenge of his career, only to be pulled from the contest a few weeks out due to injury.

No doubt Davis' future is still very bright.

Diego Sanchez

Unanimous Decision Loss to John Hathaway (2010)

Diego Sanchez had just moved back up to welterweight after being stopped for the first time in a humbling championship loss to BJ Penn.

Sanchez was a considerable favorite over the up-and-comer John Hathaway but Hathaway landed big shots and outworked Sanchez for a clear-cut decision.

After suffering back-to-back losses and losing a fight he was supposed to win, many were wondering where the fire had gone.

Did Diego Sanchez have anything left to offer MMA?  Turns out he has plenty.

Dan Henderson

Rear-Naked Choke Loss to Anderson Silva (2008)

Dan Henderson has suffered a host of high-profile losses throughout his long and storied career, but none have left him more embittered than his bid for the UFC Middleweight Championship against Anderson Silva.

Henderson said he felt depleted for the fight and that he knows he could defeat the pound-for-pound king if only he was given another chance.

Sorry Hendo, doesn't look like that's going to happen.

Fedor Emelianenko

Technical Knockout Loss to Antonio Silva (2011)

Fabricio Werdum was the one to catch Fedor and end his epic streak but Antonio Silva beat Fedor down and made him question how much he has left in the sport.

Fedor just did not have any answers to try and overcome the giant Silva and wondered aloud if his time in the sport was done.

Kenny Florian

Technical Knockout Loss to Diego Sanchez (2005)

Kenny Florian has lost two championship fights but it was his fight against Diego Sanchez for the inaugural Ultimate Fighter crowning that was his worst showing.

Sanchez chased Florian down along the cage and pounded out a TKO victory within the opening three minutes.

Forrest Griffin

Knockout Loss to Anderson Silva (2009)

After losing the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, Griffin accepted a fight against reigning middleweight champion and pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva.

Silva embarrassed Griffin in one of the most one-sided striking beatdowns ever witnessed.

Forrest immediately ran out of the cage after collecting his senses.  He later commented on Anderson saying, "he broke me."

Ronaldo Souza

Knockout Loss to Gegard Mousasi (2008)

Souza has been knocked out twice in his career, but thankfully for him, not many people were watching in his MMA debut.

The same cannot be said for his DREAM Middleweight Championship bout against Gegard Mousasi.

Souza became anxious with his opponent's back on the ground and he dove into a devastating upkick that knocked him out cold.

Mark Munoz

Knockout Loss to Matt Hamill (2009)

Mark Munoz made his UFC debut against Matt Hamill at light heavyweight and had nothing to offer the UFC veteran.

Hamill kept backing Munoz down, shucking off his takedown attempts, and landed a brutal head-kick knockout to hand Munoz a rude welcoming to the UFC and the first loss of his career.

Vitor Belfort

Split-Decision Loss to Tito Ortiz (2005)

Belfort's fight against Ortiz was a fight many felt should have gone his way on the judges' scorecards and marked the first time he experienced back-to-back losses.

Belfort left the UFC following the loss and would not return to the organization that got him started until more than four years later.

Carlos Condit

Split-Decision Loss to Martin Kampmann (2009)

Condit has nothing in his career to hang his head about, but he certainly was hoping for a more impressive UFC debut.

The former WEC Welterweight Champion headlined in his first UFC event and ended up losing a close split-decision that could have gone either way.

He has since rebounded quite marvelously.

Hatsu Hioki

Split-Decision Loss to Jong Man Kim (2007)

Three of Hioki's four career losses have come by way of split-decision.

His split-decision loss to Michihiro Omigaway in Sengoku may have been the highest profile, but I am going to lean towards his loss to Kim, as Kim is relatively unheralded and it marked the only time Hioki lost back-to-back fights.

Chad Mendes

Waiting for Featherweight Championship Bout (2011)

Chad "Money" Mendes has looked great so far, accruing an impressive 10-0 record.

He was set to be the next challenger for Jose Aldo's featherweight crown but opted to take a different fight so he did not have to sit on the shelf an extra month or two.

Now Mendes faces Rani Yahya, a superb jiu-jitsu artist who may actually pose some problems for Mendes on the ground.

Clay Guida

Split-Decision Loss to Gilbert Melendez (2006)

Clay Guida had defeated Josh Thomson for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship and then lost it to Gilbert Melendez via split-decision in his very next fight.

Obviously a close bout, who knows how Melendez and Guida's career trajectories would have gone had Guida ended up winning that night.

Nick Diaz

Unanimous Decision Loss to Sean Sherk (2006)

The loss to Sherk marked Diaz's fourth loss in the UFC and his third in a row.

Diaz was frustrated by Sherk's wrestling and he has not faced a high-level wrestler since.

Jim Miller

Unanimous Decision Loss to Gray Maynard (2009)

Jim Miller has been unstoppable in the UFC save for his decision loss to Gray Maynard, who made use of his size and reach advantage that night.

