10 UFC Fighters in Most Desperate Need of a Win
For nearly seven years, Anderson Silva dominated the middleweight division.
The Spider has lost two in a row and will now be battling to show he can still compete with the best in the world. The sudden role change displays how quickly the MMA landscape can be altered.
At the moment, many are simply wondering how many more times Silva will step into the Octagon. However, should the former titleholder rebound with a couple wins, MMA pundits could begin calling for a third meeting between Silva and now-champion Chris Weidman.
Silva's future in the sport could all depend on how he performs in his next outing.
Where does The Spider stand among the UFC competitors in most desperate need of a victory? Here is a look at the 10 individuals who require a win more than all their other UFC counterparts.
10. Eddie Alvarez
1 of 10
In September, Eddie Alvarez made his UFC debut against Donald Cerrone and lost to Cowboy on the scorecards.
The former Bellator MMA champion made the move to the world's premier MMA organization to prove he's the best lightweight in the world. Many great competitors have stumbled out of the UFC gates, so we can't close the book on Alvarez's title hopes now, but he will have to turn things around quickly.
At 30 years old and with 29 MMA bouts, Alvarez does have some mileage on him. The Blackzilian came to the UFC to win now rather than develop into an elite fighter.
Benson Henderson, a fighter with two wins over Cerrone, will be next to test Alvarez. Should Alvarez come up short again in that January 2015 matchup, his UFC title chances may start looking slim.
9. Alistair Overeem
2 of 10
With a dominant win over Brock Lesnar in his UFC debut, Alistair Overeem looked to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division.
However, The Reem ended up failing a drug screening and was out of action for the 14 months that followed his win over the former UFC champion. Since returning, Overeem has lost three of four bouts and was knocked out in all three defeats.
The former Strikeforce champion was initially considered capable of dominating the heavyweight division. Should he lose to fellow Dutchman Stefan Struve in December, though, Overeem might have to consider calling it quits, especially if his chin fails him again.
8. Anderson Silva
3 of 10
With 17 straight wins, Silva's dominance became the biggest reason the MMA world followed him so closely.
Following consecutive losses to Chris Weidman, The Spider has not gotten his hand raised in 25 months. At 39 years old, one has to question whether Silva has enough gas left in the tank to turn things around and become a threat to recapture the middleweight championship.
Considering everything he's accomplished, Silva really doesn't have much reason to continue competing unless he has a realistic shot at taking back the UFC gold that was his for so long. Should the Brazilian lose to Nick Diaz when he returns in January 2015, the chances of him making another title run would be very slim.
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7. Nick Diaz
4 of 10
We all knew Nick Diaz's temporary retirement wouldn't last, but it did show that the former Strikeforce champion might be losing interest in MMA competition.
A clash with Silva was one of the few matchups that could get Diaz back into the Octagon, and it is set to happen in January 2015. While Diaz will be an underdog, he may need to beat the Brazilian MMA legend to maintain his drive to continue with MMA.
Diaz is only interested in competing against the best in the world. Should he lose to Silva, Diaz will have lost three in a row and gone 37 months without a victory, so it will be hard for the UFC brass to give him another big matchup.
6. Mark Munoz
5 of 10
At one point, Mark Munoz looked to be blazing a path straight toward the middleweight championship.
The Filipino Wrecking Machine then ran into Chris Weidman. Since being matched up with the eventual 185-pound champion, Munoz has gone 1-3 and was stopped in all three losses.
Most recently, Munoz was submitted by Gegard Mousasi. The loss looked to be one that might cause Munoz, now 36 years old, to call it quits. Instead, Munoz re-signed with the UFC and should return to the Octagon soon.
However, should Munoz lose again when he comes back, he will have dropped three in a row. At that point, Munoz may have to walk away or compete in smaller shows, as the UFC would probably consider cutting him.
5. Mauricio Rua
6 of 10
Once the light heavyweight champion, Mauricio Rua has only won once in his past four appearances.
In his past two outings against Dan Henderson and Ovince Saint Preux, Shogun has suffered nasty knockout losses. That has prompted some to question whether Rua should hang up the gloves at 32 years old, considering the damage he has taken over 12 years in MMA.
With only four knockout losses in his whole career, Rua doesn't deserve to be forced into retirement right now. However, should he decide to return and ends up getting knocked out three straight times, Shogun might have to call it quits.
4. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
7 of 10
For more than a decade, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has been one of the best heavyweights in the world, but his time is about up.
Nogueira is now 38 years old and has been getting knocked out more frequently since joining the UFC roster. Without recording consecutive wins over the past six years, the Brazilian has not shown the ability to generate enough momentum to earn another shot at UFC gold.
With two straight losses, Nogueira needs to win in his next appearance to keep his career going. If he gets knocked out in a third straight defeat, Nogueira might not be given an option to continue competing inside the Octagon.
3. Josh Koscheck
8 of 10
Josh Koscheck has had a great run in the UFC welterweight division, but it looks like time is beginning to catch up with him.
The TUF 1 contestant is now 36 years old and has lost three in a row, including two straight knockout defeats. While he decides on the next step, Koscheck has been inactive over the past 12 months and still does not have a fight booked.
No matter who he is paired with, Koscheck will probably need to win his next bout in order to keep his career going. The UFC already seems to be pushing him in that direction, so a fourth straight loss would almost certainly bring Koscheck's career to an end.
2. Gray Maynard
9 of 10
He's only four fights removed from a lightweight title bout with Frankie Edgar, but Gray Maynard has quickly headed in the wrong direction.
The Bully has been knocked out in three straight fights and in four of his past five outings. Concussions are becoming a concern, and, being 35 years old, Maynard's career is beginning to fade.
Maynard hasn't said anything about retirement since his most recent loss to Ross Pearson, so it looks like he's going to give it another go. Should he drop a fourth straight contest, though, Maynard is going to have find something else to do.
1. Frank Mir
10 of 10
With four consecutive losses, it's a bit surprising that Frank Mir is being given another opportunity to step inside the Octagon. However, it was recently announced that he'll be meeting Antonio Silva at UFC 184 in February 2015.
At 35 years old, Mir clearly isn't the elite heavyweight he once was. The veteran has been knocked out four times in his past 10 outings, so his health is also becoming a concern.
Should Silva hand Mir a fifth straight loss, that could be it for the former champion. Mir has spent almost his entire career with the UFC, so it would be hard to envision him doing business with another promotion to finish out his MMA career.
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