Brock Lesnar, BJ Penn and 10 Fighters MMA Will Miss

With Brock Lesnar's sudden retirement, the UFC was left with a void for a top PPV draw to go along with Georges St-Pierre. Besides a guaranteed high buy rate, Lesnar brought a lot of excitement and interest to whenever he was on camera.

The same could be said for the fighters that comprise this list. Some were champions and will go down as legends of the sport, while others never achieved a higher status than journeyman. Either way, it's clear these fighters will be missed for a number of reasons.

MMA is a sport that calls it's competitors back, and walking away isn't so easy. If these fighters are truly able to step away forever, they will surely be missed.

Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz may have gotten ahead of himself by stepping away from the sport following his UFC 143 bout. Most believe the fighter made the choice as a result of being overly emotional and will likely return to MMA following his pending suspension.

Diaz has expressed his disdain about the sport of MMA and has looked to make money elsewhere (boxing). If Diaz were to actually retire from MMA, fans would be missing out on one of the best welterweights in the world.

The Cesar Gracie product is not only one of the most talented fighters but also one of the most vocal. His ability to sell a fight and back up his talk will definitely be missed by MMA fans.

Matt Hamill

When Matt Hamill came onto season four of The Ultimate Fighter, he became an instant hit with the fans due to being deaf. Hamill used his TUF  fame to create a very successful career that saw the former Olympic gold medalist defeat such names as Tito Ortiz and Mark Munoz.

Hamill's career is proof that anyone can achieve their dreams. Despite having a disability, Hamill showed that a disability wasn't a disadvantage (contrary to Ortiz's medical claims).

"The Hammer" had an exciting style that featured strong takedowns and powerful strikes. This combination made him into one of the most popular UFC fighters to never win a title.

Matt Hughes

Although an official announcement has yet to be made, this could very well be the end of one of the most storied careers in MMA history.

Matt Hughes simply was the welterweight division while he held the UFC title. His run of dominance at 170 pounds has only been matched by Georges St-Pierre (who he defeated on one occasion). Hughes' personality may not have endeared him to some fans, but it's clear his fighting style won many of them over.

His explosive and powerful wrestling combined with a good jiu-jitsu game helped Hughes reign supreme over the UFC's welterweight division. Before age finally began to set in for the UFC Hall of Famer, Hughes had amassed a 41-4 record in MMA.

Kenny Florian

A back injury may force Kenny Florian into retirement quicker than he anticipated. The longtime UFC fighter has been a constant in the company since his time on the original Ultimate Fighter.

Florian's career has come under scrutiny for not being able to "win the big one" but he still was able to secure quite a bit of fan support due to his exciting fighting style. "KenFlo" had the grappling prowess to tap anyone out and a dangerous Muay-Thai game to go with it.

Like a Randy Couture, Florian may find a second career in TV as he is one of the most recognizable faces among the MMA media.

Randy Couture

Randy Couture has stepped away from the sport multiple times before. This time seems different as "The Natural" appears to be sincere with his desire to retire.

Couture will be remembered as one of the greatest fighters of his generation regardless of his overall record. Nearly every fight Couture was involved in had title implications or was for a title. His rivalry with Chuck Liddell was resoundingly successful for both fighters and the UFC as well.

A fan favorite throughout his entire career, Couture will be missed from inside the Octagon, but we will likely be seeing him in an analyst role.

BJ Penn

BJ Penn will go down as arguably the best 155-pound fighter in UFC history. Penn has lost against only two men at lightweight and avenged one of those losses by defeating Jens Pulver.

His reign of dominance will likely be unmatched as he not only won fights but often times also humiliated his opponents. Penn brought world class jiu-jitsu with a devastating boxing game.

Other than his run at lightweight, Penn was also involved in some of the sport's biggest rivalries with the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes.

The Hawaiian fighter will likely return from his semi-retirement, but if he were to step away there's no doubt he would be a surefire Hall of Famer.

Chuck Liddell

Royce Gracie became the first superstar under the UFC banner but Chuck Liddell became the company's first "megastar."

Liddell rose to fame and popularity due to his fighting style and "fight anytime, anywhere" persona. He's appeared in numerous media outlets and had one of the most successful UFC careers.

I think one of the few forgotten items that made Liddell so great for the UFC was the fact he had a college education to go along with his fighting career. When Dana White took over, he wanted to showcase the athletic skill of his fighters and prove that they weren't "cavemen." Liddell was the perfect example for him to parade around to the media.

"The Iceman" will be missed, but MMA fans can agree it was time for him to step down following three violent KO losses to end his career.

Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar's ascension to title glory was about as fast as his downfall. The former WWE star burst onto the scene by nearly defeating former heavyweight champion Frank Mir in his first UFC match.

Lesnar further captured the eyes of MMA fans when he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion in just his fourth professional bout.

His demise was ugly to watch as he was battered by Cain Velasquez and Alistair Overeem in his final two bouts.

Even if you hated Lesnar you still tuned in to watch him fight. His celebrity status made him an overnight star under the UFC banner and helped create the new-found interest in the heavyweight division.

Mirko 'Cro Cop'

As Mirko "Cro Cop" uttered the word "retirement" following his loss to Roy Nelson, there was a sigh of relief from nearly everyone in the MMA community.

"Cro Cop" was not the same fighter we loved in Pride and it became heartbreaking for some to watch their legend be beaten like he was in the UFC.

Being one of the best strikers turned MMA fighters, "Cro cop" utilized his excellent technique with scary KO power in his hands and legs. He will be remembered as one of the most popular fighters to compete in Pride, but unfortunately fans will remember his awful run under the UFC's banner as well.

Chris Lytle

Chris Lytle never won a UFC title but he didn't need to. "Lights Out" was and always will be a champion of the people.

Despite never rising above gatekeeper status, Lytle has won six Fight of the Night awards, three Submission of the Night awards, and one KO of the Night award. His record of most fight bonuses is a title in its own as Lytle proved you didn't need a belt to have a successful career.

Unlike many people on this list, Lytle went out on a high note after defeating Dan Hardy. I give him a lot of credit as walking away after a win is one of the hardest things to do in sports. MMA fans will miss Lytle because he gave them a show each and every time he stepped into a cage.