MMA: 25 Fighters Who Should Have Accomplished More in Their Careers

For every Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre, there are a 100 fighters who don't meet the potential many people believe lies within them.

There are many distractions fighters can fall victim to over the course of their careers and some of the fighters on this list did just that. Here are the top 25 fighters who could have accomplished more than they have.

25. Wilson Gouveia

In addition to Georges St-Pierre and Mike Pyle, Wilson Gouveia is one of only three fighters to defeat Jon Fitch. Gouveia is a fighter with unlimited potential, but continually fell short when it mattered the most.

After consecutive losses to Nate Marquardt and Alan Belcher, Gouveia was released from the UFC.

24. Houston Alexander

Houston Alexander burst onto the UFC scene with devastating knockouts and was quickly rising to contender status with wins over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara.

Then, Alexander came crashing back down to earth by losing five of his next six fights.

23. Gilbert Yvel

Gilbert Yvel has always been one of the better strikers in MMA, but his discipline has lacked at times to say the least. Yvel has lost multiple fights for unforgivable disqualifications. In one fight, Yvel knocked out the referee who had been officiating his fight with Atte Backman.

22. Cheick Kongo

Cheick Kongo has always been considered one of the elite strikers in MMA. However, he has never been able to round out his game to become one of the best mixed martial artists.

Kongo will finish his career as a long-time gatekeeper with contender potential.

21. Denis Kang

After beginning his career at 7-7 with one no contest, Denis Kang turned a corner and went on a very impressive run. At one point, Kang went 23 consecutive fights without suffering a loss.

During that streak, Kang defeated the likes of Murilo Rua, Amar Suloev and Akihiro Gono. However, Kang lost to Kazuo Misaki in a split decision after his win over Gono and has never able to string together wins like he did from April 2003 to November 2006.

Most recently, Kang fought to a draw with Paulo Filho.  

20. Efrain Escudero

At 25 years old, Efrain Escudero still has plenty of time to accomplish big things, but his failure to make weight for a fight against Charles Oliveira was a disappointment that had him released from the promotion.

Since being cut, Escudero has gone 3-0 and is looking to make his way back into the Octagon, where he became the winner of The Ultimate Fighter.

19. Murilo Rua

The brother of Mauricio Rua, Murilo Rua has long fought under the shadows of his sibling. Murilo Rua has been in several excellent fights with the likes of Dan Henderson and Quinton Jackson.

However, Murilo Rua's chin has always been questioned since he was crushed by Sergei Kharitonov.

18. Kenny Florian

Make no mistake, Kenny Florian has been extremely successful in MMA. However, he has had several opportunities to claim a championship and has continually fallen short in big fights.

Florian has recently decided to drop to featherweight where he may finally reach his maximum potential as his career is winding to an end.

17. Patrick Cote

After losing to Travis Lutter and blowing a chance to fight for a UFC belt in the finals of Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter, Patrick Cote went on an impressive five fight winning streak to earn a title shot the hard way.

During his streak, Cote recorded wins over Scott Smith, Kendall Grove and Ricardo Almeida. However, Cote suffered an injury in his title fight against Anderson Silva and has never really looked the same since rehabbing his knee.

After two more losses, Cote was released from the UFC. Recently, Cote earned his first win in more than three years against Kalib Starnes.  

16. Stephan Bonnar

After fighting Forrest Griffin to a narrow decision in the finals of The Ultimate Fighter, Stephan Bonnar hasn't been able to reach the same level that Griffin has reached in the sport. Many believed that Bonnar had actually defeated Griffin.

Still, aside from a loss due to a cut against Krzysztof Soszynski, Bonnar's only losses in his career have come against former or eventual UFC champions.

15. Todd Duffee

At UFC 102, a 23-year-old Todd Duffee burst onto the MMA scene by recording the fastest knockout in UFC history against Tim Hague. In his next fight, Duffee dominated Mike Russow for the entire fight before getting caught in one of the greatest come-from-behind knockouts in UFC history.

Well after the loss to Russow, Duffee was released by the UFC for what UFC President Dana White called an attitude problem. In his first fight after his release, Duffee was steamrolled by Alistair Overeem.

Duffee is still young and has time to get his act together, but he will need an attitude adjustment. His biggest obstacle now may be proving himself to the UFC all over again.

14. Roger Huerta

After defeating Clay Guida to run his record to 20-1-1, Roger Huerta appeared to be one of the best lightweights in the world. Then, Huerta lost to Kenny Florian and began to focus on acting.

After a year away from fighting, Huerta returned and gave Gray Maynard everything he had in a split decision loss. Then, Huerta moved to Bellator, where he has gone 1-2 and fallen out of relevance.

13. Mirko FIlipovic

Mirko Filipovic accomplished great things while in Pride. However, his time with the UFC has been a major disappointment. Since being knocked out by Gabriel Gonzaga, Filipovic has never been able to regain his stride.

Recently, Dana White said that Filipovic would likely never fight in the UFC again after his loss to Brendan Schaub.

