Dan Hardy and 10 Fighters Who Need to Break a Three-Fight Losing Streak
Of all the fighters on this list, seven are still under contract with the UFC and are currently riding a three-fight losing streak. It's a consequence of fighting the best, but their contracts are all on the line in their next bout if they get one.
It's rare a fighter gets a fourth chance to break the streak, but it only takes one victory to reclaim a position inside the UFC. What's sometimes more important is that they continue to fight, defy the odds and show the same fighting spirit that fans appreciate.
Steve Cantwell
1 of 11
Former WEC light heavyweight champion, Steve Cantwell (7-4), dropped three decisions in a row against Luiz Cane, Brian Stann and Cyrille Diabate. Before that, he was known as a fighter that had never been to a decision.
Cantwell hasn't been able to pick up the momentum he gained when he submitted Razak Al-Hassan by a vicious arm-bar at the first UFC Fight for the Troops event in 2009.
So what should Cantwell do?
He can either take another fight on a preliminary card or how about a fight with Brandon Vera who is also on a three-fight losing streak? A UFC career will definitely be on the line for that fight.
Melvin Manhoef
2 of 11
The Dutch kickboxer with a professional MMA record of 24-9-1 dropped three straight losses in a row against Tim Kennedy, Robbie Lawler and Tatsuya Mizuno. He was stopped in all three including two by submission and one by knockout.
There's no doubt Manhoef isn't exciting. Just look at his record. 23 of his 24 victories have come by knockout. A losing streak doesn't hurt his reputation because of this but who he is matched up should be taken into consideration.
A rematch with Cyborg Santos would be an explosive attraction for a Strikeforce card. Their first fight was one to remember, which saw Manhoef get a second-round TKO over the Brazilian.
Dustin Hazelett
3 of 11
Dustin Hazelett (12-7) has a bright future ahead of him despite losing his last three fights to Mark Bocek, Rick Story and Paul Daley.
Hazelett, who is a second degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was dropped from the UFC roster with a 5-5 record inside the Octagon and held memorable submission victories over Josh Burkman and Tamdan McCory.
A drop to lightweight after two straight losses at welterweight didn't turn out well for the 24-year-old. Still, it is the division he belongs in and one he should continue to fight in.
There's no doubt Hazelett will be in the UFC sometime again, but for now, there is a solid amount of lightweight competition outside the UFC he can aim for.
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Joe Stevenson
4 of 11
After losing to Danny Castillo, Mac Danzig and George Sotiropoulos, Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (31-13) is left in a bind that will be hard to get out of despite only being 28-years-old.
Stevenson, who is a veteran of over 40 MMA bouts, will have a hard time making his way back into the spotlight of the lightweight division after the recent influx of WEC fighters.
Unlike Hazelett, Stevenson is still under contract with the UFC. He may be playing the role as gatekeeper for the up-and-comers looking to make their way in the most stacked division in the sport.
He still holds victories over current UFC fighters Gleison Tibau, Nate Diaz and Spencer Fisher, so he should get another chance to break a streak he also had early in his career from 1999-2000.
Patrick Cote
5 of 11
Canadian fighter Patrick Cote (13-7) is currently scheduled to fight Kalib Starnes at Ringside MMA 10 on April 9th.
Before that bout, Cote will have to take into account his three-fight losing streak against Anderson Silva, Alan Belcher and Tom Lawlor. There should be no shame in losing to some of the best fighters the middleweight division has to offer and the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
It will be the fourth time Cote has taken a fight outside of the UFC after fighting in the premiere organization. The victory over Starnes is necessary if he looks to make his fourth comeback into the UFC.
Matt Brown
6 of 11
Matt Brown is 11-10 in MMA with a UFC record of 4-4. He suffered three submission defeats in a row versus Chris Lytle, Brian Foster and Ricardo Almeida.
His next fight will be against Rich Attonito at UFC on Versus 4. Attonito is 2-1 in the UFC in what will be a must-win fight for Brown.
Expect Brown to come out on fire for this fight. There's no choice for him but to win.
Brandon Vera
7 of 11
Brandon Vera (11-5) was recently re-signed to the UFC after his last opponent, Thiago Silva, positively tested for a banned substance in a post-fight drug test at UFC 125. It was Vera's third loss in a row.
Vera's other losses came against current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and two-time UFC Champion Randy "The Natural" Couture in a controversial decision he deserved to win in most fans' eyes.
If Vera didn't get the message after the Silva fight, he definitely did now. His next fight is a must-win, and like I mentioned before, a fight with Steve Cantwell would be one where two fighters on three-fight losing streaks would give it everything they got to keep their job.
Tyson Griffin
8 of 11
Tyson Griffin is 14-5 in MMA with a UFC record of 7-4. Three of those four defeats are part of a losing trend that he needs to break. He lost two split-decision against Nik Lentz and Evan Dunham and a knockout loss to Takanori Gomi.
Griffin reported that he is dropping to the featherweight division, which is the best choice he could make. Griffin has fought there before and holds a win over former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber. It was the first defeat of Faber's career.
Expect big things from Griffin in the 145-pound division and a lot more exciting fights that will have fans talking.
Dan Hardy
9 of 11
Dan Hardy was a victim of his own trash-talk when it was announced he would be fighting UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111. He lost a five-round decision against the pound-for-pound star and surprisingly looked good while showcasing his toughness. It's too bad he didn't learn much from that fight when it comes to wrestling.
Following that loss, he was brutally knocked out by welterweight contender Carlos Condit and lost a recent decision to Anthony Johnson.
Hardy is taking his career in one direction and that's to get exciting fights. He has shown he doesn't really care about the wrestling part of MMA and called out Chris Lytle on Twitter following his loss to Johnson.
Andrei Arlovski
10 of 11
Andrei Arlovski broke the trend of losing three in a row by losing four. He was knocked out in all but one. The losses came at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers, Sergei Kharitonov and Antonio Silva.
After losing to Kharitonov in the opening of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand-Prix, his trainers recommended he retire from the sport in which he was once crowned the UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world.
He hasn't retired yet, but his future isn't looking too bright if he continues. There's also a chance he may try out boxing, which could be the biggest mistake he makes in his career.
Tito Ortiz
11 of 11
Tito Ortiz (15-8-1) is scheduled to face Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader at UFC 132.
Ortiz hasn't won a fight since defeating Ken Shamrock at The Final Chapter in 2006. He has gone 0-4-1 since then, losing to Matt Hamill, Forrest Griffin and Lyoto Machida.
That three-fight losing streak followed a draw to Rashad Evans and a loss to Chuck Liddell for the UFC light heavyweight championship.
There shouldn't be much doubt for a fighter losing to four former champions, but when their last win was in 2006, a fighters' confidence is going to be seriously hurt.
A win over Bader is a must for the former UFC light heavyweight champion.
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