Tim Sylvia and the 5 Saddest Declines in MMA History

Everyone has a favourite fighter, or a select few they enjoy watching. Seeing their heroes fall before their eyes can often be traumatic, as some fighters' declines are disturbing to watch.

It's tough to watch guys who were former champions be reduced to nothing more than a tool used to build younger fighters' records.

Some fighters had the bull by the horns at certain points in their career but due to a number of circumstances, they've fallen off the map. Others, like Tim Sylvia, believe they can match up with the best in the UFC still despite not defeating a notable opponent in years.

America loves an underdog story, but we also love to watch a train wreck unfold. These careers started off with promise but were eventually derailed in an ugly train wreck sort of fashion before our eyes.

Ken Shamrock

The world's most dangerous man is now only a danger to himself. Ken Shamrock, at one point in time, was among the elite in MMA. Possessing a body builder-like physique with legitimate grappling skills, Shamrock looked the part and walked the walk as well.

The legend's career began to spiral out of control with his rivalry with Tito Ortiz. In a classic old vs. new rivalry, Shamrock looked like the old man who simply couldn't keep up with the times. This fact was reaffirmed with his performance against Ortiz at UFC 40.

Shamrock was beaten badly, and his corner called for the bell following the third round.

His time on The Ultimate Fighter also showed Shamrock in a negative light, and somehow the perennial bad boy Ortiz actually came through looking like a pretty great guy.

Then of course there's always the "living death" comment.

As if Shamrock's career wasn't in a bad enough state, his legal troubles with the UFC painted the picture of an aging veteran who simply needed money. His performances during his later years certainly didn't help the stereotype.

In a sad moment of Shamrck's career, he was forced to quit mid-match against Pedro Rizzo due to leg kicks.

Watching an MMA legend crumple to the floor and proclaim "no mas" should've been enough for fans to clamor for an end, but it was not to be. Shamrock would win his next bout by decision only to be stopped once again in his last bout in 2010.

Like many fighters from "the old guard," Shamrock simply couldn't keep up with the times and was passed by. Unfortunately for Shamrock and fans, it wasn't a pretty passing, but rather we saw the former Pancrase champion ran off the road into a ditch.

Mark Kerr

From "Smashing Machine" to being completely smashed. That's one way to describe Mark Kerr's decline in MMA.

Kerr won back-to-back UFC tournaments with only one bout lasting longer than two minutes. Kerr truly smashed through the competition and was a walking specimen to boot.

He enjoyed some success in Pride, but his fall began in 2000. A loss to Igor Vovchanchyn in their rematch sent the former champion in a downward spiral that was highlighted (or low-lighted?) by Kerr KO'ing himself while attempting a double-leg takedown.

We thought the MMA great would finally be able to ride off into the sunset on a positive note after winning consecutive bouts. It was not to be, as Kerr once again lost a handful of fights in disturbing fashion.

Kerr's last bout was against Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal. Lawal finished Kerr in 25 seconds, knocking him into oblivion.

His physical deterioration is ugly enough as it is, but when you combine it with Kerr's fight performances, you have one of the saddest declines in MMA history. Kerr's problems formed due to his addiction to painkillers and personal demons that were highlighted in the HBO documentary, The Smashing Machine.

Fedor Emelianenko

After an illustrious career overseas, Fedor Emelianenko finally made his debut in a major promotion in the United States. Being the main focal point of Strikeforce, Emelianeko received massive amounts of hype in preparation of his bout with Brett Rodgers.

Emelianenko would win in typical fashion—a massive punch that nearly took Rodgers' head off. The win set up a showdown between Emelianenko and BJJ black belt Fabricio Werdum.

In one of MMA's biggest upsets, Emelianenko fell into the trap set by Werdum and was forced to tap due to a triangle. This loss was easy for fans to stomach seeing as how everyone gets caught. Sure, the invincible Emelianenko had lost, but it wasn't like it was in decisive fashion.

Enter Antonio Silva. The massive BJJ black belt controlled the much smaller Emelianenko like a small child during their bout. Silva unleashed some thunderous punches from the top with the result being Emelianenko's eye swelling shut (pictured).

The loss put doubts in the mind of fans about the future of Emelianenko's career going forward. Nevertheless, fans were eagerly excited for Emelianenko's showdown with Pride champion Dan Henderson.

Emelianenko was flattened to the canvas by a flurry of Henderson's punches and was subsequently released from Strikeforce. Mulling retirement, Emelianenko returned to his winning ways by defeating Jeff Monson and Satoshi Ishii.

He may be back into the win column, but there's no doubting "the old Fedor" will never return.

Chuck Liddell

When a fighter's chin leaves them, it can be an ugly thing to watch. Seeing Chuck Liddell go from champion to walking punching bag was a sad sight for many MMA fans who grew up idolizing "The Iceman."

Liddell's career turned upside down when he lost to Quintn "Rampage" Jackson for a second time at UFC 71. After losing to Keith Jardine, Liddell looked to be back to his old ways when he defeated Wanderlei Silva in their much-anticipated matchup.

All of Liddell's momentum was ironically and abruptly halted by an overhand right from Rashad Evans. In one of the more violent KOs in MMA history, Liddell collapsed to a heap in the middle of the Octagon. Seeking to go out on a high note, Liddell signed on to fight former Pride legend Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

"The Iceman" was again knocked unconscious by a hook from Rua. Liddell was scheduled to face Tito Ortiz in his final sendoff but instead fought Rich "Ace" Franklin. Franklin ended Liddell's career with a short right hook that forced Dana White to intervene in Liddell's career.

The sharp decline in Liddell's career probably had numerous factors, but there was no doubt deciding factors; his social life and the lack of being able to take a punch. Liddell's "party lifestyle" was a notorious characteristic of the fighter for quite some time, but it apparently caught up with the former champion.

There are many explanations for a fighter "losing their chin" and one of the most common reasons is due to old age. Liddell had been in a number of wars during his career, which also contributed to his lack of chin.

Liddell's corporate position seemed like a handout from White and it was clear from Liddell's retirement announcement that "The Iceman" still believed he had it.

Tim Sylvia

Tim Sylvia was on top of the world in 2006. After having to drop his title the first time around, Sylvia had regained the UFC heavyweight crown after beating his rival, Andrei Arlovski, twice and defeated a touted jiu-jitsu specialist in Jeff Monson.

At 6'8" and tipping the scales at 265 pounds, Sylvia presented a mountain of problems to any perspective challenger. He had the ability to "fight tall," a talent that is not easily learned for taller fighters, and he had a great training camp behind him.

Surely, the undersized and older Randy Couture would be no match for the massive champion, right? Well, that was likely what Sylvia thought until Couture landed one of the most famous right hands in MMA history.

The Couture bout changed Sylvia forever, as he was never anywhere close to the same fighter he was before. Syliva has told people he didn't take his training seriously. 

After being released from the UFC, Sylvia's woes continued as he was completely destroyed by Fedor Emelianenko. He would find a way to top that embarrassment by losing to a 41-year-old Ray Mercer in just nine seconds.

Besides his talent escaping him, Sylvia has also faced a number of issues with his weight. Sylvia weighed in at 310 pounds for is bout against Abe Wagner and 280 pounds for his bout against Patrick Barrentine.