If Miller loses in his upcoming bout, that would then become the worst moment as he should probably be fighting for a championship and not another contender.

Nate Marquardt

Elevated Testosterone Knocks Him out of UFC Headlining Position and Organization (2011)

Nate Marquardt has fought some of the best fighters the planet has to offer, but the toughest struggle of his career was battling his testosterone replacement therapy debacle publicly.

Unable to keep his testosterone levels within the required limits, Marquardt was removed from a headlining position just moments before weigh-ins and an infuriated Dana White immediately released Marquardt from the world's premiere MMA organization.

Eddie Alvarez

Heel-Hook Submission Loss to Shinya Aoki (2008)

Alvarez has only lost twice in his career and the second time was an embarrassing first-round submission loss to Shinya Aoki for the newly created WAMMA Lightweight Championship (WAMMA: World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts).

Shinya Aoki butt-scooted around the canvass, chasing Alvarez down.  Eventually Aoki trapped Alvarez on the mat, and it was purely academic from there.

Antonio Silva

Technical Knockout Loss to Eric Pele (2006)

Silva was starting to show up on many peoples' radar as a potential star before suffering the first loss of his career.

Perhaps he overlooked the punching power of Pele and Silva got rocked early.  Silva probably would have recovered, but the ref stopped the fight, and Silva left feeling very disappointed.

Shinya Aoki

Unanimous Decision Loss to Gilbert Melendez (2010)

Aoki went into his bout with Melendez with the pride of Japan behind him and he still came up short.

Leading up to the fight Aoki said: "If Aoki loses, it is over for Japan. I love Japan and it is certain that if I
lose, Japan will become a colony of US MMA."

Bit harsh Shinya, no?

Brian Bowles

Technical Knockout Loss to Dominick Cruz (2010)

Then-undefeated Brian Bowles was riding high after his knockout victory over longtime champion Miguel Torres to become the new bantamweight champion.

His first title defense was against current champ, Dominic Cruz, and Bowles could not continue the fight after suffering a broken hand.

Now the former champion faces his third fight since that defeat trying to get back to the crown that was once his. 

Fabricio Werdum

Knockout Loss to Junior Dos Santos (2008)

After two TKO victories in a row, Fabricio Werdum was starting to look like the No. 1 contender for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

First, however, he would have to dispose of UFC newcomer Junior Dos Santos.

In a shocking upset, Dos Santos knocked Werdum out in the first round.  

It was Werdum's only knockout loss of his career, and his last fight in the UFC.

Alistair Overeem

Technical Knockout Loss to Mauricio Rua (2005)

Overeem had made it all the way to the semifinals of the prestigious Pride 2005 Middleweight (light heavyweight by today's measure) Grand Prix tournament.

Mauricio Rua finished Overeem with strikes and sent his career into ambiguity, as Overeem immediately started experimenting with the heavyweight division in his very next bout.

Josh Koscheck

Technical Knockout Loss to Paulo Thiago (2009)

A staple in the upper echelons of the UFC welterweight division, Koscheck might have slightly overlooked his opponent when he was given relatively unknown Brazilian fighter Paulo Thiago.

Thiago shocked Koscheck with his striking and gave Koscheck the one and only knockout defeat of his career.

Lyoto Machida

Knockout Loss to Mauricio Rua (2010)

Lyoto Machida was frustrated that so many people thought he had lost his first fight with Mauricio Rua.

In their immediate rematch, Machida suffered the first official loss of his career and it is still the only knockout loss on his record.

Quinton Jackson

Unanimous Decision Loss to Forrest Griffin (2008)

Quinton Jackson was confident heading into his title defense against Forrest Griffin, but he was slightly out-hustled by his well-conditioned foe and he watched his championship slip away in a close decision.

The emotional effect on Jackson was devastating as he went on a rampage (no pun intended—that really is the best word), driving recklessly through the streets of Southern California.

Yushin Okami

Unanimous Decision Loss to Chael Sonnen (2009)

Okami was working his way towards a title shot when he was derailed by standout wrestler Chael Sonnen.

Okami almost never seemed in the fight and was practically manhandled from beginning to end.

It was a shocking loss for Okami that opened his eyes to branching out his training regiment.

Urijah Faber

Technical Knockout Loss to Mike Brown (2008)

Urijah Faber was the dominant featherweight champion and riding an impressive 13-fight win streak.

Mike Brown put an end to Faber's reign and gave him only the second knockout loss of Faber's 30-fight career.

Brock Lesnar

Technical Knockout Loss to Cain Velasquez (2010)

Lesnar had won three straight UFC Heavyweight Championship bouts and came out guns a' blazing for his title defense against Cain Velasquez.

The plan backfired as Cain turned the tides on Lesnar and finished him off with strikes late in the first round.

Rashad Evans

Knockout Loss to Lyoto Machida (2009)

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans only has one loss in his career, and it was when he lost the belt.