12. Gabriel Gonzaga

After his epic knockout of Mirko Filipovic, Gabriel Gonzaga was considered one of the best heavyweights in the world. Accordingly, he was offered a title shot against Randy Couture.

However, Gonzaga went on to lost to Couture and never could pick up that next big win to put himself back in the mix as a contender. Recently, Gonzaga was released from the UFC after a loss to Brendan Schaub.

11. Ricardo Almeida

A former Middleweight King of Pancrase, Ricardo Almeida has always had the talent to achieve great things in MMA. After beating Nate Marquardt to earn that Pancrase title, Almeida earned another victory over Ryo Chonan.

It was after his win over Chonan that Almeida retired from MMA for nearly four years to start his jiu-jitsu school. Upon his return to MMA, Almeida performed well, but was never able to fully regain the form he had years earlier.

Many question what Almeida could have accomplished if he had not taken those years away from the sport. Recently, Almeida announced his permanent retirement from MMA after a loss to MIke Pyle.

10. Karo Parisyan

In his first 23 fights, Karo Parisyan's only losses came against Georges St-Pierre, Sean Sherk, Diego Sanchez and Thiago Alves. After his loss to Alves, Parisyan bounced back with a win over Dong Hyun Kim, but the victory was later reversed after it was discovered that Parisyan tested positive for banned painkillers.

After this finding, Parisyan was released from the UFC. Recently, Parisyan made a return to the Octagon, but was defeated by Dennis Hallman and was once again cut by the organization.

9. Sergei Kharitonov

Sergei Kharitonov has never really given his full attention to his mixed martial arts career. If he had, Kharitonov may have been mentioned as one of the best heavyweights on the last decade.

Still, Kharitonov has earned wins over fighters like Murilo Rua, Pedro Rizzo, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski. Now participating in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, Kharitonov will have the chance to finally prove that he can be consistently great.

8. Frank Mir

Frank Mir has had a great career in MMA. However, his career could have been much more special if he hadn't had his title stripped from him after a motorcycle accident.

Since the accident, Mir has never been able to climb his way back to the top, but fans still wonder what could have been for Mir if he was able to defend his title after taking it from Tim Sylvia.

7. Josh Barnett

Josh Barnett's only losses of his career have come against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko Filipovic and Pedro Rizzo.

Barnett's spot on this list is less about his actual record and more about what could have been if he hadn't tested positive for steroids in the fight that gained him the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Barnett was released from the UFC after the positive drug test and hasn't been invited back since.

6. Pedro Rizzo

On two occasions, Pedro Rizzo fought for the UFC Heavyweight Championship and lost. Rizzo lost to Couture twice and Kevin Randleman once in title fights.

With wins over fighters like Mark Coleman, Dan Severn, Josh Barnett and Ken Shamrock, Rizzo certainly had the talent to become a champion, but he was never able to get the job done.

5. Mark Kerr

An ADCC World Submission Wrestling Champion and NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion, Mark Kerr was one of the best grapplers to ever compete in MMA. Kerr showcased that by going undefeated in his first 13 fights in MMA.

However, a drug addiction and a lack of passion for the sport eventually caught up with Kerr. Since that great start to his career, Kerr has gone 3-11 in his last 14 fights.

4. Aleksander Emelianenko

Brother of the great Fedor Emeliaenko, Aleksander Emelianenko never reached the pinnacle of his potential.

While Aleksander did not lack the talent that his brother had, he did not quite possess the same level of focus. He has had plenty of great wins over the course of his career, but never became a champion.

3. Paulo Filho

After winning the first 16 fights of his career and become WEC Middleweight Champion, many considered Paulo Filho to be one of the most talented fighters in the world. However, Filho's run with the WEC came to an end after failing to make weight for his title defense and rematch against Chael Sonnen at WEC 36.

Filho proceeded to lose to Sonnen in one of the stranger fights that MMA has seen. Throughout the fight, Filho appeared to be unaware and talking to himself. Filho had documented drug problems in the past, which became the topic of conversation after his rematch with Sonnen.

Still, Filho has only lost two fights in his career, but larger organizations have been wary to take a chance on signing him at this point in his career. Filho is now fighting in small Brazilian promotions.

2. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

In 2007, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou came to the UFC after recording back-to-back knockouts over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. At the time, many expected Sokoudjou to make a big splash with the UFC.

However, Sokoudjou proceeded to lose to Lyoto Machida by submission and was released from the UFC two fights later. Sokoudjou has never been able to regain the momentum he once had coming off of those victories over Nogueira and Arona.

1. Brandon Vera

Brandon Vera began his career with an impressive 8-0 start, which included finishes of Mike Whitehead, Assuerio Silva and Frank Mir. With his win over Mir, Vera earned a title shot and appeared to be on his way to a great career.

However, Vera forfeited his chance to fight for the heavyweight belt due to a contract dispute. When Vera eventually returned to the Octagon nearly one year after beating Mir, he lost two consecutive fights and has never since been in the mix for a light heavyweight or heavyweight title shot.

After his last fight against Thiago Silva, Vera was temporarily released by the UFC, but was later invited to return when it was discovered that Silva had used a falsified urine sample in his pre-fight drug test.