Evans had trouble mounting any kind of effective offense against Machida and was knocked silly in the second round for an embarrassing defeat.

Mauricio Rua

Rear-Naked Choke Submission Loss to Forrest Griffin (2007)

Despite suffering a knee injury in training, Rua went ahead with his highly anticipated UFC debut against Forrest Griffin.

A significant betting favorite, Rua was worn down by Griffin and and submitted in the third round.

It was a letdown for his fans and a rude welcoming to the UFC.

Joseph Benavidez

Split-Decision Loss to Dominick Cruz (2010)

The only two losses of Benavidez's career are decisions to Dominick Cruz.

The first fight was a letdown because Benavidez was the favorite, but it still was probably not as bitter as losing a split-decision for the bantamweight championship of the world.

Chael Sonnen

Triangle Choke Submission Loss to Demian Maia (2009)

Sonnen's heart was also broken after his championship loss to Anderson Silva, but at least he had proven something.

Heading into his UFC debut against Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen felt like he had a secret.  Like he was about introduce himself to the world as the best middleweight on the planet.

Instead, Sonnen got embarrassed and submitted in the first round.  During the announcement of the result, Sonnen was visibly distraught.

Junior Dos Santos

Armbar Submission Loss to Joaquim Ferreira (2007)

The only loss of Dos Santos' career.

Dos Santos had defeated Ferreira earlier that year, but this time he was submitted early in the first round.

BJ Penn

Technical Knockout Loss to Georges St. Pierre (2009)

BJ Penn was amped up to exact revenge on his nemesis, Georges St. Pierre, in one of the most hyped fights of all time.

Instead of finding revenge, Penn was humbled as he was beat down for four rounds and was forced to throw in the towel before the start of the fifth.

Jon Fitch

Unanimous Decision Loss to Georges St. Pierre (2008)

Jon Fitch probably felt invincible going into his title fight against GSP, considering he was riding a 16-fight win streak.

As GSP so often does, he humbled Fitch by outclassing him for the five-round fight.

Jake Shields

Unanimous Decision Loss to Akira Kikuchi (2004)

In his first defense of the Shooto Middleweight Championship, Jake Shields lost a decision to Kikuchi, a man he had bested by decision just a year prior.

The loss helped turned Shields' career around as he went on to accumulate one of the best win streaks the sport had ever seen.

Gilbert Melendez

Unanimous Decision Loss to Josh Thomson (2008)

One of only two defeats in Melendez's career.

The loss to Thomson stripped Melendez of his coveted Strikeforce Lightweight Championship belt.

Dominick Cruz

Guillotine Submission Loss to Urijah Faber (2007)

UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz has only one blemish on his record, and that was against Urijah Faber in their 2007 confrontation for the featherweight title.

Faber was just too experienced and finished Cruz in the first round.  Cruz dropped down to bantamweight in his next WEC bout.

Gray Maynard

Split-Draw with Frankie Edgar (2011)

It could have been the best moment of his career, but the judges awarded Maynard's fight with Edgar for the UFC Lightweight Championship a draw.

Edgar kept his belt and Maynard walked away embittered and let down.

Frankie Edgar

Unanimous Decision Loss to Gray Maynard (2008)

The only loss of lightweight champion Frankie Edgar's career.

Edgar was out-wrestled by the larger fighter and there was no doubt who left the cage the victor that night.

Cain Velasquez

Shoulder Injury Sustained during Championship Bout with Brock Lesnar (2010)

Undefeated heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was at the high point of his career after defeating Brock Lesnar.

Then, news came in that he suffered a terrible shoulder injury during the fight.

It has been a tough situation for the champion as he has spent most of the past year rehabbing and trying to get his undefeated career back on track.

Jon Jones

Disqualification Loss against Matt Hamill (2009)

Despite dominating his opponent, Jones was disqualified for delivering an illegal blow to his wounded opponent.

Jones handled the situation with grace and it was not too much of a setback for the young star as he headlined his next event.

Jose Aldo

Rear-Naked Choke Submission Loss to Luciano Azevedo (2005)

The only loss of featherweight champion and phenom Aldo's career came at the hands of fellow Brazilian Luziano Azevedo.

Aldo was still a teenager at the time and lost to a man naturally larger than himself.

Georges St. Pierre

Technical Knockout Loss to Matt Serra (2007)

The most infamous championship upset in UFC history will continue to linger on GSP's legacy even if he keeps on winning.

No one was giving Matt Serra a chance at winning but he came out and beat down the champion in the first round.

A disappointment so large for St. Pierre, it was surreal.

Anderson Silva

Triangle Choke Submission Loss to Daiju Takase (2003)

Anderson Silva almost retired from MMA before coming to the UFC due to a feud with his trainers, but a more tangible example of crisis in Silva's earlier career is his loss to Takase.

Takase was a huge underdog but he was able to control Anderson on the ground.

Anderson grew desperate and Takase caught him in a beautiful triangle choke.  It was a curiously ineffectual and despondent Silva from the man we know today.